Suites That Include Windows Server Licenses

Several suites bundle Windows Server licenses with licenses for other Microsoft products. Shown below are the major licensing suites, available exclusively through volume licensing programs, that are of most interest to large organizations.

For clients, the most commonly used suite is the Core CAL Suite, which delivers a Client Access License (CAL) for Windows Server, Exchange Server, and SharePoint Server, as well as a client management license (ML) for System Center Configuration Manager. The Enterprise CAL Suite delivers the Core CAL components, plus a CAL for Active Directory Rights Management, and a half dozen other client licenses. The Core CAL Suite provides only a modest discount over its constituents bought separately. The Enterprise CAL Suite, in contrast, costs twice as much as the Core CAL Suite but includes many more components, so it can be cost-effective even if an organization uses only two or three CALs in addition to those in the Core CAL. However, both suites must be bought with Software Assurance, which adds 25% of the license cost per year to the price. These suites are most attractive for large organizations that use many of the component products and want to license them companywide through an Enterprise Agreement. For these organizations, the suites will substantially simplify license compliance.