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Summary of Changes

Below is a summary of changes and updates made to the terms over the past 12 months. 

To see prior months, change the effective date in the top navigation to view a prior publish date.

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September 1, 2023 

Universal License Terms for Online Services: Added a clause for “Online Services with Distributable Code” to clarify the Distributable Code clause for Software also applies to Online Services that include Software components and adding clarity to the Universal clause for Validation, Auto Updates, & Collection for Software, that extensions are included. 

Privacy & Security Terms: Added Viva Glint to the EU Data Boundary Services table. 

Microsoft 365: Updated instances of "Microsoft Viva Sales" to "Microsoft Sales Copilot". 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Services: Updating D365 terms to align with Customer Insights and Marketing changes including EES, EAEAS, MCA, and MPSA availability tables. 

Microsoft Security portfolio Product Terms mapping: Added index of security Products and the applicable terms.

August 1, 2023

Amazon Workspaces Deployments: Beginning August 1, 2023, users with specific licenses may run Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise/business, Microsoft Project, and Microsoft Visio on Amazon WorkSpaces. The licenses that will be eligible under this revised policy include Microsoft 365 E3/E5/A3/A5 and Microsoft 365 Business Premium. If you currently have any of these licenses, starting from August 1, you will be able to utilize these Microsoft applications on Amazon WorkSpaces virtual desktop infrastructure.

Universal License Terms for Online Services: Universal term for Online Services added in relation to Azure meter availability and applicable terms.

Privacy & Security Terms: Updated Microsoft Azure Core Services to include Azure Container Apps.

Microsoft Azure: Added language for Azure Customer Solution regarding customer responsibility in obtaining necessary license related to standards.

Microsoft 365: Added Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management (User SL) to EES, EAEAS, and added MCA table and Microsoft Defender Threat Intelligence API to EES table. Updated Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Add-on adding Microsoft 365 A5 Security and removing Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2 (Device).

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Services: Updated Purchasing Minimums, removed ability to combine license to meet the minimum requirement.

Office 365 Suites: Removed Office 365 F from Availability tables for EA/EAS, MPSA, and Point Value Chart – Commercial and changed from All Programs to MCA.

Microsoft Power Platform: Updating Power Platform terms to reflect new product launches and naming conventions. Added Process Mining to Availability and Prerequisites tables.

Windows Desktop Operating System: Added Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 (Per Device) to MCA, MPSA, and SS Availability tables.

July 1, 2023

Privacy & Security Terms: Updated list of Core Online Services for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Core Services, Office 365 Services, Microsoft Azure Core Services, Microsoft Intune Online Services, and Microsoft Power Platform Core Services to ensure accuracy with current compliance requirements, product naming, and retired services.

Windows Desktop Operating System: Added Microsoft 365 G3/G5 as eligible licenses to use for Azure Virtual Desktop for Windows

Microsoft Azure: Updated Reduction Eligibility for EA/EAS and SCE customers to clarify that Azure Support can be reduced at anniversary. Added service-specific terms for Microsoft Dev Box.

GitHub Offerings: Added terms for GitHub availability as an Azure meter.

Microsoft 365: Added Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Add-On to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for servers, Entra ID Governance, and Microsoft Defender Threat Intelligence API to the Availability and License Prerequisites tables. Added terms to support the launch of Viva Glint.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for servers: Added Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for servers to the MCA Availability table.

Microsoft Power Platform: Added Power Automate Process Mining to Availability and Prerequisite tables.

Microsoft Defender Experts: Added Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting to the MCA Availability table.

Windows 365: Added Windows 365 Frontline to the Availability table, as well as License assignment eligibility and additional terms.

Azure Data Box, Azure Stack Edge, and Azure Stack Hub Ruggedized Terms: Adding terms for Azure Stack Hub Datacenter Hardware launch which are consolidated with the existing Azure Stack Hub Ruggedized Hardware terms.

June 1, 2023

Universal License Terms for Online Services: Updating Universal Terms for OpenAI to align with product specific terms

Microsoft 365: Added Data Handling section for Microsoft Managed Desktop. Added service specific terms for Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management (EASM) and Microsoft Defender Threat Intelligence (MDTI). Renamed Microsoft Endpoint Manager – Remote Help to Microsoft Intune – Remote Help.

Microsoft Azure: Updated OpenAI terms for Data Access and Use. Added Bing Search Services terms to the general service terms for Azure.

Microsoft Defender Experts: Added Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR terms. Consolidated Hunting and XDR under Microsoft Defender Experts.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for servers: Added a product entry for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for servers.

Microsoft Defender for IoT: Added a new stand-alone product entry for Microsoft Defender for IoT (which has been renamed from Azure Defender for IoT).

