HPE’s OEM Reseller Option Kit for Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 Microsoft Licensing Facts

[Willa]

We have covered many different topics in our Hewlett Packard Enterprise OEM Licensing blog series. From Client Access Licenses (a.k.a CALs) and Downgrades, to Additive/Additional Licenses and virtualization, we’ve talked about it all! Today, we will take a moment and review a few of these licensing topics as we highlight tips to keep in mind when planning licensing needs for Microsoft® Windows Server 2012 R2.

Whether your business is just starting out (and needs a first server solution) or is growing (and is ready to expand their IT), there is a HPE ProLiant + Windows Server operating system (OS) pairing solution available to meet its specific needs with HPE OEM Microsoft Windows Server Reseller Option Kit (HPE ROK).

With all of these benefits, we think you will agree that HPE ROK is a great option! Once you have chosen the HPE ROK option, there are still a few more steps to keep in mind when planning your Windows Server 2012 R2 licensing needs.

1. Consider virtualization needs and business size when determining which edition of Windows Server 2012 R2 to use:

• Datacenter edition** for highly-virtualized environments
• Standard edition** for lightly or non-virtualized environments
• Essentials edition for small businesses with up to 25 users, running on servers with up to two processors
• Foundation edition for small businesses with up to 15 users on a single processor server

** Client Access Licenses (CALs) are required for every user or device accessing a server

2. If the Datacenter or Standard Edition is needed, the Client Access License (CAL) Decision Tool can be used to determine which mix and how many CALs (user or device) are required.

3. For customers who would like the ability to transfer their OEM base license to another server in the future, they may acquire this right, plus other benefits such as upgrade rights, by purchasing Microsoft Software Assurance (SA) from an authorized Microsoft Licensing Distributor (such as HPE SLMS) within 90 days of their original OEM OS purchase.

4. To benefit both HPE reseller partners and customers, HPE has deployed iQuote, an easy-to-use sales quotation tool that gives partners the ability to quickly create accurate quotations at the best possible pricing from authorized HPE Distributors. For more information, go to: www.hpiquote.net/.

Do you have any Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 licensing tips or topics we haven’t covered? We’d love to hear them! Leave a comment here or join our Coffee Coaching communities on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn and drop us a note.