Login Consultants is offering readers a new, 43 page whitepaper (free, with registration on their Web site) titled: “Decoding Microsoft’s VDI Licensing Arcanum.“
Written by Falko Gräfe, this paper intends to explain Microsoft’s Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) licensing, something that has proven time and again, confusing to many people.
It states:
“Microsoft changed their VDI licensing regime many times
in the last five years. They implicitly prohibited using standard
Windows licensing for hosted desktops with the introduction of VECD
licensing in 2008. Initially it was an add-on subscription (with costs)
for Windows Software Assurance customers only. Microsoft then declared
the VDA Use Right middle 2010, made it available as a free benefit for
Win+SA customers and offered it as a leasable subscription licenses for
Non-Win+SA devices. In April 2012 Microsoft established the new
Companion Device Subscription License (CSL). Finally, the VDI
Standard/Premium Suite licensing are discontinued.
This CSL
addresses the use of a virtual Windows desktop also from secondary
devices, namely for using personal devices in the internal network. This
scenario is becoming rather typical nowadays, as more and more users
use their own devices to access the corporate virtual desktop. The
impact of CSL on complexity and costs is huge and should not be
underestimated. The reality today is that it is practically impossible
for organizations being serious about VDI (and consumerization of IT) to
be compliant with Microsoft VDI licensing.
At this moment
Microsoft VDI licensing remains in stark contrast to the simplicity and
much lower cost of Hosted Shared Desktop licensing (also known as
Terminal Server or Server Based Computing).
The paper contains the following chapters:
- Management Summary
- Conclusions Summary
- Introduction
- Microsoft Hosted Desktop Access Requirements
- Device Based Licensing Options
- The Hosted Personal Server Desktop Alternative
- Hosted Desktop Access License Costs
- Hosted Desktop Access Licensing Results
Click here to download.