Server licensing trips up more UAE businesses than any other Microsoft product, because it is bought twice - once for the server itself, and again for everyone who connects to it.
| Windows Server Standard | Windows Server Datacenter | Datacenter: Azure Edition | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Low-density or non-virtualised environments | Highly virtualised environments | Cloud-only, running on Azure |
| Virtualisation rights | Limited container rights | Unlimited containers and virtualisation rights | Unlimited, plus hotpatch capability |
| Licensing model | Per physical core | Per physical core | Per physical core |
| Minimum cores per processor | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Minimum cores per server | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| How cores are sold | Packs of 2 or packs of 16 | Packs of 2 or packs of 16 | Packs of 2 or packs of 16 |
| CALs required | Yes, for every user or device | Yes, for every user or device | Not required for pay-as-you-go subscriptions |
Plan contents above are taken from Microsoft’s published plan documentation and were last verified in September 2026. Microsoft changes packaging periodically - we confirm the current position on every quote. Source: Microsoft 365 plan comparison.
You license the physical cores in the server, not the server. Every processor needs at least 8 core licences and every physical server needs at least 16 - even if the hardware has fewer. Cores are sold in packs of 2 or 16.
A User CAL covers one person across all their devices. A Device CAL covers one device used by any number of people. Shift workers sharing a terminal are usually cheaper on Device CALs; staff with a laptop and a phone are cheaper on User CALs.
If staff connect to a remote desktop or terminal server, that needs a Remote Desktop Services CAL on top of the standard Windows Server CAL. It is an additive access licence, not a replacement.
Datacenter earns its cost when you run many virtual machines on one host, because virtualisation rights are unlimited. For one or two VMs, Standard is almost always cheaper.
Tenant setup, mailbox and file migration, user onboarding and activation are included at no extra charge on any Microsoft licences bought from us. You pay for the licences — not for the project around them.
Send us your headcount and what your team actually needs. We will come back with the right plan mix and a price — usually the same working day.