New licensing options for NAV integration scenario's

Do you remember the DCO licensing compared with external user licensing? And all frustrations and misconceptions there were involved? And that there was no device-license available? Yes, we have web services now, but if you want to license it, it's just way too expensive (in many cases) ...

Well, there is some good news. Microsoft listened .. and changed the licensing options. In fact, effective from September 1st 2010, Microsoft is introducing three lighter access license rights to help the customers more affordably extend their Dynamics ERP to more people within their organization (obviously not my words ;°) ).

What is changed?

The previous name "DCO" or "Dynamics Client for Office" was not really "self explaining". So they introduced a new (confusing) name: Microsoft Dynamics Light User. Don't be mistaken, this is not a user! No functionality! It's just the same as DCO, just rebranded. What can you do with this license? Well, look at NAV data or execute NAV business logic from outside of NAV... . And you need one for each named user.

Now, problem was: if 200 internal people had to click only one button on one machine once or twice a day (time clock, for example), you had to buy 200 of these babies.. . It could become really expensive.

Therefore, Microsoft also introduces two new Licensing Options:

• Microsoft Dynamics Employee Self Service User: This licenses provides low pricing for users accessing the Dynamics ERP solution for any of the following "self-service" scenarios:
  • Employee Administration
  • Time & Attendance
  • Travel & Expense
  • Requisitions

  With one remark: "not involving project / job codes". What they mean with that, I don't know (yet) I'll try to find out.

• Microsoft Dynamics Limited Device CAL:

  Competitive an convenient licensing for scenarios accessing the Dynamics Solution through a single purpose device (e.g. Bar code data capture, time clock, ..). Finally, I would say.
  Obviously, the price is more expensive then a light user, but it happens a lot that users share one machine ... so things could get very very interesting..

Furthermore, Microsoft introduces Volume Discounts in this matter. I'm not going to reveal any prices here (as they might differ country by country .. and I'm not sure I am allowed to), but see below the links to the price lists.

And that's not all. They also separate the SharePoint server licensing from the dynamics user access licensing, which is a good thing, in my opinion. It only made things more complicated. You want SharePoint: get SP licenses. You want to integrate with NAV? Get Light user or something else.. . Clear, no?

To finish, they completed a "revised" how-to-license-guide with a customer ready version to be able to frame a consistent message to all the customers... . too bad I didn't find this guide on partnersource (yet).

Here are the links to the price lists..

• AX - Price Lists
• GP - Price Lists
• NAV – Price Lists
• SL - Price List