What is Product use Rights (PUR)?
from microsoft.com:
“When you purchase a software license through a Microsoft Volume Licensing program, the terms and conditions for how you can use the software are defined in the Volume Licensing Product Use Rights (PUR) document, Product List document, and program agreement. The PUR is updated quarterly.”
The change
Effective January 1 2014 Microsoft made a pretty significant change to the Software Assurance benefit. This is from the Windows Server 2012 R2 Remote Desktop Service Licensing Data Sheet:
RDS User CALs Extended Rights through Software Assurance
Today, RDS CALs permit remote access to the Windows Server GUI (Graphical User Interface) running on a customer’s on-premise server and RDS SALs (Subscriber Access License) if running on a shared-server environment. Effective January 1 2014, RDS User CALs will have Extended Rights through Software Assurance. In addition to the on-premise access, RDS User CAL customers will also be able to access the Windows Server GUI running on Windows Azure or on a third party’s shared server, without acquiring a separate RDS SAL.
To leverage this benefit customers should meet following requirements:
- Maintain Software Assurance coverage on the RDS User CALs
- Use dedicated VOSE (Virtual Operating System Environment) in Windows Azure or third party’s
shared servers - Access Windows Server session-based desktops and/or applications running on shared server
environments - Limit access by internal users only i.e. by company employees, vendors and contractors and not by
external users such as customers - Assign each on-premise RDS User CAL to the same named user on Windows Azure or a third party’s
shared servers
This RDS User CAL Software Assurance benefit allows each User to access RDS functionality only on one shared server environment (i.e. Windows Azure or a third party server) in addition to access the respective on premise servers. The customer must acquire extra RDS SALs (Subscriber Access License) if the same User needs to access RDS functionality on additional shared server environments.
This is indeed great news for all customers wanting to access a remote Windows Server Desktop in Windows Azure or at another third party hoster.
More info:
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