Monthly Microsoft License Update November 2022
Welcome to the November 2022 instalment of the monthly Microsoft license update from the Version 1 Microsoft License Consulting Team. Each month Microsoft release license changes on their product terms some of these changes will have a material effect whilst others have no impact whatsoever.
For your convenience, we have uploaded a recording that discusses these changes in more detail.
As Microsoft license experts, my colleagues Niamh NI Shuilleabhain, Richard Ojo, William Nelson and myself will take time to consider and examine these changes, highlighting any Microsoft licensing trends or issues that are around the corner. In this session, we discuss the main changes from the November product terms update, which include the following:
Microsoft 365 — Added Microsoft 365 Cross Tenant Migration and Advanced Data Residency offers to the Availability and License Prerequisites tables.
Extension of the cross-tenant mailbox and OneDrive migration with any pre-requisite license for a one-time fee for the purpose of easing the process of transferring user mailboxes and OneDrive data from one tenant to another as part of a merger, acquisition, divestiture, or organisational split.
Microsoft Power Platform — Updated Availability table and Purchasing Minimums to reflect the launch of Power Pages.
Microsoft Power Pages is used to create external-facing websites that allow users outside the organisation to sign in with a wide variety of identities, create and view data in Dataverse or browse content anonymously.
This change updates what availability table to show the required minimum purchases for Power Pages. Depending on whether you are purchasing Power Pages Authenticated Capacity Pack or Power Pages Anonymous capacity pack, the required Tier 1, 2 and 3 minimums differ.
Privacy & Security Terms — Updated Office 365 Services paragraph in the ‘Location of Customer Data at Rest for Core Online Services’ section to add commitments for Microsoft Teams and the Advanced Data Residency offering. No significant license changes here, purely an update to add Microsoft commitments above.
Software Assurance Benefits — Clarified Self Hosting benefit when used with Windows Server. Self-hosting is typically where a Microsoft ISV customer is providing its own customer access to its solution in a Windows Server environment. It was always a Software Assurance benefit.
It is likely that this clarification relates to Windows Server licensing changes i.e. ‘Flexible Virtualisation Benefit’ and possibly where ISV customers are using a 3rd-Party hoster for its self-hosted solution.
Azure — Additional language added to the terms for Azure reservation purchases:
· Azure reservations are purchased for specified terms of up to three years with either a single upfront payment or equal monthly payments (when available).
· Azure reservations expire at the end of the specified term. Customers will not be refunded payment (paid or scheduled) for unused Azure reservations.
· Using Azure commitment tiers, customers pay upfront monthly for connected containers and Azure usage. Overage will be invoiced when usage exceeds the commitment tier limit.
· For disconnected containers, Azure commitment tier payments are made upfront yearly, except for disconnected container proof of concept (POC) SKUs, which have a one-month prorated price. Customers can renew the POC license automatically up to two times, allowing for three months of the total usage of a POC SKU. Microsoft also confirmed there is no limit on the use of Single Sign On for Azure Active Directory Basic level.
Microsoft Defender for Business Servers — Product terms now include an entry for Microsoft Defender for Business servers under the Microsoft Client Agreement ‘MCA’. This product is an add-on to Defender for Business that secures your server operating systems, with the same protection that you get for client devices in Defender for Business. The following key licensing terms are worth noting:
· You need at least one paid license for Microsoft 365 Business Premium or Defender for Business (standalone).
· Each OSE must be licensed with up to a maximum of 60 licenses per customer.
Universal License Terms for Online Services — The terms include a new section entitled ‘Microsoft Security Products Data Handling.’ Having this term enables Microsoft Security products to share data with other Microsoft Security products.
GitHub Offerings — Updated Extended Term Eligibility section of the Product Conditions table to reflect that GitHub Advanced Security, Enterprise, and Insights are Extended Term Eligible. This means GitHub Advanced Security, Enterprise and Insights can be purchased beyond the Mainstream End Date.
Promotions — Customers can purchase Defender for Endpoint at a 50% discount between the 1st of November 2022 to June 30, 2023. This offer is available to new and renewing Enterprise Agreement customers and when the promotional period ends, customers will be charged for Defender for Endpoint license at then-current rates.
As Microsoft license experts, we can help you simplify these and any other product changes and clarify what this could mean for your license position. If you have any questions relating to this or any other Microsoft licensing matter, please go to our website or contact us.
About the Author:
Karl is a Principal Licensing Consultant at Version 1, providing global Microsoft license expertise to organisations and ensuring customers get the best value from their Microsoft assets.
