Is Microsoft Double-Dipping on SQL Server Licensing?(launch of Microsoft SQL Server 2005)

Publication: eWeek

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COPYRIGHT 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc.

When you take a look at Microsoft's newly unveiled pricing and packaging details for SQL Server 2005, it seems at first blush that Microsoft is seriously courting low-end users, what with the introduction of a stripped-down, lower-cost but still enterprise-level version of SQL Server--its new Workgroup edition.

But when you peel off the cover and get a look at the details, there are some nasty surprises squirming around. First and foremost is the fact that, for the first time, Microsoft is introducing CAL (Client Access Licenses) differentiation, wherein the server you choose matters.

In the past, you could buy an SQL Server CAL and use it to access either Standard or Enterprise edition. Now, Microsoft is going for an alternative CAL structure: You not only need to buy...

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