A validation process built into a small number of the most popular Microsoft products that must be successfully completed for the software to function correctly.

A Windows Server role (often called “AD”) that provides authentication and access management for an organization’s users, computers, and groups, and product activation; licensed via Windows Server CALs (Client Access Licenses) and server-side licenses. See AD Domain Services for in-depth entry.

An overarching term for several AD (Active Directory) related Windows Server roles, including AD Domain Services, AD Federation Services, and AD RMS (Rights Management Services).

A Windows Server role (often called “AD” or “Active Directory”) that provides authentication and access management for an organization’s users, computers, and groups, as well as limited product activation; licensed via Windows Server CALs (Client Access Licenses) and server-side licenses.

A Windows Server component that links user identities and their associated attributes across multiple identity management systems including Azure Active Directory; use covered by Windows Server licenses.

A subscription-based license that layers an online service, technical support offering, or special use rights on top of certain license(s) the customer already purchased.

An on-premises or online service product SKU acquired through an EA (Enterprise Agreement) which lacks any purchase obligation beyond acquiring a quantity sufficient to cover actual use.

A type of CAL (Client Access License) that covers access to certain advanced or niche server features.

A Windows Server-based security application licensed with Client MLs (Management Licenses) that automatically analyzes AD Domain Services activity to learn normal behaviors and activity patterns and detect anomalies.

Technology that gives administrators more control over the configuration of PCs via Group Policy; licensed with MDOP (Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack). See Advanced Group Policy Management for a detailed entry.

Software that runs client applications in an isolated environment on each user's computer or on servers, and allows organizations to centrally deploy and update the applications; see App-V for a detailed entry.

A feature associated with Skype for Business Online and Teams that enables meeting attendees to call in to meetings (via traditional telephone lines) when they are unable to attend online; users scheduling meetings with audio conferencing enabled require a User SL.

An activation method specific to Windows Enterprise when licensed Per-User; use is optional except in two specific scenarios. See synonym Windows 10 Subscription Activation for in-depth entry.

A SA (Software Assurance) benefit specific to core licenses for Windows Server and SQL Server that waives certain Azure-related fees for comparable workloads hosted in Azure.

A SA (Software Assurance) benefit specific to core licenses for Windows Server that can reduce the cost of running Windows Server-based Azure VMs by as much as 45%.

An online service that secures enterprise applications and services through a two-factor authentication process; licensed by User SLs or a consumption-based model.

A Microsoft-hosted multitenant relational database service based on SQL Server; predominant charge is an hourly fee based on the performance, storage, and business continuity features selected.

A type of CAL (Client Access License) that covers access to the main features of a matching server-based product, but not access to certain advanced or niche features.

A compact self-contained server, usually on its own circuit board, that fits into an enclosure shared with other blades; treated as a freestanding server for licensing purposes.

Provides the right for a device or user to access all running instances of a particular server product deployed for the customer’s organization.

Illustration outlines the components currently in the various CAL Suite Bridge offerings.

Formerly called Skype for Business Online PSTN Calling, this service augments Phone System by providing domestic and international calling minutes; licensed via its own separate User SL.

Combines server-side licenses and SA (Software Assurance) for equivalent editions of Windows Server and System Center; licensed Per-Core. See Core Infrastructure Server Suite for in-depth entry.

Provides the right for a device or user to access all running instances of a particular server product deployed for the customer’s organization. See acronym CAL for in-depth entry.

A Client Management License (ML) covers client-side licensing requirements for the two products governed under the Management Servers License Model, System Center and Advanced Threat Analytics (ATA); available Per-User, Per-OSE, or Per-Device.

Used to pay for telephony-related services not covered by Phone System or Audio Conferencing User SLs.

A Windows Server-based management application that automates software deployment and patching, hardware and software inventorying, and compliance with configuration policies; licensed under the Management Servers License Model via System Center Server MLs and Client MLs. See System Center Configuration Manager for in-depth entry.

A collection of six client-side licenses for accessing Microsoft server software.

Outlines major changes to the Core CAL Suite’s content and pricing.

Summary of SA (Software Assurance) benefits associated with Core Infrastructure Server Suite, organized by high and low value benefits.

A license model used for SQL Server and a few other server-based applications; use of the product covered by purchasing a license for each physical core in a server or licenses based on the processing resources allocated to a Virtual OSE; See Per Core License Model for in-depth entry.

Flowchart explains how to calculate the number of core licenses required for Windows Server 2016 Datacenter and Standard editions under the Core/CAL License Model.

