See what's involved when you invest in a complete solution and service commitment to help ensure that your technology is business ready and your people are able to use it.
When you license a Microsoft Dynamics business management solution, a Microsoft partner can help you choose the right components for your business and configure them to meet your needs. Your Microsoft partner will also help your people get the ongoing training, services, and support they need to use the tools to their full potential.
What affects licensing costs?
The costs to license and use business management technology vary greatly among companies. The following factors have an immediate impact on the overall cost of your total business solution:
Business software components. The components you'll need are influenced by the type of business you're in, along with the current and future software needs your company might have.
The number and type of people who will use the software. Factors to consider include the size of your staff versus third parties (non-employees), the kind of tasks they perform, and the software access that each person needs.
How people access the software. Mode of access (rich client versus Web client, mobile client, or other mode of access) will influence the license price. More information on the different types of access licenses can be found in the Microsoft Dynamics user access type matrix (XPS 674 KB).
The level of service that's right for your company. Depending on your business and IT staffing structure, you may choose varying degrees of service, training, and more.
Find out which edition of Microsoft Dynamics you need. Learn more about the different editions available for Microsoft Dynamics.
Deployment options
You have a choice in software delivery, including on premise, on demand, and partner-hosted, delivery models. You can also take a hybrid approach in which you keep some business processes of your implementation of Microsoft Dynamics on your premises while hosting other elements. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is available today as an on premise or on demand solution in North America. Other Microsoft Dynamics ERP products are available as partner-hosted solutions from Microsoft partners.
User access options
Businesses also vary greatly in the number of people within the company who need to use specific software functions. Besides licensing an edition, you'll likely need additional user licenses to give your people access to functionality within the software. You typically have a choice of Full or Partial Access users, depending on your needs. Refer to the Microsoft Dynamics user access type matrix (XPS 674 KB) for a listing of which user access types are available for each product.
Full Access user licenses
A Full Access user license allows one user to access all functionality within the edition at any one time through the rich client. Unlike many other business solutions, with Microsoft Dynamics Full Access user licenses, you only pay for the people accessing the system at any one time. How many people using the system at any one time is sometimes referred to as concurrent access. If you have 20 individuals who need to access the system, but no more than 15 of them will be accessing the system at any one time, then you only pay for 15 Full Access user licenses.
Additional user access licenses
Partial Access users are defined as users that do not access Microsoft Dynamics through the full access license. Several types of Partial Access user licenses are available. A Partial Access user license, which is typically priced lower than the Full Access user license, is a way of extending access to your Microsoft Dynamics solution to many more people across your organization or to a specific area of the application. To help clarify, here are three examples of Partial Access users:
Microsoft Dynamics Client for Microsoft Office. One example of a Partial Access user license is the Microsoft Dynamics Client for Microsoft Office, which includes a number of self-service applications that provide employees access to important business information and processes. The Microsoft Dynamics Client for Office will grant specific employees User Access to Microsoft Dynamics through the Web, Portal access or other means. There are two versions of Microsoft Dynamics Client for Office: Microsoft Dynamics Client for Windows SharePoint Server (WSS) and Microsoft Dynamics Client for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS). Learn more about Microsoft Dynamics Client for Office versions.
Microsoft Dynamics External Connector. Another access user license is the Microsoft Dynamics External Connector. The External Connector is a license that enables third parties (non-employees) to access Microsoft Dynamics. The External Connector is licensed per system database and allows access to an unrestricted number of users.
Specific functionality users.
Some components offered with a Microsoft Dynamics product will allow access to only a specific functional area. An example of this is the Demand Planner user license that only provides access to specific functionality around demand planning.
Note: Microsoft Volume Licensing for Microsoft Dynamics CRM does not offer concurrent or Partial User access as previously described for other Microsoft Dynamics products. Contact your Microsoft partner for help in understanding Volume Licensing for Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
The External Connector licenses are not available for all Microsoft Dynamics products. Refer to the Microsoft Dynamics User Access Matrix to determine which products offer External Connector licenses.
Volume licensing
If you don't get Microsoft Dynamics CRM through Business Ready Licensing, it can be purchased through the Microsoft Volume Licensing program—the same licensing model that is used for the Microsoft Office system, Windows, and Microsoft Exchange. See the Microsoft Dynamics CRM How to Buy page for more information.
Service options
Your local Microsoft partner offers on-site services that complement the support, training, and product upgrades you receive with support and service plans for Microsoft Dynamics. You can choose from a variety of service and support plans to get updates, ongoing training, and useful information, plus the right balance of service assistance for your people.
Licensing other products
Other Microsoft products
Microsoft products that can connect with your business system—such as the Microsoft Office system, Windows Vista, and Microsoft SQL Server (although Microsoft SQL Server Runtime for Microsoft Dynamics can be purchased off of the Microsoft Dynamics price list only)—have their own licensing structures. Read about how to buy and manage multiple software licenses for other Microsoft technology.
Partner solutions
Microsoft partners have developed a wide range of industry-specific solutions that work with Microsoft Dynamics products to meet your specific needs. Use the Microsoft Dynamics Solution Finder to search for partner-built solutions for your industry or business need. Look for the Certified for Microsoft Dynamics logo when searching for proven, tested, recommended solutions.
For help finding a Microsoft partner who can provide detailed solutions and pricing information, contact us.
