Learn about our Company
At Cloud License, we help businesses achieve their cloud strategy, both in Azure and beyond. We are committed to delivering results through the following principles:
Aim for ROI: Drive substantial savings, making our licensing optimization services a no-brainer.
Innovate with Technology: Leverage and develop advanced tools to stay ahead of licensing challenges.
Actionable Insights: Provide data-driven insights that lead to real-time, impactful decisions on cloud infrastructure.
Empower Cloud Teams: Enable cloud engineers to focus on innovation and building, free from licensing concerns.
Stay Agile: Continuously adapt to the ever-evolving cloud licensing landscape.
Services
Start with a consultation call, perfect for tackling both small and large licensing questions on Azure or other cloud services. The first call is free, and if you need ongoing support, we can set you up with our advisory helpdesk for customized guidance when you need it.
Consultation
Call
Are you making the most of the Hybrid Use Benefit? Staying compliant? Costs getting out of hand? Our Azure License Optimization assessment delivers clear answers. We’ll analyze your data and provide a tailored report to help you avoid compliance issues and get the most from your investment.
Azure License
Optimization
Stay on top of your Azure strategy with monthly or quarterly reports. These reports let your cloud engineers focus on their work without worrying about licensing. Any policy deviations are flagged early, preventing compliance risks and ensuring you're not overspending.
Azure License
Monitoring
Starting your Azure or cloud migration can feel overwhelming. Our planning services ensure your licensing is optimized from the outset, helping you reduce costs and migrate with confidence.
Cloud Migration
Planning
A successful cloud strategy relies on proper execution. We’ll help you identify the right systems and create policies that ensure everything runs smoothly from day one, giving you peace of mind.
Cloud Strategy
& Policy
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What is FinOps, and how does it relate to your license optimization services?FinOps, or Financial Operations, focuses on managing and optimizing cloud costs a practice we are hence well experienced with at CloudLicense. While FinOps teams usually concentrate on controlling cloud consumption, such as compute and storage, licensing is often overlooked. This is where our services come in, we specialize in plugging this gap by ensuring that your licensing is optimized alongside your compute resources. By integrating license optimization into your FinOps practices, we help you avoid overpaying for unused licenses and mitigate compliance risks, offering a more holistic approach to cloud cost management.
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Doesn't the Microsoft Azure or other cloud portal already optimize the licensing position?No. While Microsoft Azure and other cloud portals provide basic insights into usage and cost, they don’t always offer comprehensive license optimization. These platforms will not fully account for complex licensing options and will be focus on maximizing revenue (why make it easy for their customers to find overspending?). Additionally, they often lack the detailed analysis needed to identify underutilized resources, potential compliance risks, or cost-saving opportunities across multiple licenses. Our services go beyond the standard portal tools by providing in-depth analysis and customized recommendations tailored to your specific needs.
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How do you identify and recommend the best licensing options for our needs?We start by collecting and thoroughly analyzing your cloud usage data, usage patterns, and business goals. This includes reviewing your consumption data, existing licenses, and any potential compliance risks, all combined with Microsoft pricing data. Using our proprietary software, we compare various licensing options—such as Hybrid Use Benefit, MSDN licensing, or Disaster Recovery Licensing—to determine which models offer the best value. We then provide tailored recommendations designed to optimize costs while ensuring compliance and scalability.
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How can Azure Cloud licensing optimization benefit my organization?Azure Cloud licensing optimization helps your organization by ensuring you're using the most cost-effective licensing model while remaining compliant. By analyzing your current usage, we identify areas where you can reduce costs, such as unused resources or developer licensing and recommend adjustments like the Hybrid Use Benefit. This not only saves money but also minimizes compliance risks, enabling your team to focus on innovation rather than licensing issues.
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Can you assist with other licensing or cloud licensing questions?Absolutely! While our primary focus is currently on Azure, we have extensive expertise in software licensing across multiple platforms and are planning further services covering other platforms or software vendors. Additionally, we partner with a network of Software Asset Management (SAM) specialists who can offer expert guidance and support for any specific licensing needs you may have.
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Can I use my MSDN licenses on Azure?Yes, but only if you activate your Visual Studio subscription and set up a dedicated Dev/Test environment on Azure or use the included monthly Azure credits. It’s important to adhere to MSDN rules, which restrict the use of these licenses in production environments. Keep in mind that it is not allowed to use MSDN provided licenses as a foundation for Microsoft's Hybrid Use Benefit in other Azure environments.
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What are the main types of software licenses available on Azure?Microsoft licenses on Azure typically fall into two categories: 1. Pay-as-you-go: These licenses are bundled with the Azure service cost, meaning there’s no need to manage the license separately. 2. Bring Your Own License (BYOL): This option allows you to use existing licenses you already own, often through programs like the Software Assurance Hybrid Use Benefit, to lower costs. Both options come with specific restrictions, but there are also opportunities for cheaper—and sometimes even free—licensing, depending on your usage and eligibility.
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Are there restrictions to bring your own licenses to Azure?Yes, many publishers set restrictions on bringing licenses to cloud or third-party hosted environments. Microsoft typically only allows you to bring licenses with License Mobility (a Software Assurance perk), though exceptions do apply. Other software publishers have their own rules and restrictions, so it’s essential to review their specific licensing terms to ensure compliance and avoid penalties.
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How does Azure handle licensing for third-party software?For third-party software available in the Azure Marketplace, licensing can either be included in the service cost or provided via BYOL, depending on the publisher’s terms. Besides the Marketplace, it is also possible to install 3rd party software directly on an Azure Virtual Machine. In which case it is typical that a BYOL license should be applied.
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What is Azure Hybrid Benefit?The Azure Hybrid Benefit allows you to use your on-premises Windows Server and SQL Server licenses with Software Assurance to save up to 85% on the cost of running workloads in Azure. This benefit applies to both Virtual Machines and SQL Database services. The exact savings for each application of Hybrid Benefit and whether it's worth it can be a difficult calculation however and will depend on paramenters such as: the size of your Azure VM/Database, Azure discounts, Enterprise Agreement (or other) pricing and more. We accordingly recommend a detailed review to compare the options and determine your optimal multi-year strategy to minimize Azure spend.
Get in Touch
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Marlborough Road
SE18 6RU London
United Kingdom