Windows Server 2008 Foundation – Why Microsoft’s licensing policy is outdated
By Michael Pietroforte | 3 Comments | PermalinkSome days ago, Microsoft announced Windows Server 2008 Foundation, a new version of Windows Server 2008 for small organizations. The announcement reads as if it is already available, but so far, it is not even available on MSDN or Technet. In this post, I will discuss the main features of Windows Server 2008 Foundation and share my opinion about Microsoft’s licensing policy.
- Windows Server 2008 Foundation is available through Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) only. As I understand it, this means you won’t be able to buy the operating system alone. You can only get it pre-installed, along with server hardware.
- Windows Server 2008 Foundation supports only up to 15 users. It doesn’t require client access licenses (CALs), and you can’t buy additional licenses if you have more than 15 users in your organization. However, you need Terminal Server CALs or Rights Management CALs if you intend to use these server roles.
- There are upgrade paths to higher-end versions of Windows Sever. Microsoft didn’t say yet if you have to then re-install the Windows Server 2008.
- Paul Thurrott says the price range will be between $150 and $200 for the software, and together with the server, you probably won’t pay more than $1000 for a Windows Server 2008 Foundation machine.
- Windows Server 2008 Foundation supports Active Directory, but you can only install a single domain controller.
- Windows Server 2008 Foundation will support all major server roles except Hyper-V.
- You can run it only on single processor machines. The CPU can have multiple cores, though.




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