Thinking About Desktop Virtualization? Rethink Your Windows Licensing Strategy

As a desktop operations professional, you've managed to avoid getting down in the weeds with Microsoft licensing — unfortunately, times have changed. Desktop virtualization is forcing desktop managers to understand the world of Windows licensing to successfully get their desktop virtualization pilots up and running. To fully recognize how to approach licensing Windows for your deployment, you must first ask yourself what form of desktop virtualization you're deploying. If it's hosted desktop virtualization, you need to know what type of device is connecting to this environment. It's no secret that these licensing requirements favor those with Microsoft Software Assurance (SA) agreements in place. Without SA, companies are in for a world of headaches getting desktop virtualization going while remaining in compliance with their Microsoft licensing contracts. The bottom line: Desktop managers must brush up on Windows licensing before moving forward with desktop virtualization.