Updated Premium Assurance Datasheet

There’s an updated (March 2017) Premium Assurance datasheet from Microsoft. Premium Assurance allows you to add 6 more years of product support to SQL or Windows Server licences with active SA.

There’s a phased pricing model – the later you purchase Premium Assurance, the more expensive it is. The main adjustment to this datasheet is the inclusion of a TCO example showing that if you want to maintain product support for Windows Server until December 2026 it’s actually more cost effective to start paying in March 2017 rather than March 2020.

Find it here: http://bit.ly/MSLicensingGuides.

Updated Azure Hybrid Use Benefit Datasheet

There’s an updated (April 2017) Azure Hybrid Use Benefit datasheet from Microsoft, where you’ll find amended pricing information and the latest details on how to activate the benefit.

Find this datasheet in the Core Infrastructure section of our Licensing Guides store: http://bit.ly/MSLicensingGuides.

Azure Hybrid Use Benefit FAQ

There’s a new (April 2017) Azure Hybrid Use Benefit FAQ from Microsoft. It’s a jolly useful document with information on the three ways to use the benefit, the different Marketplace gallery images that are available, and a host of other interesting questions.

Find it in the Core Infrastructure section of our Licensing Guides emporium: http://bit.ly/MSLicensingGuides.

Office 365 K1 Plan Updates

Microsoft announce some additions to the components of the Office 365 K1 plan. In the coming weeks K1 users can expect to get access to this new set of capabilities: Microsoft StaffHub, OneDrive for Business, Skype for Business presence and instant messaging, Microsoft Teams, Office 365 Video, Microsoft PowerApps, and Microsoft Flow.

Find the announcement here: http://bit.ly/2odr8zb.

Changes to Office 365 E5 Components

There are some changes to Office 365 E5 components announced by Microsoft. First of all, there’s a new component – Office 365 Advanced Compliance – which is available as a standalone plan or included in Office 365 E5. This now gathers together Office 365 Advanced eDiscovery and Customer Lockbox (previously available as standalone plans) and the brand-new Office 365 Advanced Data Compliance functionality which, as Microsoft puts it: “applies machine learning to help customers find and retain important data while eliminating trivial, redundant and obsolete data that could cause risk if compromised.”

Then there’s the new Office 365 Threat Intelligence functionality, also available as a standalone plan or as a component of Office 365 E5. And what’s this? Well, there’s a dashboard to help customers understand the threat landscape for their organisation, and integration with other Office 365 security features to provide an analysis that includes the top targeted users, malware frequency, as well as security recommendations related to a particular organisation.

Find the Microsoft announcement with plenty of links to other information here: http://bit.ly/2nYhPBe.

Azure VM Backup Options

April Fools Post 2017

Microsoft announce new backup options for Azure Windows Server virtual machines. If you’ve got an on-premises Windows server farm then new Cloud License for On-premises Windows Networks (CLOWN) rights allow you to run a backup of the Azure virtual machine on your own Windows Server hardware.

Find the announcement about these new CLOWN rights here: http://bit.ly/AprilFool2017.

Updated SAM MCP exam

Microsoft announce an updated SAM MCP exam: 70-713 Software Asset Management (SAM) – Core. See the announcement here: http://bit.ly/2njGGAN and find the full exam info page here: http://bit.ly/2njMRVj.

If you want to know when we’re running courses to help you to prepare for and pass this exam then email info@licensingschool.co.uk.

Azure TCO Calculator

There’s an Azure TCO Calculator from Microsoft in preview so that you can evaluate potential cost savings if you migrate on-premises application workloads to Azure. You specify the details of your existing infrastructure, various cost assumptions you want the tool to work with, and then you’re given a report that shows on-premises v Azure costs breakdown summaries.

Find the tool here: http://bit.ly/2nmH2qS.

Azure Stack Licensing

Microsoft release more details about how Azure Stack will be licensed when it’s available in mid 2017. And what is Azure Stack? Think Azure Services running on on-premises hardware. This useful Microsoft blog post (http://bit.ly/2nmBL2q) explains that Azure Stack will be charged on a consumption basis (like Azure Services normally are) but prices will be lower since customers are providing their own hardware and facilities.

Azure Stack hardware will be available from Dell, EMC, HPE and Lenovo and this too will be available on a pay-as-you-go basis if required.

Microsoft Bookings

Microsoft Bookings starts rolling out worldwide to customers who have Office 365 Business Premium subscriptions. There’s an app for iOS now and one for Android shortly, and customers who have Office 365 E3 or E5 subscriptions are likely to get access to Microsoft Bookings in the future. Find the Microsoft announcement here: http://bit.ly/2n40mGV.