15Mar
Microsoft’s Auditors Are Not Infallible
Microsoft licensing is a complex, multi-faceted undertaking, with different rules and license metrics applying to different products. In the context of software audits initiated by Microsoft, it is important to keep in mind the fact...
28Jan
SQL Server Licensing Challenges in Hosting Environments
Microsoft does not make licensing SQL Server easy, either under SPLA or under volume licensing agreements. Here are the three most significant problems that our clients face when trying to license that product: Four-Core Minimum...
5Jan
Avoid Mixed-Mode Microsoft Licensing Whenever Possible
Most Microsoft software products – especially server products – can be licensed under multiple different models and metrics. SQL Server probably is the best example of a product that presents companies with multiple decision layers...
12Nov
Avoid Ambiguity in Microsoft Licensing Agreements
CTOs who have read Microsoft’s volume license agreements and product use rights documentation know that Microsoft has a special place in its heart for contractual “grey area.” To some extent, that fact likely arises from...
29Sep
To SAM or Not to SAM? The Differences Between a Microsoft SAM Engagement and an Audit
In recent years, Microsoft seems to have been shifting an increasing volume of its license-compliance resources toward what it calls Software Asset Management (SAM) reviews. These “optional” engagements typically are proposed by Microsoft personnel with...
12Aug
For SPLA Audits, When Historical Data is Missing, Creativity May Be Required
Most software audits pertaining to products licensed under perpetual licenses (such as licenses acquired under a Microsoft Select Agreement, MPSA or (usually) Enterprise Agreement) incorporate a snapshot-in-time approach, where licenses owned generally are compared to...
