Client Access License (CAL) Suite Bridge_November 2020

CAL Suite Bridge – Summary

CAL Suite Bridges include Server CALs not found in the online service used in place of the CAL Suite. They allow existing CAL Suite customers to retain access rights to on-premises CAL Suite workloads, companywide commitment, and corresponding platform discounts for workloads that are on-premises.

What is a CAL Suite Bridge?

CAL Suite Bridges include Server CALs not found in the online service used in place of the CAL Suite. They allow
existing CAL Suite customers to retain access rights to on-premises CAL Suite workloads, companywide commitment, and corresponding platform discounts for workloads that are on-premises.
A Microsoft Client Access License (CAL) Suite Bridge license must be purchased in conjunction with the corresponding Microsoft Enterprise Online Service (EO). Customers use CAL Suite Bridges in conjunction with the appropriate EO to satisfy a companywide CAL Suite commitment. Using CAL Suite Bridges, existing CAL Suite customers can also retain their Microsoft Software Assurance coverage, enterprise-wide commitment, and corresponding platform discounts for workloads that are on-premises. For additional details and explanation of the Microsoft Core CAL and Enterprise CAL Suite, please see the Licensing Core CAL and Enterprise CAL Suite licensing brief.

Overview of Client Access License Suite Bridges

Benefits
CAL Suite Bridges have the following three primary benefits:
• Retain on-premises access rights: Customers retain access rights to on-premises CAL Suite workloads that aren’t included in Enterprise Mobility Suite or Office 365 online services.
• Satisfy enterprise-wide commitment: CAL Suite Bridges satisfy the enterprise-wide requirement for Core CAL and Enterprise CAL Suite when paired with corresponding Enterprise Online Services.
• Retain enterprise discounts: With CAL Suite Bridges, customers receive enterprise and platform discounts at a level that is comparable to the replaced suite.

Structure of CAL Suite Bridges
The structure for CAL Suite Bridges mirrors that of the existing Microsoft CAL Suites. Specifically, the following applies to CAL Suite Bridges:
• They’re available for initial purchase as Monthly Subscription Units (MSUs).
• They’re licensed per user.
• They’re Enterprise Products and receive both enterprise-wide and platform discounts

How to buy CAL Suite Bridges
CAL Suite Bridges have the following eligibility requirements:
• Customers can license each CAL Suite Bridge only with its qualifying EO to satisfy the companywide CAL Suite requirement.
• New customers may purchase CAL Suite Bridges with each corresponding EO license. Only one CAL Suite Bridge may be purchased per EO license.
• Existing customers may purchase CAL Suite Bridge licenses with each corresponding EO license and may only be purchased at a customer’s anniversary date or renewing agreement term.
• Customers that have an enterprise-wide commitment for Core CAL Suite or Enterprise CAL Suite may transition fully paid perpetual licenses with active SA to a CAL Suite Bridge and corresponding EO at the customers anniversary date or renewing enrollment term. Users licensed for an eligible EO are also assigned the appropriate CAL Suite Bridge instead of the full CAL Suite. Users can only license each CAL Suite Bridge with its qualifying EO to satisfy the enterprise-wide requirement of either that CAL Suite Bridge or its parent CAL Suite.

Transitioning to online services with CAL Suite Bridges

Customers often choose to migrate their workloads from on-premises licensing to online services. This is commonly referred to as “transitioning”. CAL Suite Bridges are operational SKUs used when a customer transitions from a CAL
Suite to a comparable product and online service combination.

New customers
New customers that require on-premises server access included with Core CAL or Enterprise CAL Suite licenses may
purchase a CAL Suite Bridge with the corresponding EO license. CAL Suite Bridges are Enterprise Products and by
purchasing a CAL Suite Bridge the customer creates an enterprise-wide licensing commitment to the CAL Suite on
applicable agreements (e.g. EA Enrollment).

Existing customers
Existing CAL Suite with active SA customers may transition to a CAL Suite Bridge only with its corresponding qualifying online service. Transitions may occur at a customer’s anniversary mid-enrollment term or at renewal.
When transitioning mid-enrollment term, the CAL Suite Bridge is required. However, if renewing, customers may choose to change their enterprise-wide commitments (e.g. CAL Suite, Office, Windows) and the CAL Suite Bridge is
only required if on-premises server access is needed and a customer continues to commit to a CAL Suite enterprise-
wide..
The following table outlines the qualifying online services and CAL Suite Bridges for each of the underlying Core CAL and Enterprise CAL Suites. A CAL Suite Bridge is only required if a customer has an enterprise-wide commitment to the underlying CAL Suite.

Component CALs within each CAL Suite Bridge Monthly Subscription Unit

CAL Suite Bridges for Enterprise Mobility Suite
The following table shows the CAL Suite on-premises technologies that are licensed by the CAL Suite Bridges for
Enterprise Mobility Suite.
For a more detailed comparison of technology capabilities delivered through Enterprise Mobility Suite versus
traditional on-premises server infrastructure, consult the descriptions of the Enterprise Mobility Suite services.

