Microsoft quietly unveils Windows subscription pricing for Enterprise Cloud Suite

[RZeroX]

 

Microsoft rolled out its Enterprise Cloud Suite add-on in December 2014 for Enterprise Agreement customers. It has now confirmed that the suite will cost between $7 (£4.66, AU$8.86) and $12 (£7.99, AU$15.18) per month per user.

The package includes a Windows Enterprise Edition license for a desktop or a laptop and a Windows tablet (with a display size smaller than 10.1-inch).

Other goodies included are Azure Active Directory for identity management, MDOP desktop optimization suite, Intune mobile deployment management, Office 365, OneDrive for Business as well as unlimited licenses to access Windows Enterprise via VDI or through USB drives equipped with Windows-To-Go feature.

Microsoft's Corporate Vice President, Brad Anderson, says that the move to deliver this solution was motivated not only by customer demand for a simpler enterprise licensing scheme but also by the desire to fend off competition from companies such as MobileIron, AirWatch, Box, Good Technology and others who were trying to fill the void created by Microsoft's hitherto inability to embrace a platform-agnostic workforce.

"Organizations are looking for solutions that marry management with productivity with identity," Anderson told Computerworld.

Competition, it seems, is keeping Microsoft on its toes and forcing the company to implement strategic decisions that nobody would have expected it to only a couple of years ago.

http://www.techradar.com/us/news/software/operating-systems/microsoft-quietly-unveils-windows-subscription-pricing-1282241

[Just The Tips]

To linux we go!

[Albatross]

Title is sort of misleading.

 

Microsoft is not going to subscriptions, but offering a subscription for people to take. Microsoft will still be one purchase as always.

[AlexGoesHigh]

that's actually a really killer package for enterprise, 365 and one drive alone make it worth it, also how many comments will there be about freaking out when this isn't even for consumers

[deathjester]

 

Microsoft rolled out its Enterprise Cloud Suite add-on in December 2014 for Enterprise Agreement customers. It has now confirmed that the suite will cost between $7 (£4.66, AU$8.86) and $12 (£7.99, AU$15.18) per month per user.

The package includes a Windows Enterprise Edition license for a desktop or a laptop and a Windows tablet (with a display size smaller than 10.1-inch).

Other goodies included are Azure Active Directory for identity management, MDOP desktop optimization suite, Intune mobile deployment management, Office 365, OneDrive for Business as well as unlimited licenses to access Windows Enterprise via VDI or through USB drives equipped with Windows-To-Go feature.

Microsoft's Corporate Vice President, Brad Anderson, says that the move to deliver this solution was motivated not only by customer demand for a simpler enterprise licensing scheme but also by the desire to fend off competition from companies such as MobileIron, AirWatch, Box, Good Technology and others who were trying to fill the void created by Microsoft's hitherto inability to embrace a platform-agnostic workforce.

"Organizations are looking for solutions that marry management with productivity with identity," Anderson told Computerworld.

Competition, it seems, is keeping Microsoft on its toes and forcing the company to implement strategic decisions that nobody would have expected it to only a couple of years ago.

http://www.techradar.com/us/news/software/operating-systems/microsoft-quietly-unveils-windows-subscription-pricing-1282241

 

It is Office, online storage etc. They can't give that stuff away for free and Office already turned into a sub fee as did Abobe.

 

Long as it doesn't turn into Games For Windows Live 2.0 with third party titles and requires a payment? Could care less.

 

I mean if you are a small business you could consider Open Office, Linux, but that was always a consideration. There are people who can't even install Windows, or simply don't want to even try. They aren't moving to Linux lol.

 

Better that MS is charging them, than me for an API update. Makes sense from a business standpoint to, because people who were upset with the API shenanigans would just pirate the hell out of the OS anyways. Tying a sub fee, service together for people who simply want simplicity and support? Makes sense. 

 

I want an updated kernel, an API and MS staying away from third party as far as some kind of monopoly or payment plan. That is it. I don't need support, but small businesses, large businesses often do. Long as there is no sub fee on the kernel/API? I could care less. If these sub packages make that kernel and API updates free after a 100 dollar buy in on the OS? All the better. Before I was paying 100 dollars for those updates every few years, with the API held back due to adoption, which made me not even bother paying the 100 dollars until I was FORCED. Also led to piracy up the wazoo.

[RH00D]

This is great for businesses. Also, to even be eligible to receive the Enterprise Cloud Suite your business has to have a minimum 250 users.

 

This allows businesses to be a lot more efficient financially since they are only paying per user per month. Which is a lot better than say paying for 300 Windows licenses upfront and then what if you no longer need 50 of those employees, you've already paid the money on those 50 licenses whereas with this solution you could save yourself the cost of those licenses once they were no longer required.

 

Or if your business does a lot of contract work you could only pay for the Windows license as needed, based on your number of contracted workers increased/decreased.

 

Although the Enterprise Cloud Suite includes a whole lot more than just Windows licenses which is what makes it so good. I just only referred to them in the example for simplicity.

[GoodBytes]

Enterprise already pay per year for their volume licenses. Large companies are used to this, and they want this.

What many people don't understand is that large companies likes expected fees. Already calculating their finances is a pain in the ass, and they don't want "In this quarterly result we lost money, as we needed to update Windows as we still run on XP". No, They don't want this. They want to pay a flat yearly fee for IT and software licenses, so that it is expected, and can adjust sales targets accordingly, and better do yearly projections.

This is simply a new cloud options for enterprises who may or may not be interested in.