Volume Licensing Briefs Updated for March 2014

Licensing Windows Intune

  • Updated to reflect licensing changes for Windows 8.1 Enterprise
  • Previous brief: November 2013
  • http://bit.ly/17mQhUo

Self-Hosted Applications

Downgrade Rights

  • Updated to reflect licensing changes for Windows 8.1 Enterprise
  • Previous brief: October 2013
  • http://bit.ly/17o1yEf

Introduction to Per Core Licensing and Basic Definitions

Microsoft Licensing for the Consumerisation of IT

  • Updated to reflect licensing changes for Windows 8.1 Enterprise
  • Previous brief: October 2013
  • http://bit.ly/16yZOfE

Microsoft Licensing for the Consumerisation of IT – Academic Licensing Scenarios

  • Updated to reflect licensing changes for Windows 8.1 Enterprise
  • Previous brief: October 2013
  • http://bit.ly/1hEr6CS

Reimaging Rights

  • Updated to reflect licensing changes for Windows 8.1 Enterprise
  • Previous brief: November 2013
  • http://bit.ly/1a8GtyG

Licensing Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013

Licensing Windows and Microsoft Office to use with the Apple Mac

  • Updated to reflect licensing changes for Windows 8.1 Enterprise
  • Previous brief: November 2013
  • http://bit.ly/Hkv3BM

Licensing Windows Client and Server Operating Systems in Multiuser Scenarios

  • Updated to reflect licensing changes for Windows 8.1 Enterprise
  • Previous brief: November 2013
  • http://bit.ly/18nXNAC

Operating System Licence Requirements: Initial Operating System and Transfer of Licence

  • Updated to reflect licensing changes for Windows 8.1 Enterprise
  • Previous brief: November 2013
  • http://bit.ly/1jNIsjQ

Licensing Windows Desktop Operating Systems for Use with Virtual Machines

Update on Microsoft Products and Services Agreement

Microsoft give an update on their new Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA). As a reminder, this is the new agreement that allows customers to license both on-premises and Online Services through a single agreement. The update gives details of new countries that the agreement will shortly be available in (France, Poland, Netherlands, Denmark, Italy and Switzerland) as well as some screenshots of the all new Volume Licensing Center. Check out the full post here: http://bit.ly/MKqQt7

Changes to Windows 8.1 Licensing

So, 1 March 2014 heralds a new dawn for Windows client licensing. OK, that might be overstating it, but the licensing that we’re familiar with has undergone a change. Here’s a summary of the differences, compiled from the March 2014 Product List.

What are the changes?

  • There’s a new standalone Windows Enterprise Upgrade SKU – that’s right, no need to buy SA to get access to the Windows Enterprise feature set
  • The Windows Enterprise Upgrade SKU is only available through the Volume Licensing programs
  • SA can now ONLY be added to the Windows Enterprise Upgrade SKU – therefore, you can’t add SA to FPP or OEM licences any more

What doesn’t change?

  • The Windows licences available through Volume Licensing programs are still Upgrade licences and require an underlying Qualifying Licence – the list of which doesn’t change

What are the offerings?

  • Windows Pro Upgrade
  • Windows Enterprise Upgrade
  • Windows Enterprise Upgrade + SA

What’s the availability?

  • The Windows Pro Upgrade is available through Open and Select Plus programs
  • The Windows Enterprise Upgrade is available through all Volume Licensing programs with SA being mandatory in EA and Open Value agreements and optional in Open and Select Plus

What happens to existing customers?

  • Customers with Windows Pro Upgrade + SA licences purchased before 1 March 2014 may renew the SA on those licences at the relevant time
  • Customers with an existing enrolment with Windows Pro Upgrade + SA may continue to purchase Windows Pro Upgrade + SA licences until the end of the enrolment
  • Customers with Select Plus or Open agreements who purchased Windows 7 or 8 through FPP or OEM before 1 March 2014 may attach SA to those licences within 90 days of the licence purchase date

Licensing Oracle software on Azure Virtual Machines

Useful page on licensing Oracle under Azure explains the two models available:

  • “Licence-Included” (pay a per hour rate for the Oracle software) or
  • “Bring-Your-Own-Licence” (apply an existing Oracle licence to an Azure-based VM).

Deployment governs the licensing model:

  • If you choose a Linux or Windows Server VM where Oracle has been pre-installed from the Windows Azure Gallery, it’s a BYOL model for the Linux machine and an LI model for the Windows one. Alternatively,
  • If you deploy a Windows or Linux VM and install Oracle software yourself then both are BYOL.

http://bit.ly/1bNWFgQ

SCE Partner Resource Kit from Microsoft

Server and Cloud Enrolment Partner Resource Kit available from Microsoft: http://bit.ly/1bKOrWD.

Updated in December 2013, this is your one stop shop for SCE resources: there are six videolettes to watch, an assessment to do (pass it in all 10 languages as a stretch target), as well as both customer and partner flavours of the SCE Program Guide, SCE FAQs and Datasheet.

Finally, if your job is explaining SCE to customers, there’s a Customer Presentation too.

Reimaging Rights: article on Microsoft’s VL Blog

Reimaging Rights: a useful article on Microsoft’s Volume Licensing Blog covering the top questions on this.

In summary:

  • Do you need SA (no)
  • Can you use downgrade and down-edition rights (yes)
  • How do Open customers get media and keys (purchase 1 licence) and
  • Can you reimage using OEM/Retail media and keys (no)

The full post is here: http://bit.ly/1gLxDNZ

Overview of the Changes to the February 2014 Volume Licensing Product List

Power BI for Office 365 USLs

  • Power BI makes its long-awaited debut and it’s now available as a co-terminous subscription through all the Volume Licensing programs except poor old Select Plus which doesn’t offer any Online Services. More interestingly perhaps, a Power BI USL also gives access to SQL Server 2012 Standard and Business Intelligence editions as an alternative to a SQL 2012 CAL – see pages 36/37 of the January 2014 PUR

Office 365 Add-on USLs through Open

  • The Open Value Offer has now morphed into the Office 365 Add-ons where customers who have made an enterprise-wide commitment can add Office 365 services at a reduced price. Pages 105/106 show a very useful table where you can see the qualifying agreements (Open Value Company Wide or OVS), the Qualifying Licences (Core CAL Suite/Enterprise CAL Suite/Office Professional Plus 2013), the available Add-ons (E1, E3, Midsize Business) and the combinations thereof that are allowed

Server and Cloud Enrolment

  • You may know that customers purchasing eligible products under ECI or EAP received double points towards Planning Services and it’s confirmed on page 67 that this does NOT apply to SCE, and products will receive exactly the same points allocations as other programs

System Center Advisor

  • As of January 2013 System Center Advisor became a free service where SA was no longer required for customers wanting to use it – this is the month that it’s removed from the SA section of the Product List. See the original announcement here:  http://bit.ly/1j1xGWQ

CRM Online USLs for SA

  • The USLs available for CRM Online for customers who have CRM 2013 CALs with SA aren’t new, but there’s a good table added on page 153 showing the Qualifying CALs and what USLs for SA are available