WSS licensing and pricing

Question

Looking for a clear answer on the licensing costs of WSS 3.0. I've read no fewer than 50 web sites, including every relevant MS resource, and the answer still isn't clear. We are a web host looking to provide WSS solutions to our clients as follows:

Scenario 1 Company extranet with forms authentication. Every user will be an authenticated employee, but we will host the web server and sql server and make it publicly accessible. 400 employees. Same question for 1200 employees.

Scenario 2 Internet facing portal with anonymous access.

Scenario 3 We host a public facing WSS portal that our client uses for information sharing. All users are authenticated, but the site will be accessed by their distributors, vendors, business partners, consultants, etc. Roughly 1000 people in total.

What is the least expensive licensing option? If I haven't provided enough information, please ask. The server OS, and SQL options are completely flexible. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Microsoft's licensing for servers can be quite complex, with all kinds of CALs - several types of which may be necessary for a particular situation - and different types of licenses for public facing servers versus internal-use only servers.

I think you'll actually need to talk to someone at Microsoft or maybe an outfit with a "Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) in Licensing Solutions".

Yes, Microsoft's licensing schemes are complex enough that they certify sales people as being knowledgeable in them.

Answer 2

In my (admittedly limited) experience it's almost impossible to derive licensing information from Microsoft's websites. Call a reseller instead - they're knowledgeable, helpful, and know all the pricing options available, including any current special offers.

I just got a great deal on MSDN licenses by talking to a reseller - they recommended a special offer to me even though it meant I would delay buying by a few months.

Answer 3

In case you haven't see this, it may shed a little bit of light on this topic: http://www.sharepointblogs.com/wsspectacular/archive/2008/09/24/wss-extranet-licensing.aspx