Microsoft formalizes cloud computing enterprise licensing

Grazed from TechTarget. Author: Carl Brooks.

Nearly two years after enterprise customers were given sanctioned Windows Server virtual machines to run in Amazon Web Services, Rackspace Cloud and other services, Microsoft has adjusted its enterprise volume licensing to allow for "license mobility."

Microsoft applications bought through volume licensing agreements — such as SQL Server, Exchange, SharePoint, Microsoft Lync Server, System Center and Dynamics CRM — can now move to dynamic virtual environments like Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud if enterprises purchase Software Assurance (SA) for those licenses…

There are also updates to Service Provider License Agreements (SPLA) for Microsoft. The company said the licenses will provide "confidence" when contemplating using cloud services. Customers call it playing catch-up…

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