An on-premises, Windows Server-based application that delivers customer relationship management, marketing, sales, and service capabilities. See synonym Dynamics CRM Server for in-depth entry.

A type of fast cadence servicing model currently offered for System Center Configuration Manager; was also used by Windows 10 and Windows Server, but was superseded by SAC (Semi-annual channel) in 2017.

A spreadsheet-style document that records prices an EA (Enterprise Agreement) customer agrees to pay for various on-premises and online service SKUs during the course of a multiyear contract.

Generally understood to mean the physical buildings an organization owns or leases to conduct its day-to-day business. See synonym premises for in-depth entry.

A compliance feature built into and licensed as part of various online services and on-premises products that helps minimize the likelihood that sensitive information is not misused, for example, forwarded or sent outside an organization via e-mail and document sharing.

A broad brand for social networking and document discovery features in Office 365; licensed through Office 365 Enterprise suites.

A Per-Device License model applicable to the Windows Pro Upgrade and to Windows Enterprise Per Device licenses purchased without SA (Software Assurance).

A license model exclusive to Visual Studio and MSDN offerings that generally requires a license for each user who accesses the included software and online services.

Provides the right for a device to be used by any person to access all running instances of a particular server-based product deployed by the customer’s organization.

A SA (Software Assurance) benefit offered for most on-premises server licenses that waives the need to license backup servers used for disaster recovery in some scenarios.

A form of substitution, whereby a customer owning a license for a specific product edition deploys a different, generally lower-level edition instead.

A family of online services and on-premises products that provide customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) functionality.

A Windows Server-based server application, formerly called Dynamics AX Server, that delivers enterprise resource planning (ERP) capabilities, tailored for multinational midmarket organizations; licensed under the Server/CAL License Model and listed in the Product Terms under Dynamics 365 On-Premises.

On-premises server software, Dynamics 365 Server and Dynamics 365 for Operations Server, that deliver customer relationship management (CRM), sales management, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) functionality; licensed under the Server/CAL License Model.

Set of online services that provide customer relationship management (CRM), sales management, enterprise resource planning (ERP), retail, and human resources (HR) functionality; packaged as Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement and Dynamics 365 Unified Operations and licensed primarily via User SLs.

A Windows Server-based server application, previously called Dynamics CRM Server, that delivers customer relationship management (CRM), sales, and service capabilities; licensed under the Server/CAL License Model and grouped under the Dynamics 365 On-Premises packaging.

Online service providing enterprise resource planning (ERP) functionality previously packaged in Dynamics AX Online; licensed primarily via User SLs (Subscription Licenses) and Device SLs.

A legacy Windows Server-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform tailored for multinational midmarket organizations; primarily licensed under the Server/CAL License Model. The application’s successor is Dynamics 365 for Operations Server, which is included under the category of Dynamics 365 On-Premises.

The previous name for Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement, an online service that delivers customer relationship management, sales, and service capabilities; licensed primarily via User SLs (Subscription Licenses); now packaged as part of Dynamics 365 Online.

A now defunct SA (Software Assurance) benefit that provided self-paced online courses targeted at end users and IT professionals; replaced by free offerings branded “Microsoft Learn.”

A collection of client-side licenses for accessing Microsoft server software that is a superset of the Core CAL Suite. See synonym Enterprise CAL Suite for in-depth entry.

Used to distinguish the various SKUs within a product line, with differences including technical features, price, and occasionally use rights and license model.

Suites that offer a collection of User SLs (Subscription Licenses) for several online services used to manage and protect user identities, devices, applications, and corporate data, along with licenses for corresponding on-premises software. See the in-depth entry Enterprise Mobility + Security.

A now defunct EA (Enterprise Agreement) enrollment option that offered considerable programmatic price discounts on Core Infrastructure Server Suite (CIS Suite) licenses.

A collection of client-side licenses for accessing Microsoft server software that is a superset of the Core CAL Suite.

Outlines major changes to the Enterprise CAL Suite’s content and pricing.

Technology that enables organizations to centrally define and distribute VMs (virtual machines) to PCs; licensed with MDOP (Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack).

Illustration summarizes the various Add-ons that on-premises product customers can purchase to license Enterprise Mobility + Security suites, including their prerequisites and contents.

A collection of User SLs (Subscription Licenses) for several online services used to manage and protect user identities, devices, applications, and corporate data, along with licenses for corresponding on-premises software. Renamed; see Enterprise Mobility + Security for in-depth entry.

