SCCM Licenses Details Intune Details Subscription Vs CALs | ConfigMgr

Let’s see SCCM Licenses Details Intune Details Subscription Vs. CALs | ConfigMgr. Disclaimer! I’m not Microsoft licensing expert! I’m trying to share what I have learned in an understandable & straightforward (really? I will let you find out) way.

This post will learn more details about New SCCM Intune Licensing details (SCCM Licenses Details). I also try to touch on Enterprise and Core CAL suites in SCCM.

Introduction

The server/CAL (Client Access License) licensing model allows you to purchase a license for the server and then purchase per user / per device CALs or Client management licenses (CMLs).

But, as you can see below in the below section, for SCCM, the best licensing option was (was? – you have better ways now – more details below) to go with Server/CAL model with per device Client Management Licenses (Device Client MLS) model.

Patch My PC

The new & better way is to look at the Microsoft subscriptions (more details in the below section) before purchasing the CORE CAL & Enterprise CAL licenses for SCCM.

This tip is because subscription-based licensing is the best option to manage your SCCM and Intune licenses in the modern world.

OLD Way – SCCM Licensing

OLD - SCCM Intune Licensing details
OLD – SCCM Intune Licensing details – SCCM Licenses Details Intune Details Subscription Vs. CALs 1

If you are already using SCCM, you must be using Microsoft Server/CAL (Client Access License) and Client Management Licenses (CMLs) licensing model. As per the Microsoft documentation., SCCM licenses are part of the Core CAL Suite.

For example, When you have 10,000 devices to manage with SCCM, then you need to purchase:

Adaptiva
  1. SCCM server license – CALs (Don’t ask me server OS, SQL DB & other licensing requirements – some more hints)
  2. 10,000 SCCM Client Management Licenses (Client MLS – CMLs)

NOTE 1 – I would recommend reading the TechNet forum thread about SCCM client license options. When you plan to manage servers (server 2012, 2016, 2019) and client OSes in your environment through SCCM, it’s better to go with Device Client MLS.

NOTE 2 – More information about SQL licensing details is available.

NEW Way – Better WaySubscription Model

A new way of licensing is the subscription model. The subscription model licensing of SCCM & Intune is much more comfortable to understand.

The Core mentioned above/Enterprise CAL licensing model is so complex for me (even though I tried to make it easy).

SCCM and Intune licenses are covered under the following subscription options from Microsoft.

  • Microsoft 365 E3 suite
  • Enterprise Mobility + Security E3 (EMS E3)
  • Microsoft 365 E5 suite
  • Enterprise Mobility + Security E5 (EMS E5)
NEW- SCCM Intune Licensing details - SCCM Licenses Details Intune Details Subscription Vs CALs
NEW- SCCM Intune Licensing details – All credits to Aaron – SCCM Licenses Details Intune Details Subscription Vs. CALs 2

NOTE 1 – SCCM license is NOT included in Microsoft 365 Business, Microsoft 365 F1, & Microsoft 365 Education A1 versions?

NOTE 2 – It seems server CAL licenses are also included in most of the above subscriptions related to SCCM. SQL licenses are not mentioned when you have the SQL enterprise version installed with SCCM.

SCCM Intune Licensing Details

You can get all the SCCM Intune licensing details in PPT, PDF, PNG, etc… format from GitHub. Aaron Dinnage does excellent work!. You can check out his blog post here to get more details on Microsoft 365 licensing.

SCCM SQL Server Standard Version License Requirements

Microsoft’s licensing terms for this product allow your use of SQL Server technology only to support SCCM components. SQL Server client access licenses are not required for that use.

Approved use rights for the SQL Server capabilities with SCCM CB include:

  • Site database role
  • Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) for software update point role
  • SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) for reporting point role
  • Data warehouse service point role
  • Database replicas for management point roles

NOTE! – The only databases for SCCM from the above list can run on that SQL Server standard version when you use this license. If a database for any additional Microsoft or third-party product shares the SQL Server, you must have a separate license for that SQL Server instance.

ResourcesSCCM Licenses Details

Updated Docs FAQs for Configuration Manager (a.k.a SCCM) branches and licensing.

Author

Anoop C Nair is Microsoft MVP! He is a Device Management Admin with more than 20 years of experience (calculation done in 2021) in IT. He is Blogger, Speaker, and Local User Group HTMD Community leader. His main focus is on Device Management technologies like SCCM 2012, Current Branch, and Intune. He writes about ConfigMgr, Windows 11, Windows 10, Azure AD, Microsoft Intune, Windows 365, AVD, etc.

5 thoughts on “SCCM Licenses Details Intune Details Subscription Vs CALs | ConfigMgr”

  1. Hi Anoop
    Thanks for the great posts and guides. Just wondering if I have Microsoft E3 or E5 licenses. How I can license configMgr? There is no option in SCCM to add the subscription. The 25 Key is still required. I tried to look into Micorosft docs, it’s not clearly covered.

    Reply
  2. Hello Anoop,
    Do we have some information inside Configuration Manager Console, database about our licensing? Expiration Date? Volume? Number of machines?

    Thanks,
    Dom

    Reply
  3. Hello
    First thanks for this explication
    I have two questions :
    If we have Microsoft 365 E5 or E3 plans that covers configuration manager licence components and management of clients like windows server from 2008 to 2019
    The second question is if we want to manage windows desktops and windows server but with sperate infrastructures we must need two tenants or in the same tenant
    Last question the software assurance still a prerequiement
    Best regards

    Reply

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