14 DAY TRIAL // With Windows Vista and virtualization technology, the focus fell on the limitations Microsoft introduced to the home editions of its latest operating system. There is also an upside to integrating Vista with hardware emulating technology, but it is reserved for Microsoft's Software Assurance customers. With Windows Vista Enterprise, available exclusively through volume licensing, with the exception of the free trial downloads offered by Microsoft, the company is allowing customers to run up to four installs of the operating system on a single virtual machine. James Senior, Microsoft UK as technical specialist offers more details on the subject.
"Customers who deploy Windows Vista Enterprise receive a new benefit: the ability to install up to four copies of the operating system in a virtual machine for a single user on a single device. This new benefit, coupled with the free availability of Virtual PC provides Enterprise customers with the most economical means to address application compatibility and other scenarios using virtualization. (...) Customers who deploy Vista Enterprise receive 4 installs in a virtual machine in addition to the installation on the device as part of only one license," Senior revealed.
According to Senior, Microsoft implemented the flexible licensing rights for Vista enterprise virtualization in an effort to provide customers with a solution designed to cover the entire span of testing scenarios. Not only are Enterprise users able to benefit from installing four additional Windows copies on top of the original Vista license, but they can also exercise their downgrade rights for the platforms deployed into the virtual machines.
"With this change customers get the valuable right to install four additional copies of the operating system in virtual machines for one user on one device. For all other Windows Vista customers a license for the operating system is required for every virtual machine installation. This technology only applies to a single user on a single physical device per Windows Vista license. Window Server is suited for that scenario," Senior added.