An on-premises product an EA customer commits to purchase under an Enterprise Enrollment at a quantity which adheres to certain minimum order requirements.

An online service that filters incoming and outgoing e-mail for malware and spam, is included as a built-in feature of Exchange Online, and is available for Exchange Server installations. See Exchange Online Protection (EOP) for in-depth entry.

A discontinued Microsoft-hosted service that filtered e-mail going into or out of organizations. See successor product Exchange Online Protection for in-depth entry.

An online service that augments the Exchange Online Protection service to provide additional protection against previously unknown malware, malicious URLs, and other types of threats. Renamed; see Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection for in-depth entry.

An online service that filters incoming and outgoing e-mail for malware and spam, is included as a built-in feature of Exchange Online, and is available for Exchange Server installations.

Illustration outlines the technical features licensed by the Exchange Server Standard CAL (Client Access License) and Enterprise CAL; covers versions 2013 through 2019.

Outlines major licensing and packaging changes to Exchange Server.

Per Device subscriptions that provide security updates and bulletins for versions 2008 and 2008 R2 of SQL Server and Windows Server, as well as for Windows 7 Enterprise and Professional, for three years after these product versions leave Extended Support.

An individual accessing an organization’s on-premises systems or online services tenancy who is neither an employee of the licensed organization nor a vendor, contractor, or agent working on the organization’s physical premises

A Windows Server software directory federation component that enables users in an organization to connect to resources controlled by a third-party’s directory; use covered by Windows Server licenses. See AD Federation Services for in-depth entry.

An online service allowing users to automate repetitive tasks such as data collection, file synchronization, and e-mail or text notification; licensed separately or as part of Office 365 Enterprise suites and Dynamics 365 Enterprise Edition offerings.

A discontinued Microsoft-hosted service that filtered e-mail going into or out of organizations. See successor product Exchange Online Protection for in-depth entry.

A special class of subscription-based licenses that provide EA (Enterprise Agreement) customers a 10-20% discount if they already own related on-premises licenses covered by SA (Software Assurance).

A discrete and isolated subset of processor, memory, and other resources within a physical server, treated as its own server for licensing purposes.

Permits employees of organizations purchasing Office applications with SA (Software Assurance) as well as other eligible organizations to buy discounted Per User subscriptions to Office 365 Home or Office 365 Personal, or Per Device licenses for client applications. See HUP for a detailed entry.

The Home Use Program (HUP) permits employees of organizations purchasing Office applications with SA (Software Assurance) as well as other eligible organizations to buy discounted Per User subscriptions to Office 365 Home or Office 365 Personal, or Per Device licenses for client applications.

Technology that allows multiple VMs (virtual machines), each running its own OSE (Operating System Environment) and applications, to execute concurrently on a physical device without interfering with one another.

A highly specialized computing device used solely to run specific industry or task-specific software; definition impacts EA customers’ Enterprise Enrollment purchase commitments.

Most often used to describe software that is loaded into memory and either executing or ready for execution.

An online service that provides antimalware, hardware and software inventory tracking, health monitoring, software updating, and policy management for mobile devices, Windows 10 PCs, and Apple Macs; licensed primarily via User SLs (Subscription Licenses).

Key Management Service (KMS) is an activation method that allows organizations to deploy and use on-premises servers to activate products on devices with access to the organization’s network.

Provides the legal right to install, run, access, or otherwise interact with a product.

New version licenses received as a benefit of SA (Software Assurance). See new version rights for in-depth entry.

A SA (Software Assurance) benefit, offered for most server applications, that allows server-side licenses to be reassigned to cover workloads running on a service provider's multitenant servers, including Microsoft's own Azure.

Determines how a customer is charged for use of a Microsoft product by defining a set of license types, which devices or users require them, and under what circumstances.

Lists all the tables available as part of the Licensing Reference Set

A retired online service that provided large meeting support. See successor product Skype Meeting Broadcast for in-depth entry.

A type of servicing model offered for Windows client OS, Windows Server, and most System Center products, that allows customers to defer feature upgrades for up to ten years while keeping computers eligible for product support. See LTSC for in-depth entry.

The Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) is a type of servicing model offered for Windows client OS, Windows Server, and most System Center products, that allows customers to defer feature upgrades for up to ten years while keeping computers eligible for product support.

An online service that provided presence, instant messaging (IM), voice and video, and application sharing. Name changed; see successor product Skype for Business Online for in-depth entry.

