Windows Server 2012 R2 Pricing and Licensing

[This report was edited after initial publication. See notes in italics below.]

Prices for Windows Server Datacenter licenses and Remote Desktop Services Client Access Licenses (CALs) will increase when Windows Server 2012 R2 becomes available later this year. Although some volume licensing contracts may delay the change, customers might need to plan ahead to exploit current pricing. However, new CALs will not be needed to upgrade from Windows Server 2012 to 2012 R2. Also, starting in Jan. 2014, customers with Software Assurance (SA) on Remote Desktop Services CALs may be able to save money if they move some types of remote desktop workloads to cloud hosters.

Windows Server 2012 R2 licenses will be generally available for sale in Nov. 2013, but the version might be available for download from Microsoft’s Volume License Service Center several weeks before that. Customers who have SA on existing Windows Server licenses will be entitled to Windows Server 2012 R2 upgrades if SA is active the month the version becomes available for download. (SA is a subscription add-on to a license that provides rights to new product versions and other benefits; the annual SA fee for Windows Server licenses is 25% of the underlying license price.)