Windows Rights Management Services (RMS), Microsoft's forthcoming server add-on for protecting information (such as documents and e-mails) from unauthorized copying and use, will require customers to buy per-user or per-device client licenses when it becomes available in Oct. 2003. Customers will also need to upgrade at least some desktops to the Professional Editions of Office 2003 applications so users can create protected material.

Licensed Like Terminal Services

RMS is the server component of Windows Rights Management, a set of Microsoft technologies that can be used to assign granular rights to documents and e-mails, controlling exactly what other individuals may do with those files (for example, "read, but not print" or "read-write, but not forward"). Microsoft considers RMS to be a feature of Windows Server 2003, just like Terminal Services, which allows users to access applications remotely; Windows SharePoint Services, which offers document management and hosting of team Web sites; and Windows Media Services, which enables companies to host and stream digital media files, among many others.

RMS licensing requirements are similar to those of Terminal Services in that it will require customers to pay for an additional license for each user or device accessing the service, as follows:

CALs. Organizations will have to purchase a Client Access License (CAL) for each user who creates or accesses material protected by RMS; per-device CALs are also available (useful for workers who share a PC, for example). The CALs will range from US$29 to US$37, depending on the organization's volume licensing program.

External Connector. Organizations that want to make RMS-protected information available to external users—for example, to allow customers and partners to access a protected document on a Web site—can buy an External Connector license, which allows unlimited numbers of external users to view and rights-protect material. The RMS External Connector costs between US$14,200 and US$18,000 for each RMS server. The External Connector cannot be used by employees of the organization; employees require CALs even if they are accessing RMS from outside the organization's network.

Note that organizations with RMS will also need the appropriate Windows Server 2003 licenses, including Windows Server CALs and possibly an External Connector license.

The company believes that organizations (such as government offices) and departments (such as legal and accounting) that place high value on confidentiality will be willing to pay these costs. Moreover, network effects could bolster growth—if a company wants its suppliers to protect shared business documents with RMS, the suppliers will need to implement RMS and buy RMS CALs.

Discount for Core CAL Customers

Costs will be lower for customers who have Core CALs (CALs that give users access to Windows Server, Exchange Server, SharePoint Portal Server, and Systems Management Server) and who have purchased Software Assurance (SA) upgrade rights on those Core CALs. Instead of having to pay full price for RMS CALs, these customers will only pay the cost of SA on the RMS CALs.

For example, if a volume licensing customer would normally have to pay US$29 for a RMS CAL and an additional US$7.25 per year for SA on that CAL, the special promotion brings the cost down to US$7.25 per year for SA only—a savings of 57% over three years. Customers who take advantage of this promotion will get all the usual benefits of SA, including the right to upgrade CALs to any new version of RMS that comes out during the covered time period.

Compatible Applications Required

Apart from the Windows Server 2003 upgrade and the RMS CALs, the cost of implementing RMS includes upgrading at least some desktops to Professional Editions of the Office 2003 applications.

Professional Editions of Office 2003 applications can be used to create rights-managed content or set rights on existing content. The corresponding Standard Editions of the applications can read protected material, but cannot create protected content. Professional Editions are available to volume license customers in the Office Professional Enterprise Edition suite, and to retail, OEM, and academic customers in Office Professional Edition. Customers can also buy Professional Editions of individual Office applications through retail or OEM channels.

Users can also view protected material through a free viewer plug-in for Internet Explorer 5 or later, provided they have an RMS CAL. (Protected e-mails are delivered as attachments, which can then be read by IE with the plug-in.)

Microsoft has also released SDKs for third parties to create applications that support RMS—so far, ISVs GigaMedia, Omnivia, Reciprocal, Secure Attachment, and SyncCast have agreed to release applications that work with RMS.

Finally, some implementations of RMS will require SQL Server. Microsoft suggests that MSDE, a freely downloadable version of SQL Server that runs on desktop PCs, will be adequate for single-server departmental installations, but corporate-wide installations will want to use SQL Server.

Resources

For a technical overview and business case for RMS, see "Rights Management Comes to the Enterprise" on page 11 of the Apr. 2003 Update.

Microsoft's overview of RMS is at www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/technologies/rightsmgmt/default.mspx.

The RMS SDK and technical documentation is available at msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnanchor/html/rm_sdks_overview.asp.

More information on RMS partner offerings is at msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnanchor/html/rm_sdks_overview.asp.