201602.23
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SPLA Audits and Anonymous / Authenticated / Outsourced / Non-Outsourced Windows Server Licenses

Businesses that have endured audits initiated by Microsoft in connection with Services Provider License Agreements (SPLAs) are all too aware that Microsoft’s auditors spare no effort in identifying opportunities to increase the total amount of the compliance purchases demanded to resolve licensing discrepancies. For service providers that have licensed Windows Server operating systems under SPLA…

201602.23
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Proper Microsoft Licensing in Hosted Environments is a Two-Part Question

Businesses wanting to license Microsoft products for use in connection with solutions delivered to customers over the Internet need to remember proper licensing involves answering two questions: • Are users “accessing” the software? • Is that access “commercial hosting”? Many companies skip to question two, but the answer to question one may keep you from having to…

201602.23
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What Is “Commercial Hosting” When It Comes To Microsoft Software?

Many companies using Microsoft products to deliver services to their customers are familiar with the “commercial hosting” prohibition included in most Microsoft license agreements: You may not host the products for commercial hosting services. Most CIOs reading that prohibition also are familiar with the feeling of deep confusion that can arise when they notice that…

201602.23
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Top Three Decisions for Microsoft Enrollment for Application Platform

An increasing number of enterprises are considering the value of Microsoft’s enterprise-level licensing models. The model with which companies are most familiar likely is the Enterprise Agreement (“EA”), under which a business licenses all of its desktops for Windows, Office and/or client access licenses, with the cost of those licenses being payable in three installments…

201602.23
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Server-Client Assessments in Microsoft Audits are Complex Undertakings

Microsoft audits – especially for larger companies – often are resource-intensive and exhausting undertakings even for the most well prepared IT teams. However, certain aspects of such audits often present more challenges than others. In our experience, the most difficult data to inventory and analyze accurately usually are those related to server clients. In some…

201602.23
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Cost-Effective SQL Server Client Licensing Can Be A Difficult Target To Hit

Most business owners are familiar with the “traditional” server-plus-client licensing scheme for many Microsoft server software products, such as Windows Server operating systems, Exchange messaging software and SQL Server database software. That is, you purchase one license permitting the installation and operation of the software on a server, and then, in addition, you purchase client…

201602.23
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Challenges of Microsoft Server-Client Licensing

The basic model for licensing Microsoft server software – both for operating systems and for applications – is to purchase a license permitting the installation of the software on a server and a number of client-access licenses (CALs) equal to the number of users or devices that will be accessing that software over a network….

201602.23
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Client-Licensing Basics for Microsoft Server Products

Many businesses struggle with the task of determining what kinds and quantities of licenses are needed in order to deploy Microsoft operating systems and client-accessed applications on their servers. The first step in that process often is the most difficult: deciding whether to use “traditional” server + client access licenses (CALs), processor licenses or External…

201601.07
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Non-SPLA Licensing for Hosted Microsoft Software

Most businesses seeking to license Microsoft software for the purpose of delivering hosted software solutions over the Internet turn first to the company’s Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA). SPLA is Microsoft’s flagship licensing model for commercial hosting services, and it offers the primary benefit of permitting a licensed hosting company to pay on a month-to-month…

201206.27
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A Global Definition for Software “Hosting”

I previously have discussed what “commercial hosting” means when it comes to Microsoft software, but the universe of problems created by the “hosting” ambiguity obviously is bigger than just Microsoft. Almost all software publishers restrict or prohibit – to varying degrees – their customers’ ability to use the software products they license in connection with…