Multiple Activation Key (MAK), one of several available activation methods, requires devices to connect to a Microsoft-hosted activation service to complete the product activation process

Technology that manages BitLocker, Microsoft's full disk encryption technology; licensed with MDOP (Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack). See BitLocker Administration and Monitoring for a detailed entry.

A suite of technologies to help organizations centrally manage PCs; licensed on a subscription basis through SA (Software Assurance) offerings for Windows Enterprise and through VDA (Virtual Desktop Access) subscription licenses.

Offerings that combines User SLs (Subscription Licenses) for Windows Enterprise, Office 365 Enterprise suites, and Enterprise Mobility + Security suites or components.

Illustration summarizes the online services and features bundled into Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3 and E5 suites, and into two Add-ons that supplement Microsoft 365 E3 with E5-level compliance- or security-related capabilities.

Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack is a suite of technologies to help organizations centrally manage PCs; see MDOP for a detailed entry.

New version licenses received as a benefit of SA (Software Assurance). See new version rights for in-depth entry.

A set of fee-based offerings that license a broad collection of Microsoft softwares and online services on a Per-User basis, with use generally limited to applications development and test, problem diagnosis and resolution, demonstration, and evaluation.

Per-user license covering non-production use of a broad array of Microsoft products; targets operations personnel who support developers and test labs, developers who do not need a Visual Studio IDE, and IT professionals involved with evaluation and troubleshooting.

An activation method that requires devices to connect to a Microsoft-hosted activation service to complete the product activation process. See synonym MAK for in-depth entry.

Describes architectures where server hardware at a service provider is shared among multiple customers, but in such a way that customers cannot access each other’s data.

This SA (Software Assurance) benefit provides the right to deploy new product versions that become available during the term of SA coverage.

Generally understood to mean anywhere other than the physical buildings an organization owns or leases to conduct its day-to-day business.

A set of service plans that combines Microsoft-hosted online services, such as Exchange Online e-mail, with User SLs (Subscription Licenses) to the Office suite and related software.

A set of legal- and regulatory-related features that augment core compliance capabilities built into Office 365 services; licensed via User SLs (Subscription Licenses).

An online service that provides threat detection, application control, and usage discovery to organizations using Office 365; licensed via User SLs (Subscription Licenses).

An online service designed to help users increase their productivity by better understanding how they spend their work time within Office 365. Renamed; see MyAnalytics for in-depth entry.

Illustration summarizes the various Add-ons that on-premises product customers can purchase to license Office 365 Enterprise suites, including their prerequisites and contents.

An online service that combines group membership with collaboration spaces for discussions and data sharing among Office 365 users; predominantly licensed through Office 365 Enterprise suites.

A suite of client applications for PCs, Macs, phones, and tablets licensed Per-User via User SLs (Subscription Licenses).

A central console used to investigate the scope, nature, and origin of attacks and suspicious activity; licensed via User SLs (Subscription Licenses).

Outlines major licensing and packaging changes to Office 365 ProPlus, Office Professional Plus, Office Standard, Office for Mac Standard, Office Online Server, and Office Web Apps Server.

An online service that observes Office 365 user activity and infers relationships among users and their content; used in the background by some Office 365 features and licensed via purchase of online services that use it.

Allows a single instance of an Office desktop application or suite to offer features such as menus and dialogs, grammar and spell checking, and sorting for multiple different languages; use rights included with Office 2016 suites.

Server software that enables browser-based viewing and limited editing of Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint, and Word documents; some functions licensed with User SLs or Office and SA. Successor to Office Web Apps Server.

Illustration compares application components in Office Professional Plus and Office Standard across versions 2010 through 2019.

Client application suite for Windows PCs that combines Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Word; licensed on the Desktop Applications License Model.

Server software that enables browser-based viewing and limited editing of Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint, and Word documents; in some scenarios, use is free, in others, Office suite (Per-Device) licenses or User SLs are required. Replaced by Office Online Server.

Generally understood to mean the physical buildings an organization owns or leases to conduct its day-to-day business. See synonym premises for in-depth entry.

Application for free-form information gathering (including note-taking) and multi-user collaboration available on client devices and platforms including Windows client OS, Mac, Android and iOS mobile devices, and Web browsers.

Outlines major licensing and packaging changes to online services suites sold as User SLs (Subscription Licenses), including Office 365 Enterprise suites and Enterprise Mobility + Security suites.

Predecessor to Online Services Terms, a repository for certain types of information specific to online service licenses acquired through volume licensing programs. See Online Services Terms (OST) for in-depth entry.

