Five New Microsoft Licensing Twists That Every IT Buyer Should Know

Forrester has studied Microsoft's recent pricing and licensing changes and found several that could have profound implications for enterprise IT departments, including price increases and repackaging for Office, changes to the rules on remote access and virtualized desktops, upcoming retirement of the Select License program, and elimination of the Software Assurance renewal grace period. While most of the changes are favorable to customers, Microsoft hasn't done enough to address the concerns Forrester hears from hundreds of buyers, such as the mismatch between the cost and value of Office upgrades and the licensing complexity of desktop virtualization. Whether you're approaching an agreement renewal, planning a major purchase, or merely trying to comply with existing contracts, these new issues will affect your decisions. Software sourcing professionals should study these changes and work with their infrastructure, operations, and IT strategy colleagues to evaluate the implications for their firms.