Licensing for Multiple Users Scenario

The following article is a technical assistance on licensing policies for SUNDE customers who utilize our terminal servers or virtual desktops at their premises.

Multiple applications are accessed by many users sharing a single OS (the host PC runs the OS) for which standard Microsoft Windows license is required. The current licensing terms indicate that each host PC or device using Windows OS must purchase a license either through the OEM or the FPP channels or Volume Licensing Upgrade. In this case, the Software License terms (EULA) and Microsoft Product Use Rights (PUR) states to provide one license to one user accessing at a time.

Customers interested in purchasing our SUNDE zero clients for terminal services are required to buy the Microsoft Windows Server License in prior to deployment. Multi-user solutions require both Windows Server Client Access License (WS CAL) and Remote Desktop Services CAL (RDS CAL) in order to stay remotely connected to a graphical user interface through the SUNDE terminal services solution.

Multi-interactions can also be gained through the Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 by the SUNDE users. They can be obtained in Standard and Premium forms and requires Windows Server 2008 CAL and Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 CAL to stay connected to the OS. Both device and user variants of the RDS CAL and WMS CAL prevail to suit the best CAL purchase needs of the SUNDE users.

For customers using SUNDE VDI solutions and those interested in deploying SUNDE VDI technology should apt for a different set of licensing issues. Microsoft had proposed few changes in licensing of virtual desktops, where Windows Virtual Enterprise Centralized Desktop (Windows VECD) and Windows VECD for Software Assurance (SA) would not be included. Customers interested in deployment of SUNDE VDI solutions are required to purchase windows VDA license. Users intending to use PC’s covered under SA can access VDI desktops without additional cost.

Clients preferring the use of SUNDE zero client for VDI solutions should purchase the Windows VDA in order to access a Windows VDI desktop. At retail, Windows VDA costs $100 per year, per device which denotes the total number of VDA licenses is equal to the total number of zero clients and other non SA devices. Microsoft VDI Suites available as Standard and Premium, provide better value than competitive VDI technologies. Windows VDA is not included in the Suite. Major difference between the two suites is that the VDI Premium Suite involves use rights for session virtualization (terminal services) whereas the VDI Standard Suite is pointed at users acquiring a virtual machine-based centralized desktop (VDI).

While deploying zero clients for terminal services or VDI from SUNDE, the required licenses mentioned above must be purchased from Microsoft Windows. It is significant to note that Microsoft’s license policy varies between countries and SUNDE users are requested to refer to their local Microsoft’s partners before purchase.

For further details on Microsoft’s multi-user licensing please refer to Microsoft’s website or licensing brief titled: "Licensing Windows Client Operating Systems in Multiuser Scenarios."

For more information on licensing Windows client operating systems with virtual machine technologies, refer to the licensing brief titled: "Licensing Windows for Virtual Desktops".