CAL Suite Bridges for Office 365
The following table shows the CAL Suite on-premises technologies that are licensed by the CAL Suite Bridges for Office 365.
For a more detailed comparison of technology capabilities delivered through Office 365 versus traditional on-premises server infrastructure, consult the Microsoft 365 and Office 365 service descriptions.

CAL Suite Bridges for Office 365 and Enterprise Mobility Suite
The following table shows the CAL Suite on-premises technologies that are licensed by the CAL Suite Bridges for
Office 365 plus Enterprise Mobility Suite.

Licensing Scenarios

Scenario 1: CAL Suite Bridges for Enterprise Mobility Suite

Situation: A current Core CAL Suite customer deployed Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft SharePoint Server on-premises and wants to use the Enterprise Mobility Suite service to manage all the company PCs. The customer wants to keep Exchange Server and SharePoint Server on-premises and doesn’t want to move those workloads to Office 365.

Solution: The Core CAL Suite customer purchases an Enterprise Mobility Suite licensing subscription for each of the company PCs. They then purchase Core CAL Suite Bridges for Enterprise Mobility Suite to license the Exchange Server, SharePoint Server, and the Windows Server operating system capabilities that aren’t part of the Enterprise Mobility Suite licensing subscription service.

Scenario 2: CAL Suite Bridges for Microsoft Office 365

Situation: A current Enterprise CAL Suite customer wants to migrate users to Office 365 for email, communications,
and collaboration. The customer has currently deployed Microsoft Exchange Server and SharePoint Server on-premises and wants to continue using on-premises Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager infrastructure to manage their company PCs. The customer also wants to continue using Windows Active Directory Rights Management Services to safeguard sensitive email, and, therefore, retain the current Active Directory structure as part of the Office 365 migration.

Solution: The customer purchases an Office 365 licensing subscription for each of the users requiring cloud-enabled email communications and collaboration. The Enterprise CAL Suite capabilities of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, Active Directory Rights Management, and Windows Server Active Directory aren’t part of the Office 365 licensing subscription service. Therefore, the customer purchases the appropriate number of Enterprise CAL Suite Bridges for Office 365 or Enterprise Mobility Suite to license these capabilities.

Scenario 3: CAL Suite Bridges for Microsoft Office 365 and Enterprise Mobility Suite

Situation: A customer currently uses all of the capabilities in Core CAL Suite, such as Windows Server, Exchange Server, SharePoint Server, and Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager. The customer wants to migrate infrastructure to both Office 365 and Enterprise Mobility Suite online services, while maintaining the current Active Directory implementation to work with Enterprise Mobility Suite and Office 365.

Solution: The customer purchases the appropriate number of Office 365 user licensing subscriptions to gain cloud-
enabled email and collaboration. The customer also purchases the appropriate number of Enterprise Mobility Suite
licensing subscriptions for the number of devices they want to manage through the cloud. Lastly, the customer
licenses the Core CAL Suite Bridge for Office 365 and Enterprise Mobility Suite to continue using Windows Server
Active Directory capabilities.

Scenario 4: What happens when CAL Suite Bridges aren’t properly attached?

When a customer makes an enterprise-wide commitment to Core CAL Suite or Enterprise CAL Suite, they’re required to cover Office 365 or Enterprise Mobility Suite users with the appropriate CAL Suite Bridge to satisfy their companywide commitment. When their enrollment expires, the customer can choose to not renew their CAL Suite commitment. In doing so, however, the customer loses current Software Assurance coverage on important CALs and Enterprise Agreement and platform discounts derived from a Core CAL commitment. The customer also loses favorable pricing for future transitions to Office 365. These are also derived from active Software Assurance coverage on the Core CAL Suite or Enterprise CAL Suite workload.
When a customer reports a transition to Office 365, as part of the process, Microsoft reduces the scheduled payment quantity for CAL Suite Software Assurance and increases scheduled payment quantities for CAL Suite Bridge Software Assurance at a one-to-one ratio.
Likewise, new qualified users and devices added to a customer’s organization must be accounted for in the annual
true-up report. If those new users or devices were given Office 365 or Enterprise Mobility Suite accounts, then the
appropriate CAL Suite Bridge must also be included in the true-up order.

Situation: The customer currently has a Professional Desktop Agreement and wants to migrate branch offices to the Office 365 service. Branch offices are only 20 percent of the total enrollment, and the rest of the users will continue using on-premises technology.

Option 1: The customer migrates the branch offices to Office 365 and attaches the Core CAL Suite Bridge for Office
365, thereby satisfying the enterprise product requirement for those transitioning users. Therefore, the customer
has also maintained their enterprise platform discount on all of the remaining on-premises Professional Desktop
licenses.

Option 2: The customer migrates the branch offices to Microsoft Office but doesn’t attach the Core CAL Suite
Bridge for Office 365. Without the Core CAL Suite Bridge, the customer doesn’t satisfy the enterprise product
requirement for the 20 percent of the enrollment for those branch users. Therefore, the customer no longer receives
the enterprise platform discount for the 80 percent remaining professional desktop users. In addition, the customer
must purchase stand-alone licenses for on-premises technology that isn’t delivered in the Office 365 service, most
notably Windows Server CAL.

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