A subscription-based suite, discontinued in late 2018, that bundled several Azure hosted services for managing hosted and on-premises compute resources as well as provided rights to manage systems with System Center.

Operating system environment is an operating system instance running on either a physical device, virtual machine, or hardware partition.

Is a Windows desktop application commonly used with Exchange Server and Exchange Online.See Outlook client.

Is a browser based-client included with Exchange Server and Exchange Online.Formerly Outlook Web App; see Outlook client.

Is a browser based-client included with Exchange Server and Exchange Online (full name: Outlook Web App); renamed Outlook on the Web; see Outlook client.

A license model used for SQL Server and BizTalk Server; use of the product is covered by purchasing a license for each physical core in a server or licenses based on the processing resources allocated to each VM (virtual machine) or container.

A license model used for older versions of SQL Server and a few other server-based applications; use of the product covered by purchasing a license for each physical processor in a server or licenses based on the processing resources allocated to a Virtual OSE.

A hosted public exchange (PBX) service that augments Skype for Business Online and Teams with traditional PBX capabilities, such as call forwarding and delegation; licensed predominantly via User SLs.

Generally understood to mean the physical buildings an organization owns or leases to conduct its day-to-day business. See synonym premises for in-depth entry.

An online service for organizing and tracking small projects; licensed through Office 365 Enterprise suites.

Describes a license that allows a customer to use the associated software on more than one OS platform; commonly used to license Office for Mac Standard.

A laptop or tablet on which products licensed under the Desktop Applications License Model can, under certain circumstances, be locally installed without requiring its own device-based license.

A free-to-download Windows desktop report design tool that is the primary method for creating reports shared in the Power BI backend services: Power BI Pro, Power BI Premium, and Power BI Report Server.

An online service for publishing, distributing, and rendering reports; licensed primarily on a capacity basis.

A component of SQL Server that enables customers to host and share Power BI content on-premises and reduces the need to license individual users; licensed via Power BI Premium subscriptions or SQL Server Enterprise core licenses.

Application for creating slide-based presentations available on client devices and platforms including Windows client OS, Mac, Android and iOS mobile devices, and Web browsers; typically licensed as part of an Office suite.

Support offering for EA (Enterprise Agreement) customers to provide critical and important security updates and bulletins for 2008 and later versions of SQL Server and Windows Server once they left Extended Support. Launched in 2017 and replaced by Extended Security Updates in 2018.

A type of CAL (Client Access License) that covers access to certain advanced or niche server features. See synonym Additive CAL for in-depth entry.

A user who uses a licensed device more than 50% of the time in any 90-day period; has licensing implications for Office client applications and Windows client OSs.

Circuitry fabricated on a single physical chip that processes the instructions, mostly encoded in software, that drive a computing device.

Generally used to describe any on-premises or online service offering sold to customers.

A unique 25-character alphanumeric code required to complete activation of traditional on-premises products using KMS Activation, MAK Activation, and AD Activation

An attribute defined in the Product Terms for most license SKUs that can influence the price discounts a volume licensing program customer receives for that product.

The main repository for rules governing product licenses acquired through volume licensing programs and by far the most frequently consulted licensing-related text.

Describes software and online services used to run an organization’s internal day-to-day operations, including disaster recovery and backup, but not for solutions development and test, problem diagnosis and resolution, demonstration, or evaluation.

Umbrella term used to refer to client applications, server applications, and hosted services for project management.

Project and portfolio management client application for Windows PCs licensed via User SLs (Subscription Licenses); renamed Project Online Desktop Client in Aug. 2016; see Project Online for in-depth entry.

A Windows Server-based server application for managing project schedules and resource data, reporting time and status, and analyzing an organization's projects; licensed under the Server/CAL License Model.

Lower end edition of Windows client application for project managers; lacks the project sharing and collaboration features of Project Professional; licensed Per-Device under the Desktop Applications License Model.

Prior to July 2015, one of two main documents (the other being the Product List) that contained rules governing product licenses acquired through volume licensing programs; replaced by Product Terms but still valuable for researching rules for non-current product versions

Term used to describe people who make significant use of Microsoft software or online services to perform work on behalf of an organization; term is a major factor in determining the quantity of Enterprise Online Service subscriptions EA customers are obligated to purchase.

OS types, versions, and editions eligible for upgrade via Windows Pro Upgrade and Windows Enterprise Per Device licenses purchased through volume licensing programs.