Microsoft Power Platform: Added AI Builder Tier to purchasing minimums table.

GitHub Offerings: Updated GitHub Availability table for new products, added definition of "Unique Committer", added License Prerequisites table, and added a clause for Enablement of GitHub Advanced Security for Azure DevOps.

Azure Data Box, Azure Stack Edge, and Azure Stack Hub Ruggedized Terms: Added clarity that physical transfer is included in the "No Transfer" limitation for Azure Data Box, Azure Stack Edge, and Azure Stack Hub Ruggedized.

May 11, 2023

Privacy & Security Terms: Added Azure Machine Learning to the list of Microsoft Azure Core Services.

May 6, 2023

Privacy & Security Terms: Added Azure OpenAI Service to the list of Microsoft Azure Core Services.

May 1, 2023

Privacy & Security Terms: Added Viva Insights (effective April1) to the list of Office 365 Core Online Services. Updates to the list of Azure Core Services to align with recent re-branding.

Windows Desktop Operating System: Removed terms for Windows To Go.

Microsoft 365: Updated Microsoft 365 Cross-tenant User Data Migration License Prerequisites. Added Microsoft Managed Desktop to the License Prerequisites table.

Microsoft Azure: Updated the Microsoft Azure Hybrid Benefit for Windows Server terms to clarify that customers may use Standard or Datacenter software under Azure Hybrid Benefit for Windows Server. Additional updates to the Azure OpenAI Service terms.

Notices: Consolidated notices for Internet-based features, Bing Maps and Malware protection from the Universal Terms for all Software to the Notices section.

Promotions: Removed all expired Promotions. There are no active Promotions available.

April 1, 2023

Universal Terms for Online Services:. Added a clause for “Azure OpenAI Service and Online Service Intergrations” that describes the terms for online services that incorporate Azure OpenAI. Additional updates to the Azure OpenAI terms in the Microsoft Azure section. Updated the “Licensing the Online Services” clause to clarify that additional licenses are required for usage exceeding documented limits.

Microsoft Azure: Revised and simplified the Azure Hybrid Benefit use rights for Windows Server and SQL Server. Specifically,

  • For Windows Server we 1) eliminated the requirement that customers allocate licenses in packs of eight, 2) eliminated the requirement that customers allocate 16 licenses before they begin using AHB, and 3) made textual changes for improved readability. There are no changes to any other requirements, including the requirement that the number of licenses needed equals the number of virtual cores in the VM, subject to a minimum of eight licenses per VM.
  • For SQL Server, there are no changes to the benefit. All textual changes are for improved readability only.

Added service specific terms for Azure Kubernetes Service Edge Essentials.

Windows Desktop Operating System: Update the rebranded online service name from "Windows Update Compliance” to “Windows Update for Business reports”.

Windows Server Standard. Datacenter and Essentials: Eliminated the requirement that customers start with 16 licenses before licensing by individual virtual OSE. Added a clause that states CSP customers may run Windows Server Datacenter images with Windows Server Standard licenses when licensing by virtual OSE and following Standard edition use rights, among other conditions. Updated Windows Server CAL requirements for limited CSP-H hosting scenarios.

Microsoft Intune: Added Microsoft Intune Endpoint Privilege Management (User SL) to availability tables. Updated License Prerequisite table to include M365 A3/A5 as qualifying licenses for Intune Suite, Intune P2, and Intune Endpoint Privilege Management. Also updated instances of Intune to Intune P1 per new naming.

Project: Clarified installation rights for Project to reflect retirement of the QMTH program. 

Software Assurance Benefits: Moved the “Purchasing Software Assurance” and “Renewing Software Assurance” terms into its own page called “Purchasing & Renewing Software Assurance”.

March 15, 2023

Microsoft 365: Added SharePoint Advanced Management to the Availability and License Prerequisites tables.

March 1, 2023

Microsoft Intune: Updated Availability table to include Intune Suite and Intune Plan 2, as well as added a License Prerequisites table for both offers.

Microsoft 365: Removed all content for Education Insights as the offer has been depreciated. Updated Availability Table for two new offers; Forensic Evidence for Insider Risk Management, and Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Add-on, as well as the necessary prerequisites for the Vulnerability Management Add-on.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Services: Updated all references of Microsoft Relationship Sales Solution Plus to Microsoft Relationship Sales to align with name change.

Privacy & Security Terms: Updated the Azure Core Services to include Azure Form Recognizer, Azure Immersive Reader, Azure Metrics Advisor, and Azure Red Hat OpenShift.

