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Tag Archives: Hosting

Hosting SharePoint 2013

29 Apr

The newest addition to the SharePoint family has features that are built off it’s younger sibling; SharePoint 2010, but offers cool/semi cool new features as well.   For a full list check out Microsoft.com/sharepoint.

Personally, we don’t care about the features, all we care about is how to license it!  SharePoint 2013 for Hosting Providers is not overly complicated, and if you knew how to license SharePoint 2010, chances are you will know how to license the 2013 version.

To license SharePoint 2013, you will either need to license by user (intranet sites) or by processor (extranet site).  If it’s for your customers employees or contractors, you have to license by user (SAL).  If you require Enterprise functionality, you will need to license SharePoint Standard and Enterprise together. (SharePoint Enterprise is an additive license to Standard).

Some things did change with the new edition.  For starters, I noticed the lnaguage in the SPUR has changed for the processor based license.  It now reads:

All content, information, and applications accessible by internal users must also be accessible to external users. Access to servers that provide content, information, and applications that are limited to internal users, must be licensed under SharePoint Server 2013 SALs. “External users” means users that are not either (i) your customer’s employees, or (ii) your customer’s onsite contractors or agents. All other users are “internal users.”

In other words, if you have users that are external and internal, you can license by processor for both scenarios.  The trick is this – the same information has to be accessible to both groups.  If it’s not, you would have to license internal users by SAL and external users by processor. If you are running this in a virtual environment – you will have to license the virtual processors.

To recap:

1. If you license SharePoint by user (internal employees only) you need to report SharePoint Standard Sals.  If you need SharePoint Enterprise, you need to report SharePoint Standard + SharePoint Enterprise

2. SharePoint requres SQL  (either Standard or Enterprise)

3. SharePoint Foundation is free.

4. Always report Windows

5. External users = processor.

6. Virtual environment? – Must license virtual procs (if external)

I wrote a new blog post that tells a fictitious story about a SPLA licensing SharePoint incorrectly. You can check it out

Don’t be Dave – Hosting SharePoint 2013

Hope this helps!  Thanks for reading.

SPLA Man

 
13 Comments

Posted by on April 29, 2013 in SharePoint

 

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What CAN I do with my SPLA Licenses?

04 Apr

When it comes to licensing, most of the time we discuss what you cannot do with the licenses.  Today I thought I would touch on what you CAN do with Microsoft licenses as it pertains to the SPLA program.   I came up with a list of ideas that you can take advantage of being a Microsoft hosting partner.

  • Use SPLA licenses internally.  There is a 50% rule with SPLA that states you can use 50% of what you are hosting for your internal employees.  Let’s say you are hosting 10 Exchange licenses externally, the terms of the agreement states you can use up to 5 licenses internally.  These licenses are not free, you would still need to report those 5 licenses on your monthly report (report a total of 15 licenses to your reseller).  One way of reducing your volume licensing count.
  • 60 Day Evaluation – This allows a service provider to host an application as a trial for up to 60 days per customer!  Trick is you cannot receive a fee during this period.
  • Customer Owned Licenses – Customers can bring their own licenses into your data center and you can host the software for them.  The issue: you must host it in a physical dedicated environment (nothing shared amongst other customers).
  • Install Servers on Customers Premise – As long as you own the hardware, you can locate the server at your customers location.
  • Receive the latest version. As new technology is released, you will have access. (check SPUR for availability)
  • Partner with another service providers to host the software.  This is especially important for customers looking to deploy a Dynamics solution but are not Dynamics authorized.

It’s refreshing to write about what you can do. Microsoft is not always the bad guy!

Thanks for reading!

SPLA Man

 
8 Comments

Posted by on April 4, 2013 in Compliance

 

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SPLA Compliance Audit- How Not to be the Chosen One!

05 Mar

If you recently went through an audit or just nervous about being notified, I outlined ten steps that service providers can take to arm themselves more efficiently and be compliant.

  1. If you are running Microsoft software, you must license Windows.  All Microsoft software runs on a Windows OS.
  2. If you are licensing SharePoint- SharePoint requires SQL and Windows.
  3. Reporting SharePoint Enterprise you must license SharePoint Standard
  4. Installing Office on a server requires Remote Desktop (RDS) licenses.  Office and RDS licenses should match (cannot have more Office licenses than RDS licenses)
  5. If you have customers bringing licenses into your hosted environment you need to host it in a physical and dedicated environment.  (nothing shared among other customers)
  6. If you are reporting user licenses (SAL- Subscriber Access License) you need a license for each user that has access.  For example, if you have 10 totals users in the month of May and only 4 actually use or access that software, you must license all 10.  SPLA user licenses are similar to your cable bill; your cable provider is going to charge you regardless if you turn your TV on or not.
  7. If you have customer owned licenses in your environment, you must keep all relevant documentation.  This includes enrollment information, start date, end date, and who they bought the licenses from.
  8. Renting out a PC make sure the PC has an OEM license preinstalled.
  9. No virtualizing/streaming Windows desktop OS from a datacenter.
  10. You can install your server on a customer premise, but do not install SPLA software on your customer’s server!

This is not bulletproof by any means.  Use this as a guide when looking at your own environment.  Look at it from the auditors eyes.  What information would they need to verify that I am compliant? The SPUR (Service Provider Use Rights) is the best reference when it comes to Microsoft SPLA.  You can download a copy here.  If you have trouble sleeping at night; this is a must read.

Thanks for reading,

SPLA Man

 
1 Comment

Posted by on March 5, 2013 in Compliance

 

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