A feature of Windows Server’s RDS (Remote Desktop Services) that maps a user’s remote connection request to the appropriate session desktop or virtual desktop hosted on a server. See synonym Remote Desktop Connection Broker for in-depth entry.

A feature for hosting session desktops, formerly known as Terminal Services, that is built into Windows Server’s RDS (Remote Desktop Services) component. See synonym Remote Desktop Session Host for in-depth entry.

This Windows Server role (previously called Terminal Services) allows users to interact over a network with session desktops and virtual desktops (sometimes called VDI), the two types of server-based desktop architectures; RDS licensed via its own unique CAL (Client Access License).

A feature for hosting session desktops, formerly known as Terminal Services, that is built into Windows Server’s RDS (Remote Desktop Services) component. See synonym Remote Desktop Session Host for in-depth entry.

The ability to move a product license between devices or users after the license has already been assigned.

Refers to the right for users, under certain circumstances, to use some other client device to connect to their Windows client OS-licensed PC through the Internet. See synonym Remote use for in-depth entry.

A feature of Windows Server’s RDS (Remote Desktop Services) that maps a user’s remote connection request to the appropriate session desktop or virtual desktop hosted on a server; licensed via RDS CALs and External Connectors

A Windows Server role (previously called Terminal Services) that allows users to interact over a network with session desktops and virtual desktops (sometimes called VDI), the two types of server-based desktop architectures. See synonym RDS for in-depth entry.

A feature of Windows Server’s RDS (Remote Desktop Services) used to assign virtual desktops to users, load the associated VMs (virtual machines) onto server hosts, and help users connect; licensed via RDS CALs and External Connectors.

A feature of RDS (Remote Desktop Services) that allows Windows client applications running on a Windows Server machine to interact with a user’s local desktop in a manner that is almost indistinguishable from locally installed applications.

A Windows Server role that encrypts e-mails, files, and other content to prevent access by unauthorized users, including content moved to an unsecured file sharing service or shared by e-mail; licensed by Windows Server Additive CALs (Client Access Licenses).

Software loaded into memory and executing. See synonym instance for in-depth entry.

Some form of special use right, rule exception, or other item of value bundled as part of SA (Software Assurance).

A name often given to a CAL that covers access to the main features of a matching server-based product, but not to certain advanced or niche features. See synonym Standard CAL for in-depth entry.

A Web-based console licensed by Office 365 Enterprise suites for managing security and compliance-related functions, such as data loss prevention, eDiscovery, and retention; licensed as part of Office 365 Enterprise suites.

A product servicing model promising to deliver two new versions per year, each supported for approximately 18 months; use of these versions require active SA (Software Assurance) coverage on a preexisting perpetual license, or an ongoing subscription license. SeeSAC for in-depth entry.

A single data center or two data centers each physically located either in time zones not more than four hours apart or within the EU or EFTA.

Architectures that allow a wide variety of client devices to display Windows client applications and OS user interface without having to install and run Windows-based applications or OSEs (Operating System environments) locally.

Organization that offers its customers access to services built (at least in part) on Microsoft software; often requires special licensing via a SPLA (Services Provider License Agreement]].

Used to describe a schedule for how frequently new versions of on-premises product software will be released and how long they will be supported.

Shorthand for Skype for Business, on-premises and online services products providing presence, instant messaging (IM), voice and video, and application sharing capabilities. See Skype for Business Server and Skype for Business Online for in-depth entries.

A discontinued server application based on SharePoint Server that delivered file sharing and team collaboration for small organizations and was licensed free with Windows Server.

A Windows Server-based server application that delivers file sharing, team collaboration, corporate portal hosting, enterprise search, content management, Web-based reporting, and other collaboration features; licensed under the Server/CAL License Model.

A SKU (stock keeping unit) uniquely identifies a specific type of license for a Microsoft product.

Microsoft’s family of on-premises server, online services, and clients that provide presence, instant messaging (IM), voice and video, application sharing, and telephony capabilities.

An online service that provides presence, instant messaging (IM), voice and video, and desktop and application sharing; licensed via User SLs (Subscription Licenses).

A service that augments Phone System by providing domestic and international calling minutes; licensed via its own separate User SL. Renamed; see Calling Plan for in-depth entry.

Used to pay for telephony-related services not covered by Phone System or Audio Conferencing User SLs. Renamed; see Communication Credits for in-depth entry.

Illustration outlines the technical features licensed by the Skype for Business Server Standard, Enterprise, and Plus CALs (Client Access Licenses).

