Monthly Microsoft License Update February 2024
Welcome to the February 2024 instalment of the Microsoft Product Terms Update from the Version 1 Microsoft License Consulting Team. Each month, Microsoft releases license changes on their product terms — this month sees a variety of updates to both product terms and supporting license briefs.
Windows Desktop Operating System — Microsoft has added Windows Autopilot to the list of Online Service components of Windows that are covered by the Universal License Terms for Online Services.
Windows Autopilot has been around for several years and often overlooked within the suite of tools that admins can use to streamline device deployments and includes a collection of technologies used to set up and pre-configure new devices, getting them ready for productive use.
Microsoft Intune — Microsoft has added Intune Advanced Analytics and Intune Enterprise Application Management to Availability and Prerequisite Tables. Advanced Analytics gives access to more intelligence to gain even deeper insights into the user experience and admins with the tools to proactively detect and remediate issues that impact user productivity.
EAM is a new tool within the Intune Suite or as a standalone subscription that provides a stream of 3rd party apps that admins can use to deploy updates to users and devices through centralised management.
Microsoft 365 — Microsoft Copilot for Services was added to the availability tables for EA / EAS & MCA. This offering lets organisation create agent-facing copilots designed to boost agent productivity and improve customer satisfaction. Microsoft has also added this service to the License Prerequisite Tables, which state you need: Microsoft 365 Business Standard/Business Premium /E3/E5; Office 365 E3/E5.
This month also saw the creation of new Service Specific Terms for Microsoft Copilot for Sales that state:
· Dynamics 365 environment and Premium Power Automate connections created by Microsoft Copilot for Sales are limited for use with Microsoft Copilot for Sales only.
· Any Microsoft Copilot for Sales capabilities included as part of any Dynamics 365 Sales products are limited for use with Dynamics 365 Sales environments only.
From SA SKUs — In Microsoft’s recent change in policy, we see a decrease in the availability of ‘From SA SKUs’. These changes won’t impact customers that hold existing ‘From SA SKUs’ as they can continue to renew them as normal. However, if you are a new customer or an existing ‘From SA’ customer then new purchases of ‘From SA’ subscriptions are no longer permitted as of the 1st of February 2024, for Microsoft 365 related offerings, and 1st of April for Dynamics 365. Learn more about this change in my recent blog post.
More Microsoft 365 Updates — Microsoft has updated the Extended Use Rights for Microsoft 365 E3/E5 for clarity. Following on from the announcement that Microsoft will no longer be offering M365 From SA for new customers, the Extended Use Rights for Office Professional Plus was updated. Prior to 1st February, customers with M365 From SA E3/E5 licensees were given the right to use one local copy of Office Professional Plus (per licensed user). If a customer also had additional licensees with M365 Full USL E3/E5, the same right was awarded, up to the equivalent number of From SA licenses.
As the M365 From SA skus are no longer available for future customers that have yet to transition from the Desktop Enterprise or Professional; the update as of 1st February means the Office Professional Plus use right is extended to customers with full M365 User SLs where, “For each Licensed User who used a device licensed with SA for the Windows Desktop Operating System, Core/Enterprise CAL Suite, and Office Professional Plus before being assigned a Microsoft 365 E3/E5 User SL.” (Microsoft Update February 2024)
Why would Microsoft provide this right? In my view, customers who transitioned or will transition from the classic Desktop Enterprise or Professional may have legacy applications or custom-built applications which experience interoperability issues with M365 Apps for Enterprise. This type of scenario means there is a need to keep using per-device Office Professional apps (e.g. Excel, Access).
The word of warning with this use right is that Office Professional Plus is only permitted for one local device per licensee. It does not permit remote installations of Office Professional Plus on a server, virtual server, or virtual desktop infrastructure.
Dynamics — This month saw the introduction of Dynamics 365 Finance Premium to Service Specific Terms and Power Pages Extended Use Rights. Microsoft also created a new clause for Microsoft Relationship Sales, where all components, software and entitlements of Microsoft Relationship Sales are limited for use with Dynamics 365 Sales environments only.
Microsoft Relationship Sales includes Dynamics 365 for Sales Enterprise and LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced Plus Edition. LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced Plus Edition is for the sole use of the Microsoft Relationship Sales Licensed User for the duration of the subscription. For customers of Dynamics Business Central & Dynamics 365 Finance in Denmark, Microsoft have added specific terms for bookkeeping laws and regulations for Danish customers.
GitHub Offerings — Microsoft has updated EAS and MCA Availability tables to reflect new license availability.
The GitHub Product Terms have been updated to align with Generative AI updates. There are also updates to EA/EAS (Enterprise Agreement/Enterprise Agreement Subscription) and MCA (Microsoft Customer Agreement) Availability tables to reflect new license availability. Notably, some offerings on GitHub are now available to MCA customers for the first time. However, it’s interesting to observe that certain MCA GitHub offerings (such as GitHub Actions, Advanced Security, and GitHub Packages) have a license pre-requisite for GitHub Enterprise User SL, which is not yet available under MCA. Hopefully, this issue will be resolved in the coming months.
The table below reflects the different products and their availability under EA/EAS and MCA agreements.
Privacy & Security Terms — Microsoft has added Azure Container Instances to the Core Online Services table and updated the list of Online Services excluded from the DPA for clarity. It’s great to see that Azure continues to evolve and enhance its services. The addition of Azure Container Instances to the Core Online Services table is a significant step, and the clarification regarding the Online Services excluded from the DPA is helpful for users.
Microsoft Azure — Microsoft has updated ‘Cognitive Services & Applied AI Services’ naming to ‘Azure AI Services’ and general updates to terms reflective of the naming update. Microsoft Azure has recently made some updates to its services. The ‘Cognitive Services & Applied AI Services’ has been renamed to ‘Azure AI Services’. These changes reflect the evolution and consolidation of Azure’s artificial intelligence offerings.
About the Author:
Karl is a Principal Licensing Consultant at Version 1, providing Microsoft license expertise to organisations globally and ensuring customers get the best value from their Microsoft assets.
