Figuring out Microsoft licenses is hungry work

Speaking of upgrades, as we were in the last issue, it's fall again and time to revisit the annual game called "figuring out Microsoft licenses." Microsoft takes its basic server operating system and packages it in myriad ways. Take a look at this list of offerings, all based on Windows Server 2003:

* Windows Small Business Server 2003
* Application Center
* BizTalk Server
* Commerce Server
* Content Management Server
* Exchange Server
* Host Integration Server
* Identity Integration Server
* Internet Security and Acceleration Server
* Live Communications Server
* Operations Manager
* Project Server
* SharePoint Portal Server
* Speech Server
* SQL Server
* Systems Management Server
* Virtual Server
* Windows Storage Server
* Class Server
* MapPoint Location Server
* BackOffice Server
* Proxy Server
* Site Server
* Windows 2000 Server

But it's not enough for Redmond to offer all of these permutations and combinations, oh no. It also has to devise a multitude of different licensing programs for each. There's Open License, Select License, Open Value and "Open Value Company-wide and Subscription." There's also the one known variously as: Select License, Software Asset Management, Enterprise Agreement, Enterprise Agreement Subscription which comes in different prices based on different quantities:

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Speaking of upgrades, as we were in the last issue, it's fall again and time to revisit the annual game called "figuring out Microsoft licenses." Microsoft takes its basic server operating system and packages it in myriad ways. Take a look at this list of offerings, all based on Windows Server 2003:

* Windows Small Business Server 2003
* Application Center
* BizTalk Server
* Commerce Server
* Content Management Server
* Exchange Server
* Host Integration Server
* Identity Integration Server
* Internet Security and Acceleration Server
* Live Communications Server
* Operations Manager
* Project Server
* SharePoint Portal Server
* Speech Server
* SQL Server
* Systems Management Server
* Virtual Server
* Windows Storage Server
* Class Server
* MapPoint Location Server
* BackOffice Server
* Proxy Server
* Site Server
* Windows 2000 Server

But it's not enough for Redmond to offer all of these permutations and combinations, oh no. It also has to devise a multitude of different licensing programs for each. There's Open License, Select License, Open Value and "Open Value Company-wide and Subscription." There's also the one known variously as: Select License, Software Asset Management, Enterprise Agreement, Enterprise Agreement Subscription which comes in different prices based on different quantities:

* 250 Software Assurance licenses
* 2,500 SA licenses
* 6,000 SA licenses
* 15,000 SA licenses

Don't believe me? Download the chart called "Software Assurance Benefits Comparison Chart" which my Network World colleague John Fontana discovered. But brew a fresh pot of coffee and open a new box of doughnuts before digging into it - it'll take a while to figure out which programs' benefits might be right for you. This year. It'll all change, of course, by next fall.

Maybe Gartner Group was on to something when it said that of the upcoming release of Windows Vista it believes: "that Microsoft wishes to release a new version of Windows by year-end 2006 to shore up revenue and appease customers that paid for Software Assurance on the client OS under Enterprise, Open or Select agreements." (You can read more about Gartner's comments in the previous issue of this newsletter.) I imagine that if you've taken the time to figure out the Software Assurance spreadsheet and chosen what you feel is the right program for your organization that you'd want to have some tangible results also.

It isn't really funny, though. Organizations are paying out lots of real money for upgrade protection but haven't seen an upgrade for quite a long time. Maybe its time to re-evaluate what your software dollars are buying for you.

Read more about software in Network World's Software section.