Over the course of the past week in a half, a lot of misleading information came about as a result of Microsoft’s announcement of the new QMTH program for hosting providers. In this article, I will try to set the record straight and answer questions you may have. Keep in mind, this is still developing, and the addendum is not available yet. Please use this article as a general understanding, not a replacement for the Microsoft terms and conditions. More information to come! You can always email at info@splalicensing.com as well.
How do you I grasp QMTH in the simplest terms possible for my sellers?
Shared Computer Activation has been out for a long time, if your sellers understand SCA, QMH works in a very similar way.
Similarities to SCA
- Must be under SPLA to qualify and have the addendum
- Must be CSP Direct authorized – check out qualifications and SCA here
- Do not have to purchase Windows 10 directly from the hoster (the CSP Direct partner) they can purchase Windows 10 E3/E5 from other CSP partners but host it from your datacenter (as long as you are QMTH authorized)
- Install on up to 5 devices.
Is SCA replaced with QMTH?
Yes.
If I’m SCA authorized, am I automatically authorzied for QMTH?
Yes/No. You will need to update your landing page and you will need to sign the new addendum. You will already be CSP Direct authorized if you are SCA authorized, it makes it a lot easier to transition.
Do I have to sell Office 365 with Windows 10?
No. You can sell Windows 10 as a standalone product.
Can I still offer Windows/RDS for SPLA?
Yes. Windows and RDS in SPLA is still available. I would make it clear to the customer that you are not offering full Windows desktop but Windows Server. I always liked Windows Server + RDS. Shared environments, unlimited virtualization, etc. etc.
How does the activation and the licensing work?
The base license for Windows 10 Enterprise is Windows 10 Pro. It’s per user licensing, but the underlying qualified device needs Windows Pro. The Windows 10 Enterprise features/bits is included with the Windows 10 Pro installation. In other words, you install Windows 10 Pro, the Enterprise features are automatically turned off. When your end customer subscribes to Windows 10 Enterprise E3/E5, those features will turn on. When they unsubscribe, you guessed it – they are automatically turned off and the user goes back to Windows 10 Pro. Check out this post from the Microsoft team Windows 10 Enterprise E3 in CSP
What happens if I work in a hospital with a dummy terminal that has no underlying/qualified OS. Are you saying I must buy a Windows Pro license even if I don’t need it?
No. You can buy Windows 10 Enterprise with VDA. (Virtual Desktop Access), it provides a user access to a VDI session on a device that cannot run a qualified OS. If an end-user has a dummy terminal, that user can still access a virtual desktop through VDA.
Can I just sell the customer Windows 10 E3 without virtualization rights? They don’t need a virtual desktop.
Yes. Windows 10 E3 can be purchased with or without VDI rights (with is more expensive than without). If they have Windows E5 the virtual rights are included but that doesn’t mean they have to install it virtually.
What happens if I use Azure as my datacenter provider? Do I still need the addendum?
You do not need to be QMTH authorized to use Azure. QMTH just provides you the ability to host Windows 10 E3/E5 in a shared environment from your datacenter.
When is this available?
August 1, 2017 for Azure. September 1, 2017 for third-party hosting providers.
I am sure you have more questions. I am always looking to learn more and learn your specific scenario. If you do have a specific question, let me know and I can update this post accordingly. It’s also worth mentioning that this program isn’t available yet. I am sure there will be more information and updates as we move along.
Other articles of interest
Windows Blog – Windows virtualization rights coming to CSP…
ZDnet – Microsoft’ plan to move more small-business users to Windows 10…
Thanks for reading,
SPLA Man
SPLA Licensing 