If your business is licensing client access to Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) server products such as Exchange and SharePoint Server 2013, you should be aware of price changes that could increase your costs by 15 per cent.
According to a recent report from Directions on Microsoft, an independent research firm that follows the software giant, some licensing terms will be increasing effective Dec. 1. While per-device licensing prices will remain the same, the per-user licensing option will be rising by 15 per cent.
Despite the increase, Directions on Microsoft indicates that, for most businesses, per-user licensing will likely remain the more cost-effective model, as in most cases users are using multiple devices. It notes a rare exception would be a manufacturer, for example, where multiple employees use a shared kiosk. Increasingly though, with the bring your own device (BYOD) trend users are accessing the server from more devices, such as a laptop, smartphone and tablet, making per-user licensing the better option.
Not all businesses will be impacted by the increase; at least not right away. Existing licenses covered by Software Assurance, for example, are insulated from the increase until their Software Assurance coverage is up for renewal. Also, Enterprise Agreements generally offer price protection through the term of the agreement.
Microsoft server products impacted by the price increase (Source: Directions on Microsoft).
Businesses should speak with their Microsoft partner to discuss if they’re impacted by the changes.
