Microsoft has launched two new ways to license VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure). VDI is when you un desktops on virtual machines in the datacentre, e.g. Windows 7 on Hyper-V VM’s. They’re both subscription based, per month per machine. The new licenses are the “Microsoft Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Standard Suite” and the “Microsoft Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Premium Suite”.
They will include licensing for the management components of a Microsoft based VDI:
“Hyper-V Server, System Center Virtual Machine Manager, System Center Configuration Manager, System Center Operations Manager, Remote Desktop Services (CAL) and MDOP. The Premium VDI Suite even includes additional use rights for Remote Desktop Services (RDS) as well as App-V for RDS, to enable mixed environments with not only VM-based remote desktops, but also session-based desktops and applications”.
What’s in Standard and in Premium? They don’t really say. The Standard Suite will cost $21/VM per year. I bet that’ll round up to €21. Premium is $51/year.
You still need the badly named VECD license for the VM’s operating system. This applies whether you’re using MS, Citrix, VMware or anyone else.