Windows Server licensing done right

Yes. The server licence covers the right to run Windows Server on the machine itself, nothing more. Every user or device that connects to it, opens files, prints through it or authenticates against it needs its own CAL. This surprises many buyers because nothing technically blocks connections: the server works without CALs, but the setup is not properly licensed. In a licence audit missing CALs are treated as a violation, and the resulting bill is usually far less pleasant than buying the right count upfront. If you are unsure whether your scenario needs CALs at all, describe it to us and we will tell you honestly before you spend anything.

It depends on how your people and machines map to each other, and there is no universal answer. A User CAL follows one person across every device they use, so it wins when staff work from a desktop, a laptop and a phone. A Device CAL is tied to one machine that many people share, so it wins for shift work, warehouses or a front desk where several employees use the same PC. Most companies end up with a mix of both types. Count your users, count your devices, and send us the two numbers with a note on who shares what: we will calculate which combination comes out cheaper and quote exactly that.

A Remote Desktop Services CAL is the licence that lets one user or one device open a full desktop session on a shared Windows Server over RDP. It sits on top of the normal Windows Server CAL, so a remote worker typically needs both. The classic case is a terminal server: one machine running your accounting software or another line-of-business application, with the whole team logging in remotely instead of installing the program on every PC. If people only reach file shares or printers, standard CALs are enough and RDS CALs would be wasted money. Describe how your staff actually connect and we will confirm which sessions genuinely need RDS CALs.

A perpetual licence is a one-time purchase: you pay once, the licence is yours to keep, and you can run that version for as long as it serves you. It usually suits stable setups where the server will do the same job for years. A subscription spreads the cost into smaller regular payments and keeps you on the current version, which suits fast-growing teams, short projects or companies that prefer predictable operating expenses over an upfront investment. Neither is universally better, and mixing both across products is normal. Tell us your budget style and how long the server should live, and we will recommend the option that costs least over that period.

Yes. We sell SQL Server in both Standard and Enterprise editions, and the licensing model matters as much as the edition. Core-based licensing covers the server's processor cores and allows any number of users, which fits public-facing applications or large user counts. The server plus CAL model licenses the server itself and then each user or device separately, which is often cheaper for small internal teams. Picking wrong in either direction means overpaying or failing an audit. Send us what the database serves, roughly how many people or systems connect to it and the hardware it runs on, and we will compare both models and quote the cheaper one.

There is no single price, because the licence is built from your configuration. Three things drive the total: the edition, Standard or Datacenter, the number of physical cores in your server, since Windows Server is licensed per core, and the CALs your users and devices need on top. The same software can therefore cost very different amounts on different hardware. Rather than publish a misleading number, we prepare a personal quote: send us the server model or core count, the number of users and devices and whether you need remote desktop access, and as a Microsoft partner in Latvia we will return a clear, no-obligation quote in euro, with each line explained.

Yes. As a Microsoft partner we supply current Windows Server versions, including Windows Server 2022 and 2025, in both Standard and Datacenter editions, licensed perpetually by physical cores. You get genuine licences through official channels, with the paperwork a local accountant or auditor expects, and the invoice comes in euro from a Latvian company. The licences work wherever the server lives: on your own hardware in the office, on a machine hosted in our Tier 3+ data center in Riga, or elsewhere. If you are unsure which version or edition your workload needs, we will advise before you order rather than after.

Yes. The catalogue on this page is the core, not the limit. Besides Windows Server, RDS CALs and SQL Server we supply Windows Server User and Device CALs and Office LTSC, the perpetually licensed Office edition often chosen for terminal servers and machines that should not depend on a subscription. Other Microsoft licences are available on request: name the product and we will check availability and price for you. Everything is invoiced in euro from Latvia, and mixed orders come on one invoice, which keeps accounting simple. If you are not sure which Microsoft product actually solves your task, describe the task first and we will suggest the licence second.