SharePoint Licensing Details Determining Your Licensing Needs

SharePoint 2010 provides a full set of capabilities to meet almost any business need. Because you can do so much with SharePoint, it can be a challenge to determine what licenses are required for your company’s specific needs. To start gathering the necessary information, answer the following five questions:

1. What features of SharePoint does my company need?
2. Is my company providing SharePoint to internal users (employees) or external users (suppliers, customers, vendors, and the public)?
3. How many servers will run SharePoint?
4. How many people or devices will access SharePoint?
5. Is my company licensed for the Microsoft products that are needed to run SharePoint?

1. What features of SharePoint does my company need? 

SharePoint 2010 has three levels of functionality, each with a set of corresponding licenses

• Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010
• Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 plus Standard CAL
• Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 plus Enterprise CAL (& Standard CAL)

Product	Description	Licensing Notes
SharePoint Foundation 2010	Provides a platform for collaboration and a foundation for building Web-based applications. For small companies or departments that want a low-cost, entry-level, or pilot solution for secure, Web-based collaboration. All features in SharePoint Foundation are also available in Microsoft SharePoint Server.	Download at no cost. Companies using SharePoint Foundation must be properly licensed for Microsoft Windows Server.
SharePoint Server 2010 plus Standard CAL	Delivers the core capabilities of SharePoint 2010 Sites Communities Content Search (excludes FAST Search) Composites (excludes Access Services and InfoPath Services)	Purchase SharePoint Server 2010. License the Standard feature set through Standard Client Access Licenses (CALs).
SharePoint Server 2010 plus Enterprise CAL (& Standard CAL)	Delivers the full capabilities of SharePoint 2010 Sites Communities Content Search (includes FAST Search) Composites (includes Access Services and InfoPath Services) Insights (includes PerformancePoint Services, Excel Services, and Visio Services)	Purchase SharePoint Server 2010. License the Enterprise feature set through Enterprise CALs. For FAST Search, purchase FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint for each running instance of the software.

Note: For a complete list of features in each SharePoint edition, see the Editions Comparison.

2. Is my company providing SharePoint to internal users (employees) or external users (suppliers, customers, vendors, and the public)?

SharePoint has two licensing models to accommodate two groups of users

• Server plus CAL, for internal users
• Server-only, for external users

Licensing Model	Use Cases	Licenses
Server plus CAL	For internal users (employees). Can also be used for external users if they are countable and CALs can be assigned to specific people.	Both Server licenses and CALs are required SharePoint Server 2010: For each running instance of the server software. SharePoint Server 2010 Standard CAL: For each person or device accessing a SharePoint Server. If Enterprise features are required SharePoint Server 2010 Enterprise CAL: For each person or device using the Enterprise features of a SharePoint Server. Additional notes on the Server/CAL model: CALs can be purchased on a per-user or per-device basis. Enterprise CALs are additive To access the Enterprise features, a person/device must have both the Standard CAL and Enterprise CAL. CALs must be for the same or later version of the server license(s). While there are two levels of functionality (Standard and Enterprise), there is only one server SKU. During installation, you must decide whether to activate the Enterprise features of each server.
Server only	For external users (suppliers, customers, vendors, and the public). Can be used for both anonymous and authenticated users.	Only server licenses are required, but they must be purchased for each running instance of the server software. There are two options SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet Sites, Standard SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet Sites, Enterprise Additional notes on the Server only model No CALs are required for users licensed through SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet Sites. The Server only licensing model is for external users only. Internal users can use this license only if all content, information, and applications are also accessible to external users. If the server has items that are for internal use only, those users require CALs, and their servers require licenses for SharePoint Server 2010. People who create content for external access can use SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet Sites. Server and CAL licensing is not required for people who use SharePoint only to author information. SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet Sites must be licensed on all servers (staging, application, index, front-end) that provide content to external users. If connecting internal- and external-facing SharePoint deployments, you can purchase licenses for SharePoint Server 2010 and SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet Sites, Enterprise, and assign them to the same running instances of the software. You must purchase CALs for SharePoint Server 2010 for people/devices accessing content in any way not permitted under the use rights for SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet Sites. SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet Sites, Enterprise, also includes the rights to FAST Search Server for use in Internet or Extranet scenarios. You can deploy a single server license of SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet Sites, Enterprise, as SharePoint server or a FAST Search server—but not both concurrently.

3. How many servers will run SharePoint? 

A server license is required for each running instance of the server software (SharePoint Server 2010 or SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet Sites).
When using SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet Sites to license external-facing scenarios, you need a license on all servers that will be used for external content, regardless of farm configuration or if users are directly accessing the server (staging, application, front-end, or index). Servers in a development/test environment are an exception, as they are typically covered by MSDN licensing.
To accommodate topologies where one server farm supports internal and external users, both types of server licenses can be assigned to the same servers and use the same running instances of the software.

4. How many people or devices will access SharePoint? 

Microsoft offers two options when purchasing CALs, a device-based CAL (Device CAL) or a user-based CAL (User CAL). With a Device CAL, a CAL is required for every device that accesses a SharePoint 2010 Server, regardless of the number of people who use that device. With a User CAL, a CAL is required for every person who accesses a SharePoint 2010 Server, regardless of the number of devices used.
You can choose the option that makes the most sense for your company’s needs. For example, User CALs are well suited for employees who need roaming access using multiple devices, while Device CALs are a better fit for multiple-shift workers who share devices.

5. Is my company licensed for the Microsoft products that are needed to run SharePoint? 

SharePoint Server 2010 requires Microsoft Windows Server and Microsoft SQL Server and does not include licenses for those products. Be sure you have the correct licenses for Windows Server and SQL Server

• Windows Server usually is licensed through the Server/CAL model. For complete information on licensing for Windows Server, see the Windows Server 2008 licensing page.
• SQL Server has two primary licensing models Server/CAL and per processor. For complete information on licensing for SQL Server, see the SQL Server 2008 licensing page.
  
  
  
  Take the reference of http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/en-us/buy/Pages/Licensing-Details.aspx