What is the difference between a used SharePoint Server licence and the purchase of a new licence?
Microsoft has developed a licence model for its various servers that consists of two components: the actual server licence (e.g. SharePoint Server 2019) and client access licences (CAL). Both are not only sold directly by Microsoft, but can also be sold as used software by companies that do not (or no longer) need their licences.
The prerequisite for this is that the corresponding software is no longer used in the company and the original terms of purchase permit a resale. The ECJ established this back in 2012 in a ruling that was confirmed by the Federal Court of Justice in 2013.
At Soft & Cloud, you will only receive used licences that have been sold to us completely legally and which we resell at particularly favourable conditions. We are the first used software reseller to be certified by the certification body of TÜV Informationstechnik GmbH - once again. Our processes meet all requirements, which is why we can guarantee the origin, legality and audit security of all used licences offered by us.
For our customers, this means that they receive a SharePoint Server licence, for example, at a cost that is significantly lower than Microsoft's list prices. These are original licences with which you can use the software for an unlimited period of time and with all functions. Used licences also entitle you to free updates and service packs as well as support services from Microsoft within the scope of the licence agreements.
In addition to the lower costs for acquisition and operation, used licences offer another advantage: with used licences you can also use and operate older software versions that are no longer offered by Microsoft.
Buy used licences for SharePoint Server
At Soft & Cloud, companies can buy used licences for Microsoft products legally and particularly cost-effectively, thereby significantly reducing their IT costs. We offer you both the respective Microsoft SharePoint Server licence, with which the server instance is licensed, as well as the access licences (CALs). These so-called Client Access Licences are required for every user (User CAL) or every device (Device CAL) that accesses the SharePoint server and uses its services.
In addition to the current version of SharePoint (SharePoint Server 2019), you can also buy licences for older software versions from us at a reasonable price. If you need a used licence for SharePoint Server 2016, for example, simply contact our Soft & Cloud licence consultants. Because even if we don't currently have a SharePoint Server 2016 licence listed in our webshop, we can usually procure the required used licence for you within a short time on request.
Incidentally, when purchasing used volume licences, you can also acquire downgrade rights that allow you to licence older versions of the software - for example, from SharePoint Server 2019 to SharePoint Server 2016 or 2013. Our Soft & Cloud licence consultants will be happy to inform you personally if you are interested.
Microsoft offers two different models for using and licensing SharePoint: SharePoint Server as an on-premise installation and as a SaaS application in the Microsoft cloud.
SharePoint Server - On-Premise
On-premise means "in your own environment" and means that the software is installed and operated in the company on its own server hardware. Companies must provide and operate the necessary hardware and licence the software. On-premise installations offer several advantages compared to using the application in the Microsoft cloud: The local installation makes it possible to comply with internal company security guidelines and retain full control over your own data. This is particularly relevant for companies that have to (or want to) fulfil stricter data protection requirements or require special protection for their sensitive data.
In addition, on-premise installations do not incur any ongoing costs, so companies retain cost control and can plan and budget investments precisely. This is because the use of cloud-based software incurs monthly costs, and Microsoft also adjusts the prices of its subscription models at regular intervals. On the other hand, server and access licences only need to be purchased once for installations on your own hardware in order to be able to operate and use the software permanently without further costs.
On the other hand, using software such as Microsoft SharePoint Server on your own hardware not only requires investment in IT hardware and infrastructure: with local installations, companies are responsible for installing updates and patches themselves and must also organise backups of their data themselves.