Last week, Microsoft announced two new enterprise licensing bundles – expected to be released October 1 – that could save money for loyal Microsoft customers. The two new plans – Enrollment for Application Platform and Enrollment for Core Infrastructure were created based on customer feedback, according to a Q&A with Joe Matz, corporate vice-president for worldwide licensing and pricing at Microsoft.
The Enrollment for Application Platform offers a server software suite (SQL Server database, BizTalk Server, Office SharePoint Server, Visual Studio development software and Dynamics CRM). This can be purchased through a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA) and is aimed at medium-sized businesses, reducing costs previously introduced Application Platform Agreement by up to 40%.
The Enrollment for Core Infrastructure bundles Windows Server, System Center management software and Forefront Client Security software. This simplifies licensing for those in need of these titles by allowing you to license on a per-processor basis instead of using a combination of licensing models to accomplish compliance.