Buy Windows Server CAL
Client access licenses for Windows Server as a User or Device CAL, matched to your server version and available in tiers from five units. We work through your need with you before you order.
Licenses in this category
Our stock changes constantly. If your version is not listed, ask us about it.
Why the server license alone is not enough
The server license allows the server to be operated. It does not allow anyone to use it. Every user and every device that accesses services of the server additionally needs a client access license of its own. This applies to file shares, print services, directory services and every logon to the domain.
Missing CALs are by far the most common finding in license audits, and rarely out of ill intent. Usually the server is properly licensed and the number of accesses has grown over the years without anyone catching up.
The mistake that becomes most expensive
If a business application fetches data from the server and passes it on to thirty clerks, all thirty need a CAL, not the application. Microsoft calls this multiplexing. Intermediate software does not reduce the license requirement, it only makes it invisible. This is exactly where the large additional claims arise in an audit.
What to check before you buy
User CAL
Licenses one person for any number of devices. The right choice if your people access the same services with a desktop, a notebook and a phone.
Device CAL
Licenses one device for any number of people. The right choice in shift work, where two or three people share one workstation.
The mix is usually the cheapest
Both types may be combined within the same company. In practice, almost every business does best with User CALs for the office and Device CALs for shared workstations.
Version matched to the server version
The CAL must be at least as current as the server. A newer CAL also covers older servers, whereas the reverse does not apply.
Frequently asked questions
How many CALs do I need?
As many as there are people or devices accessing, depending on the chosen type. Also count devices without a fixed user, such as production computers or checkout terminals. Describe your environment to us and we will work it out.
Does indirect access through an application count?
Yes. Even if users only access server services through an intermediate business application, a CAL is required for each of them. This multiplexing rule is the one most often overlooked.
Does the CAL version have to match the server version?
The CAL must be at least as current as the server. A 2022 CAL also allows access to a 2019 server, whereas the reverse does not apply.
Do I need CALs for external users or customers?
Different models exist for external access, and they differ considerably depending on the case. Describe the specific case to us and we will tell you which variant is economical for you.
Do test and development systems also need CALs?
Yes, as soon as they are accessed productively. Pure lab environments may be assessed differently. Tell us your setup and we will clarify this as well.
Can I buy CALs later?
Yes, and that is the usual way as a company grows. Since these are used stocks, however, it is worth taking the foreseeable need right away, as long as the matching version is available.
Other license categories
Need more than one product family? We put the combination together and check which client access licenses (CALs) belong with it.
Request pricing
Tell us the product and quantity. You will receive a firm quote including the scope of documentation.