Product licensing briefs
Licensing briefs provide in-depth knowledge of licensing topics. They are particularly useful for learning about complex licensing situations involving new technologies or combinations of products.
General
October 2021
Explains the rights that are granted to all Volume Licensing customers to copy software onto multiple devices from one standard image.
April 2021
Provides Dynamics 365 general licensing information, answers to commonly asked questions, and complex scenario building.
March 2021
Explains how Multiplexing may impact the licensing needs of Microsoft software and online service products.
February 2021
This brief explains how Microsoft software and online services step-up licenses work.
November 2020
Explains how Robotic Process Automation impacts the licensing needs for Microsoft customers.
November 2020
Some Volume Licensing agreements and enrollments provide organization-wide licensing with tiered pricing that can be based on the number of "Qualified Devices." This brief provides a revised definition of a "Qualified Device."
November 2020
Provides an in-depth look at the “Self-Hosted Applications” use right and its requirements for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) that want to provide their own software as a hosted service.
October 2020
This brief provides an introduction to Microsoft Per Core licensing models and the Microsoft software products that use them.
September 2020
Explains the downgrade rights for the most commonly acquired systems License Terms granted by Volume Licensing programs and how they compare with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and full-package product (FPP) license rights.
Robotic Process Automation in Power Automate: UI flows
September 2020
Outlines Microsoft’s new Robotic Process Automation (RPA) capability in Power Automate, called UI flows.
December 2015
A comprehensive list of Microsoft software licenses and dependent licenses (the "software stack") required under the terms of Volume Licensing programs.
Servers
November 2020
Explains what a CAL Suite Bridge is and how CAL Suite Bridges are used when transitioning from a CAL Suite (on-premises) to a comparable Product and Online Service combination.
October 2020
Explains how the Microsoft Core Client Access License (CAL) Suite and the Microsoft Enterprise CAL Suite can provide access rights for a number of server products and online services.
October 2020
An explanation of how server software that requires Client Access Licenses (CALs) offers one base CAL to license access to server functionality and may offer one or more additive CALs.
April 2017
Clarifies the licensing process for Microsoft SharePoint Server and gives some examples of common-use licensing scenarios.
Desktop
November 2021
Provides an explanation of Windows 11 qualifying operating system license requirements.
August 2020
Addresses commonly asked questions about how to license Microsoft 365 Apps through Commercial Licensing.
April 2020
Covers use rights for Microsoft Office for the Windows operating system acquired as a software product under a desktop application device license (typically, a perpetual license).
October 2018
Answers frequently asked questions about licensing the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office to run on the Mac.
March 2014
Clarification of Microsoft Volume Licensing policies for the Windows client, Windows Server, and Windows MultiPoint Server operating systems when the potential for multiuser scenarios exists.
Virtualization
August 2020
Provides an overview of Microsoft licensing models for the server operating system and server applications under virtual environments.
August 2020
Discusses how Windows Server is licensed when used with virtualization technologies like VMware ESX/ESXi, Microsoft System Center (Virtual Machine Manager component), or under the Microsoft Azure Hybrid Benefit.
August 2020
Provides an overview of the Microsoft Commercial Licensing use rights for the Windows 10 operating system when running within virtual machines.
April 2020
Clarifies Microsoft licensing policies for Windows Server Remote Desktop Services (RDS) and Microsoft desktop applications for use with Windows Server RDS.