Microsoft announced that Microsoft Extended Hotfix Support is no longer included as a Software Assurance (SA) benefit for new customers. Existing customers who had SA prior to July 1st, 2017 are unaffected. This was announced in the July 2017 Microsoft Product Terms (PT).
Please consider Microsoft Premium Assurance as an alternative for selected products.
In July 2017, the second series of Microsoft Premium Assurance is launching. As explained in an earlier post, the pricing of Microsoft Premium Assurance will constantly rise. The following table provides an overview of the different Microsoft Premium Assurance Series and the corresponding pricing evolution:
Continue reading Microsoft Premium Assurance Pricing Series 2
Microsoft is introducing a new 16-pack of Core Licenses for Windows Server, System Center, Core Infrastructure Suites (CIS) and Premium Assurance in May 2017 in addition to the existing 2-pack of Core Licenses. This new Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) will be a convenient option for customers licensing servers with 16 or fewer cores. It can also serve as an optional base pack for licensing servers with more than 16 cores. The 2-pack Core Licenses will continue to be available, and customers have the choice of two SKUs. There are no changes in the Product Terms and licensing requirements and customers must still license all physical cores on their servers. There is also no difference in pricing between one 16-pack and eight 2-packs.
Microsoft Premium Assurance is now available. To provide you with further flexibility as your needs evolve, Microsoft is announcing two offerings that will help you run applications even longer: Microsoft Windows Server Premium Assurance and Microsoft SQL Server Premium Assurance.
These offerings add six additional years of product support beyond the end of Extended Support, allowing for up to 16 years of total support (typically five years each of Mainstream and Extended Support, plus the new six-year Premium Assurance period). Microsoft Premium Assurance offers security updates and bulletins rated “Critical” and “Important”, and is available for 2008 and newer versions. Additionally, these offerings are purchased as Add-ons to Software Assurance on eligible products.
Microsoft announced Premium Assurance which is a way of adding six more years of product support for either Microsoft Windows Server or Microsoft SQL Server. Microsoft Premium Assurance will be available in early 2017.
Continue reading Microsoft Premium Assurance for Microsoft Windows Server or Microsoft SQL Server