A service that augments Skype for Business Online or Skype for Business Server by providing support for large meetings with up to 10,000 internal and external attendees; licensed via Office 365 Enterprise suites.

Microsoft code that customers install on hardware used by the organization, or within VMs (virtual machines) at a service provider such as Microsoft’s own Azure.

Secure Productive Enterprise (SPE) combined User SLs (Subscription Licenses) for Windows Enterprise, Office 365 Enterprise suites, and Enterprise Mobility + Security suites. Renamed; see Microsoft 365 Enterprise.

A server-based product that provides database management, integration services, reporting (including Power BI Report Server), analysis services, and machine learning components; licensed under various licensing models depending on version and edition.

Summary of SA (Software Assurance) benefits associated with SQL Server, organized by high and low value benefits

Outlines major changes to SQL Server’s license model and rules, edition lineup, and pricing

A name often given to a CAL that covers access to the main features of a matching server product, but not to certain advanced or niche features.

A stock keeping unit uniquely identifies a specific type of license for a Microsoft product. See synonym SKU for in-depth entry.

A video-hosting and -sharing online service set to eventually replace Office 365 Video; mainly licensed through Office 365 Enterprise suites.

A collection of related licenses for products sold together at a discount.

A family of on-premises management and security products use for computer configuration, monitoring, virtualization, backup, software deployment and installation, and other administrative tasks; licensed under the Management Servers License Model.

A Windows Server-based management application that automates software deployment and patching, hardware and software inventorying, and compliance with configuration policies; licensed under the Management Servers License Model via System Center Server MLs and Client MLs.

Protects Windows Server, Windows client OS, macOS, and Linux computers against viruses, worms, Trojans, adware, and spyware; licensed under the Management Servers License Model via System Center Server MLs and client User SLs (Subscription Licenses) or Device SLs

A Windows Server-based management application that monitors hardware, OS, and apps, and automatically takes corrective action or helps identify the root cause of a problem; licensed under the Management Servers License Model via System Center Server MLs and Client MLs.

Summary of SA (Software Assurance) benefits associated with System Center products, organized by high and low value benefits

Outlines major changes to System Center’s license model and rules, edition lineup, and pricing

A Windows Server-based server application that provides source code control, project and build management, test execution, and centralized storage for collaborative software development; licensed under a somewhat modified Server/CAL License Model. See Visual Studio Team Foundation Server for in-depth entry.

An online service that provides group-based collaboration spaces by bringing together features from multiple Office 365 services into an integrated user experience; licensed as part of Office 365 Enterprise suites.

A Windows Server-based server application that provides source code control, project and build management, test execution, and centralized storage for collaborative software development; licensed under a somewhat modified Server/CAL License Model. See Visual Studio Team Foundation Server for in-depth entry.

This SA (Software Assurance) benefit provides a selection of 1-5 day courses for IT pros and developers conducted at MS Learning partner locations.

This SA (Software Assurance) benefit provides the right to deploy new product versions that become available during the term of SA coverage. See synonym new version rights for in-depth entry.

Provides the right for an individual to use any device to access all running instances of a particular server-based product deployed by the customer’s organization.

Provides the (non-perpetual) right for a user to access a particular online service, server-based product, or Windows client OS, typically from any device.

Provides the (non-perpetual) right for a user to access a particular online service, server-based product, or Windows client OS, typically from any device. See synonym User SL for in-depth entry.

A Per-Device subscription license allowing a client device to be used by any user to access Windows Client OSs running within server-hosted virtual desktops, and to install and run Windows Enterprise locally on most Windows-capable devices.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure is most often used to refer to virtual desktops running the Windows client OS in VMs (virtual machines); sometimes used more broadly to describe any server-based desktop architecture or infrastructure.

A form of substitution, whereby a customer owning a license for a specific version and edition of a product deploys an older version of the same (or equivalent) edition instead.

A unit of processing power allocated to a VM (virtual machine); sometimes relevant under the Per Core License Model.

A Per-Device or Per-User subscription that licenses access to Windows Client OSs running within server-hosted virtual desktops and in many cases also allows local use of Windows Enterprise on client devices. See VDA for in-depth entry.

Software component that emulates the CPU, memory, and other hardware of a computer; see VM for a detailed entry

A line of software and online services for creating and sharing business and technical diagrams, such as network diagrams and office layouts.

