Licensing, Microsoft,
How can a Microsoft product going end of life (EOL) increase support costs?
Short Answer
To continue receiving security updates and remain compliant under cyber insurance requirements, new licenses with Software Assurance (SA) may need to be purchased, Extended Security Updates (ESU) may be required and spend from both can increase Microsoft Unified Enterprise support cost. These costs are derived from an organization’s annual spend.
In-Depth Answer
If an organization is running Microsoft software that is going (or is already) EOL, Microsoft requires customers to buy ESU subscriptions to be able to receive new security patches released after the EOL date. These subscriptions can be expensive. For example, a SQL Server Enterprise 2-core subscription can cost more than $10,500 per year. Additionally, Microsoft requires those same systems to be licensed with SA to even quality to buy ESU subscriptions. If an organization does not have SA on existing licenses, new licenses with SA or subscriptions will be required and the old licenses will essentially be rendered useless.
Additionally, pricing for Microsoft’s Unified Enterprise support program is calculated using the size of a customer’s annual spend and associated product categories. Any additional spend under Microsoft contracts is automatically added to the support calculation. Customers with a Unified Enterprise support contract.
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