Windows Server Standard - 2 Core Pack - Annual Subscription

The foundation your company's operation runs on.

Windows Server Standard is the server operating system behind your shared files, your user directory, your network printers, your business applications and your database.

Before buying, you need to understand how Microsoft requires this to be licensed, because this is where most mistakes happen.

Licensing is by processor core rather than by server, and every physical core in the machine must be covered.

The manufacturer's mandatory minimum is 16 cores per server and 8 cores per processor, even if your server has fewer.

In practice: a single processor server with 8 cores still requires 16 licensed cores, that is 8 two core packs. A dual processor server with 12 cores each requires 24 cores, that is 12 packs.

Buying below that minimum leaves the server without a valid licence, even if it technically runs.

The Standard edition lets you run up to two Windows Server virtual machines on the same licensed hardware, which covers most small and mid sized businesses.

And beyond the operating system, every user or device that accesses the server needs its own Client Access Licence (CAL). That is not optional.

Paying for the full year upfront locks in your rate for twelve months and aligns renewal with your budget cycle, without the upfront investment a perpetual licence demands.

If your operation is larger and virtualises heavily, the edition to evaluate is Datacenter.

We calculate how many packs your server needs based on its processor and core count, define the CALs that apply and support your team through installation.