Tool for viewing and creating business and technical diagrams, such as flowcharts, organization charts, and office layouts; delivered as both a browser-based and Windows-based application and licensed via User SLs. Renamed; see Visio Online (Plan 2) for in-depth entry.

Lower end edition of Windows client application for viewing, creating, and modifying business and technical diagrams; licensed Per-Device under the Desktop Applications License Model.

The brand name used for both fee-based and free application development tools and related on-premises and online services offerings used to design, develop, and test commercial and in-house applications.

Outlines major licensing, packaging, and pricing changes made to Visual Studio- and MSDN- branded offerings.

The functional equivalent of the Visual Studio Professional integrated development environment (IDE) offered for free but with usage restrictions that make it unsuitable for most midsize and large organizations’ purposes.

Licenses (mostly) non-production use of Microsoft products; targets developers requiring the most advanced debugging, diagnostics, testing, modeling, and lab management capabilities, and applications developers leveraging server-based software besides SQL Server.

A family of three free development tools, each providing a subset of Visual Studio Professional functionality; being phased out with Microsoft recommending use of Visual Studio Community instead.

A discontinued MSDN offering targeting high-end development; replaced by Visual Studio Enterprise Subscription.

Licenses non-production use of a broad array of Microsoft products; targets developers who do not require the advanced debugging, diagnostics, testing, architecture and modeling, and lab management capabilities unique to the Visual Studio Enterprise IDE.

Windows Server-based server software that provides source code control, project and build management, test execution, and centralized storage for collaborative application development; licensed under a somewhat modified Server/CAL License Model.

An online service that provides source code control, build management, and other Visual Studio Team Foundation Server (TFS) functionality; limited use is free, otherwise requires Per User subscriptions and monthly consumption-based fees.

Licenses testing tools along with non-production use of a broad array of Microsoft software and online services; targets personnel involved with software test planning, authoring, execution, and tracking. Renamed Apr. 2017; see Visual Studio Test Professional Subscription for in-depth entry.

Illustration compares development and test tools, OSs, application software, online services, and other benefits included with editions of Visual Studio with MSDN.

Allows administrators to monitor products activated with AD Activation, KMS (Key Management Service), or MAK (Multiple Activation Key).

The brand name used for both fee-based and free software development tools and related on-premises and online services offerings used to design, develop, and test commercial and in-house applications. See Visual Studio for in-depth entry.

Microsoft’s family of OS (operating system) offerings, specifically Windows Server for server hardware, and Windows client OSs for PCs, tablets, and other client devices.

General name for Windows operating system editions used by organizations on client PCs or within virtual desktops.

Outlines major modifications to the Windows client OS’s license model and rules, edition and SKU lineup, and other changes.

The highest (most feature-laden) edition of the Windows client OS; distributed exclusively through volume licensing programs with both Per-Device and Per-User licensing options available.

Flowchart illustrates the ways an organization can acquire the right to install and run Windows Enterprise edition locally on an end-user’s PC or Mac.

A Per-User subscription that allows an individual user to install and run Windows Enterprise edition on most Windows-capable client devices as well as access a Windows Client OS running within server-hosted virtual desktops.

Table compares use rights and rules for a Windows Enterprise User SL (Subscription License) and a VDA User SL purchased via an EA (Enterprise Agreement), Select Plus contract, or MPSA (Microsoft Product and Services Agreement)

An edition of Windows 10 designed for compute-intensive workloads that sits between Windows Pro and Windows Enterprise in the edition line-up; distributed exclusively through retail and OEM channels.

A Per-Device license providing the right to install and run on the PC (or Mac) the latest version of Windows Pro as of the time of license purchase.

Illustration outlines the technical features licensed by each of the three Windows Server-related CALs (Client Access Licenses) associated with versions 2019, 2016, 2012 R2, and 2012.

A Windows Server role that encrypts e-mails, files, and other types of content to prevent access by unauthorized users, including content moved to an unsecured file sharing service or shared by e-mail; See: RMS for a detailed entry.

Outlines major changes to Windows Server’s license model and rules, edition lineup, and pricing

A Windows client OS feature that enables running Windows Enterprise from portable media such as USB storage drives; licensed via Windows Enterprise and VDA (Virtual Desktop Access) licenses.

A collection of Microsoft-managed services and associated technologies for hosting server-based desktops within Azure VMs; use covered via Windows Enterprise- and RDS-related user licenses, and ongoing rental fees for the Azure VMs used to host desktops.

Discounted Office and Office for Mac Standard licenses for certain customers of those suites.