Updated Windows Server 2016 Licensing Datasheet

There’s an updated Windows Server 2016 Licensing Datasheet from Microsoft. There are some interesting clarifications which you may not have come across before.

Firstly, there’s confirmation that when licensing with Standard edition rather just adding single licences for further virtual machines you need to completely license all of the physical cores again (see page 3).

Then there’s a list of the editions we can expect (page 2) which includes Essentials, MultiPoint Premium Server, Storage Server and Hyper-V Server, and shows the licensing models that will prevail – Core-based for Standard and Datacenter, but Processor-based for the rest.

There’s also a bit more clarification about the process and timings for the processor to core licensing changes (page 4) and then the two available servicing branches are covered on page 5, with Server with Desktop Experience/Server Core on the Long Term Servicing Branch and Nano Server on the Current Branch for Business – which will require SA.

As usual, find the guide in our extensive store of Licensing Guides here: http://bit.ly/MSLicensingGuides.

Windows Server 2016: Availability Date and Branches

There’s more news from Microsoft on Windows Server 2016 with, first of all, confirmation that it will be on the October 2016 price list.

Next, we learn that there will be two branches: Long Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) and the Current Branch for Business (CBB). Customers will opt into one of these branches depending on the installation option they choose: Server with Desktop Experience and Server Core will be on LTSB, and Nano Server will be on CBB.

It’s expected that there will be two or three updates per year for Nano Server and there will be a requirement to have Software Assurance for this option.

Read the full article from Microsoft here: http://bit.ly/29FHtrB.

June 2016 EA Program Guide

There’s an updated (June 2016) Enterprise Agreement Program Guide. The major amendment is for the change in the minimum number of users/devices from 250 to 500 which came into effect on 1 July 2016. There are also other additions for some new SA benefits such as the Hybrid Use Benefit.

As usual, you can find this guide in our Licensing Guides store here: http://bit.ly/MSLicensingGuides.

Windows, EMS and ECS Name Changes

It’s all change! Firstly, Microsoft announce that Windows 10 Enterprise will be renamed to Windows 10 Enterprise E3, and that Windows 10 Enterprise E5 will be introduced which includes Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection.

Then, Enterprise Mobility Suite will be renamed Enterprise Mobility + Security and, again, there will be E3 and E5 flavours of this.

There’s a good diagram here (http://bit.ly/29Cc0Er) which shows you the components of both of these editions.

And finally, the Enterprise Cloud Suite will be called Secure Productive Enterprise E3/E5 containing the relevant Office 365, EM+S and Windows 10 Enterprise plans.

Find the Microsoft announcement here: http://bit.ly/29ur3we.

OMS Datasheet

OMS

There’s a new (July 2016) Operations Management Suite Pricing and Licensing Datasheet which has full details about the new OMS Subscription. Previously, OMS was only available as an Add-on to existing System Center licences with SA, but the OMS Subscription gives you access to all the Azure services of OMS as well as all of the System Center components for use with 1 virtual machine.

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

MPSA: Enterprise Advantage

Microsoft announce that “Enterprise Advantage” will be added to the MPSA in 2017.

Today, the Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA) allows customers with 250 PCs+ to purchase traditional licences, with or without Software Assurance, and Online Services on a transactional basis.

Enterprise Advantage will add a way for customers to purchase on a committed basis with similar requirements to the existing Enterprise Agreement. This, of course, is significant since 1 July marked the change of the minimum requirements for the EA from 250 to 500 users/devices.

Find the Microsoft announcement here: http://bit.ly/29dVfMI.