February 1, 2023

Audio Services: Clarifying that the Operator Connect terms includes Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile.

Exchange Online: Updated Archiving under the Core Features for Exchange Online Archiving to include Exchange Online Kiosk.

Microsoft Azure: Added Service Specific Terms for the launch of Azure Communications Gateway and Azure Private 5G Core.

Privacy & Security Terms: Added Windows 365 to the list of Core Online Services.

Software Assurance Benefits: Removed terms related to 24x7 Problem Resolution Support as the benefit is retired.

Windows Desktop Operating System: Added Universal Print Volume Add-on SKUs to the Availability Table as well as the prerequisite licenses needed to license the add-on.

January 1, 2023

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: Update to clarify that customers may use Defender products on all devices and clouds.

Privacy & Security Terms: Added language to the Privacy & Security Terms that describe EU Data Boundary Services.

Azure Data Box, Azure Stack Edge, and Azure Stack Hub Ruggedized Terms: Removed terms related to StorSimple due to service retirement.

Windows Desktop Operating System: Updated the Software Assurance Lapse term based on recent Servicing channel changes. Removed Desktop Analytics from the list of products with "Additional License Terms for Online Services" as it has been retired.

December 12, 2022

Azure Services and Dynamics 365 Services: Added back Azure Communication Services (ACS) terms that were unintentionally removed in the December 1, 2022 publication. Minor modifications of the ACS language to align with the new Communication Services Notice.

December 1, 2022

Universal License Terms for Online Services: Updated Acceptable Use Policy to clarify that mining cryptocurrency is prohibited without prior Microsoft approval.

Azure DevOps Server: Updated terms to support the launch of Azure DevOps Server 2022.

Notices: Added a standard notice for Communication Services. Updated various Product pages to reflect the update which will also be reflected in the Communication Services Terms document.

November 17, 2022

Updated left navigation layout on website view to include links to supplementary documents such as the Data Protection Addendum and Consolidated Service Level Agreement, as well as additional licensing resources such as licensing briefs, guides, and other materials.

BizTalk Server: Updated License Model terms to require active Software Assurance to license by individual Virtual OSE.

SQL Server: Updates to support the launch of SQL 2022, including new Software Assurance Benefits and License Model updates.

Microsoft Azure: Added new disaster recovery benefits/fail-over rights for Azure SQL services, including Azure SQL Managed Instance, and Azure SQL Server Virtual Machines.

November 1, 2022

Universal License Terms for Online Services: Added a new section called “Microsoft Security Products Data Handling” to enable Microsoft Security products to share data with other Microsoft Security products listed in the relevant product documentation and details how that data will be governed. It also removes redundant sections in the Product specific terms that previously allowed data integration now covered by the Data Handling section.

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.

Microsoft 365: Added Microsoft 365 Cross Tenant Migration and Advanced Data Residency offers to the Availability and License Prerequisites tables.

Microsoft Azure: Added language to Azure Reservations Purchase clause for Commitment Tiers and Disconnected Containers. Updated Azure Active Directory Basic Service Specific Terms to permit unlimited SSO.

Microsoft Defender for Business servers: Added a new entry for Microsoft Defender for Business servers available in MCA.

Microsoft Power Platform: Updated Availability table and Purchasing Minimums to reflect launch of Power Pages.

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.

Promotions: Added promotion for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for EA/EAS customers.

Software Assurance Benefits: Clarified Self Hosting benefit when used with Windows Server.

October 12, 2022

Microsoft Azure: Added terms for Azure compute savings plan offer. Updated Azure Hybrid Benefit terms to include Azure Stack HCI for Enterprise Agreement customers.

October 1, 2022

Updated licensing terms for dedicated hosted cloud services. Changes to support this update have been made throughout the Product Terms, but the most significant changes are to the Outsourcing Software Management clause in the Universal License Terms for all Software, as well as the License Model terms for on-premises software (e.g. Windows Server). For more detail, please see https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/news/updated-licensing-rights-for-dedicated-cloud.

Microsoft 365: Added SharePoint Advanced Management, Workload Identities, and Viva Sales to the Availability tables (EA and MCA), as well as updated License Prerequisites table to include these offers. Added Microsoft 365 Professional Direct Support to the MCA Availability table. 

Microsoft Azure: Updated API Terms to remove abbreviations and add clarity to which APIs apply. Additionally, updated Azure Communication Services interoperability and messaging requirements. 

Microsoft Intune: Removed Intune for EDU (Device) from the MCA. 

Windows Desktop Operating System: Updated the Purchase Eligibility for Windows 11 Home to Pro geographic areas to include Mexico, Central America, and South America.

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