Microsoft announced the new four simplified versions of Windows Server 2012. The editions include a Datacenter, Standard, Essentials and Foundation which are for different scenarios. Microsoft with kill the Windows Server Enterprise edition which was available other versions of Windows Server such was Windows Server 2008 R2.
Also interesting is that there is no difference between functionality in the Datacenter and the Standard edition. In former versions of Windows Server Standard edition the Failover Cluster feature and some other parts were missing.
Editions Overview
| Edition | Ideal for… | High Level Feature Comparison | Licensing Model | Pricing Open NL (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Datacenter | Highly virtualized private & hybrid cloud environments | Full Windows Server functionality with unlimited virtual instances | Processor + CAL* | $4,809** |
| Standard | Low density or non- virtualized environments | Full Windows Server functionality with two virtual instances | Processor + CAL* | $882** |
| Essentials | Small business environments | Simpler interface, pre-configured connectivity to cloud based services; no virtualization rights | Server (25 User Account Limit) | $425** |
| Foundation | Economical general purpose server | General purpose server functionality with no virtualization rights | Server (15 User Account Limit) | OEM Only |
Here you can get more information about the new Windows Server 2012 editions. And if you a re interested in more information about licensing of Windows Server you should checkout Aidan Finn’s blog post about: Windows Server 2012 Virtualization Licensing Scenarios.
And don’t for get there will be still a free edition of Hyper-V Server.
Tags: Datacenter, Editions, Essentials, Foundation, Hyper-V, Microsoft, Standard, Windows Server, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 Editions Last modified: January 7, 2019
