Microsoft July 2020 licensing changes

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It’s just a few weeks into their new financial year and Microsoft are already making changes.

Perpetual software via CSP

Continuing their focus on the CSP (Cloud Solution Provider) program becoming the primary licensing model for the majority of organisations, Microsoft are now making perpetual software aka ‘software licenses’ available via CSP – although Software Assurance (SA) will not be available. This includes products such as:

• Office Standard/Professional 2019
• Exchange Server 2019
• SharePoint Server 2019

The software must be run on hardware dedicated to the customer and downgrade rights are included.

Aimed primarily at those customers who purchase via Microsoft Open licensing, this new offering is intended to reduce the need for organisations to have CSP and another license agreement. From July 1, 2020, a select set of “indirect providers and their indirect resellers” will be able to transact these new additions and then it will open up to all CSP partners from January 2021.

E5 gets calling minutes

UPDATE AUGUST 1,2020: Microsoft have announced they’re cancelling the introduction of both the Enterprise Voice SKUs AND adding Calling Plans to E5.

Shoutout to Rob Quickenden for highlighting this change in Twitter.

Microsoft say in their updated post that they’re no longer launching ” due to rapidly evolving market conditions” and that they will “continue to assess the market and sales data to determine whether the launch will be rescheduled”.

This seems like a strange move. The additions made a lot of sense and have been well received by most people that have already heard about it! I wonder what Microsoft’s logic is?

See more here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/partner-center/announcements/2020-july#10

August 1, 2020 will see the introduction of “Microsoft 365 Enterprise Voice” – a combination of:

• Phone System
• Audio Conferencing
• Domestic Calling Plans

Which will be available in ‘Plan 1’ and ‘Plan 2’ flavours – ‘Plan 1’ will include 120 minutes of domestic outbound calling while the number of minutes in ‘Plan 2’ is still to be revealed.

These will be available via Enterprise Agreement (EA & EAS), CSP, and Web Direct for all countries where Calling Plans are currently available – except for the United States and Puerto Rico. License pre-requisites are M365 F3/E3 or O365 F3/E1/E3.

Additionally, 120 minutes of domestic outbound calling will be added to:

• Microsoft 365 E5/A5
• Office 365 E5/A5

At no additional cost – although it will require a new SKU.

Further Reading

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/partner-center/announcements/2020-july