Tag: Can I still buy Microsoft From SA licenses?

Microsoft have retired the “From SA” license offering starting from February 1, 2024 for Microsoft 365.

What are they?

Introduced in 2015, these licenses were Cloud USLs at a reduced price for customers who had on-premises licenses with active Software Assurance (SA) and aimed to make it less costly for them to move to Microsoft’s Online Services.

What’s changed?

Microsoft say that “Cloud services are now the predominant way customers use Microsoft products and services” and so these From SA SKUs are no longer needed.

Microsoft 365

Feb 1st 2024: You won’t be able to order additional or new From SA subscription licenses for Microsoft 365 and its standalone products. The impacted products are:

• Core CAL Suite Bridge for Office 365 From SA
• Enterprise CAL Bridge for Enterprise Mobility + Security From SA (User SL)
• Enterprise CAL Suite Bridge for Office 365 From SA
• Enterprise Mobility + Security E3/E5/G3/G5 From SA
• Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise From SA
• Microsoft 365 E3/E5/G3/G5 From SA
• Microsoft Teams Phone Standard From SA
• Office 365 E1/E3/E5/G1/G3/G5 From SA
• Project Plan 1/3/5 From SA
• Visio Online Plan 1 and 2 From SA
• Windows 11 Enterprise E3/E5/G5 From SA

Office Professional Plus rights

There is now also wording that states any “licensed user” who used a device licensed with all 3 of:

• Windows OS w/SA
• Core/Enterprise CAL w/SA
• Office Professional Plus w/SA

and has now been assigned a Microsoft 365 E3/E5 User SL can install a local copy of Office Professional Plus for the duration of the USL subscription.

This section from MS isn’t totally clear as to what it is saying/changing so questions/thoughts welcome. I think the phrase “transformed from SA” is new and is doing some of the work here…

Dynamics 365

April 1st 2024: You won’t be able to order additional or new From SA subscription licenses for Dynamics 365. The impacted products are:

• Dynamics 365 Business Central Device From SA
• Dynamics 365 Business Central Essentials From SA
• Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium From SA
• Dynamics 365 Business Central Team Members From SA
• Dynamics 365 Commerce From SA
• Dynamics 365 Customer Service Enterprise From SA
• Dynamics 365 Customer Service Enterprise Device From SA
• Dynamics 365 Customer Service Professional From SA
• Dynamics 365 Human Resources From SA
• Dynamics 365 Field Services From SA
• Dynamics 365 Finance From SA
• Dynamics 365 Operations – Activity From SA
• Dynamics 365 Operations – Device From SA
• Dynamics 365 Project Operations From SA
• Dynamics 365 Sales Enterprise From SA
• Dynamics 365 Sales Enterprise Device From SA
• Dynamics 365 Sales Professional From SA
• Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management From SA
• Dynamics 365 Team Members From SA

However, there will be a time limited “promotional migration offer” being made available to EA customers by April 1st to help customers migrate.

Any licenses purchased before the change date can continue to be renewed but quantities can’t be increased.

You can see the Microsoft announcement here. Interestingly, it’s dated December 15th but it hasn’t been publicised until today – or at least I didn’t see it!