I have a full retail version of windows server 2012 this came with 5 cals (either user or device)

my question is:

I have seen advertised OEM cals - are there OEM and retail cals? and do I have to purchase retail cals because I have a retail version of server or can I just buy the OEM cals

any help would be appreciated I am new to this - and apologies in advance if I am posting in the wrong place

regards

dave mathieson

Hi,

OEM licenses, Retail licenses for Windows Vista, 7 and so on, represent the right to use respective operating system. CAL is the right to make authenticated connection to server(s) on your network.

1. Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) licenses are different from Volume Licensing and retail license rights. With a license purchased with a server from an OEM, the Windows Server license is already assigned to that specific server, and lives and dies with that server.

It's also important to note that OEM license do not entitle you to support from Microsoft, you need to go to the manufacturer where you purchased the license from.

2. Retail license can be moved from one device to another.
3. CAL is a Client Access License. This type of license grants one network user or device permission to access a network service (such as a SQL or Exchange Server). There are also different types of CALs for each service.

For more detailed information about CAL, please refer to this article:

Client Access Licenses and Management Licenses:

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/about-licensing/client-access-license.aspx

For detailed information, please refer to this article:

Your Comprehensive Resource for Licensing and Pricing

To get more helps about the license, please contact the Microsoft Volume Licensing:

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/

I hope this helps.

OEM need to be purchased from OEMs, you see them on the shopping sites but in reality they should not be selling them unless you are also buying the OEM server license and a physical server. If you buy a server from Dell it will have a OEM server license and you can choose to buy OEM cals at that time but as ANNAWY says OEM will not transfer so you will have to repurchase both the server license and the CALs if you get a new server. If you have Microsoft OPEN or some form of Volume license agreement with Microsoft you can convert the OEM to Volume license which allows it to transfer to different hardware, This may vary buy product but I know if you purchase a new pc with Windows 8 oem, and need enterprise 8, you can within 90 days by adding Software assurance to the OEM license, after 90 days you have to repurchase windows 8 in order to upgrade to enterprise.

Sorry if this is as clear as mud, Microsoft wonders why people are not compliant but they make licensing so difficult.

top that off with, there is no place to register the CALs in the server your supposed to keep manual record of them so if you have to produce them you can, the server does not track them or have a place to register them in the newer operating systems. If you use volume licensing Microsoft knows how many you have and the piece of paper is not as critical unless they have the numbers wrong.

hi, thanks for the reply's

I am still in this situation

having purchase a full retail version of server 2012 standard (including 5 cals).

I cannot actually find anywhere to purchase retail cals - we are a very small business 25 employees do don't really have access to volume licencing.

and there only seems to be OEM cals for sale anywhere.

it is such a shame that Microsoft make it so difficult for businesses to remain compliant and legal.

so do I just buy OEM cals anyway even though they are not suitable or just not bother at all?.

"Microsoft here is my money please take it" 

regards

dave m