• Chart: Windows Server 2003 Packaging and Pricing

Pricing for Windows Server 2003 has been announced in preparation for the product's Apr. 24 launch. Although the new pricing is similar to that of Windows 2000 Server, companies will need to look carefully at recent licensing changes when calculating the costs of migrating to the new product line.

Per-license prices for Windows Server 2003 are unchanged from those of Windows 2000 and NT 4.0, with two exceptions:

• A new Web Edition provides a lower-cost option for Windows-based Web servers
• The Terminal Services (TS) Internet Connector has been replaced by an External Connector that costs US$2,000 less.

(See the chart "Windows Server 2003 Packaging and Pricing".)

However, organizations should note that while cost per license is comparable, the numbers and types of licenses they need for Windows Server 2003 can differ significantly from earlier versions. In particular, companies can buy Client Access Licenses (CALs) per-user, rather than per-device, reducing the cost of supporting users who have multiple devices. New External Connector licenses allow companies to essentially acquire an unlimited number of CALs for use by their business partners and customers. Finally, changes to TS licensing rules mean that many more Windows PCs will now require a separate TS CAL.

The Web Edition of Windows Server 2003 is outlined in "Web Edition Joins Windows Server 2003 Family".

For an analysis of recent CAL changes, see "Windows Server 2003 Gets Per-User Licensing" on page 23 of the Feb. 2003 Update.