Do you need License Mobility Addendum?
License Mobility Addendum was introduced by Microsoft a long time ago. The purpose of the License Mobility Addendum was to allow the end clients of a service provider to bring their own licenses onto the service provider's servers. The end client had to make sure that the provider was a License Mobility Partner first. Secondly, they had to make sure that they had eligible licenses. Then, they had to fill out a specific form and send it to Microsoft, which Microsoft would verify. Then, that form was to be sent to the service provider to confirm that the client had the necessary licenses, and the service provider had to keep those forms forever in case there was an audit.
But do you still need this addendum? Do you still need to follow this cumbersome process?
Find out in today's episode with SAMexpert's CEO and SPLA expert, Alexander Golev.
If you're a service provider with a Microsoft SPLA, you don't need a License Mobility Addendum. There is a much better and simpler way to do exactly the same thing without signing anything, and I'll tell you exactly what to do.
We received a question from one of our clients, a service provider. The question was, "Do we need to renew our License Mobility Addendum?" We told them no, and here's the story behind it.
Microsoft introduced the License Mobility Addendum a long time ago. The purpose of the License Mobility Addendum was to allow service provider end clients to bring their own licenses onto the service provider's servers.
The end client had to make sure that the provider was a License Mobility Partner first.
Secondly, they had to make sure that they had eligible licenses.
Then, they had to fill out a specific form and send it to Microsoft, which would verify it.
Then, that form was to be sent to the service provider to confirm that the client had the necessary licenses
The service provider had to keep those forms forever in case there was an audit.
But it's not required anymore. End clients can take any of their licenses that are on a subscription or with active Software Assurance and deploy them at any service provider. They don't need to check whether that provider is a License Mobility Partner. The provider doesn't have to be a License Mobility Partner. What gives them this right? Flexible Virtualisation Benefit.
So, signing a License Mobility Partner Addendum is not only a moot point; it's an additional burden. Without it, providers don't have any obligations to keep those License Verification Forms, but with the License Mobility Addendum, that is still an active requirement.