Tag Archives: Listed Providers

Software Subscriptions and License Mobility

Microsoft announce that CSP Software Subscription benefits are fully equivalent to Software Assurance from 1 April, 2026.


License Mobility (through Software Assurance) allows the use of eligible licences in Azure or on an Authorized Mobility Partner’s shared hardware and has long differentiated the two purchasing options. The change expands this outsourcing option to SQL Server, and the External Connectors for Windows Server and RDS. Of particular interest, Listed Providers Amazon, Google, and Alibaba are currently signed up as Authorized Mobility Partners.

Although System Center Server is also available as a Software Subscription, it’s somewhat neglected in the announcement, even though its Software Assurance counterpart has always been eligible for License Mobility.

Microsoft provide us with a range of resources to supplement the news.

Find the announcement here: https://bit.ly/4sWQsqH.

The updated License Mobility guides cover the process and further details. Grab them here: https://bit.ly/4mcoKDM and here: https://bit.ly/4czaPDJ.

Outsourcing Software Management Licensing Brief

This March 2023 Outsourcing Software Management Licensing Brief brings together information about changes that happened in October 2019 and October 2022. You’ll find information on using licences with Listed Providers and Authorized Outsourcers, as well as the benefits that enable this: the Flexible Virtualization Benefit, License Mobility through SA, and the Azure Hybrid Benefit. Find this Licensing Brief here: http://bit.ly/3T1nxR7.

Flexible Virtualization benefit and Windows Server VM licensing

Microsoft announce that there will be two significant licensing changes coming in October 2022.

Firstly, the outsourcing terms will be expanded via the Flexible Virtualization benefit which will allow customers to use their eligible licences with any Authorized Outsourcer’s shared hardware. Eligible licences are licences purchased through a Volume Licensing agreement with active Software Assurance, or Server Subscriptions purchased through CSP, and Authorized Outsourcers are any partners offering hosted solutions – apart from the Listed Providers (Alibaba, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft).

The second change is an additional licensing option for Windows Server for customers with active SA or Server Subscriptions: rather than being restricted to licensing the whole physical server, these customers will be able to choose to license at the virtual machine level – both in their own data centres or with an Authorized Outsourcer.

For more information, see the partner announcement here: https://bit.ly/3wFgQdw, or the customer announcement here: https://bit.ly/3CF8eaT.