Brainlitter » Just get the (SharePoint) Enterprise CAL already

Just get the (SharePoint) Enterprise CAL already

I’m often left more than a little surprised when I meet with a company implementing SharePoint 2010 Standard and the folks there will be under the impression that they don’t need or want the Enterprise CAL (Client Access License).  Not only that, but they seem hung up on an apparent ‘huge cost’ to it.

I seem to be saying this a lot lately, so I thought I’d take a moment to blog about it.

Just get/buy the SharePoint 2010 Enterprise CAL already.

Look, by the time you invest in the following…

  • Hardware, virtualized or not, there is some hardware investment underneath it
  • Storage Costs
  • Windows Server Licenses
  • Windows Server CAL’s
  • SQL Server Licenses (by CPU or Server with CAL)
  • SharePoint Server Licenses
  • SharePoint Standard Server CAL’s
  • SSL Certificates
  • Antivirus Software
  • Backup Software
  • End user and IT Training
  • Branding
  • Consulting
  • Installation, Implementation, Customization Time
  • 3rd Party components that enhance search, workflows, web parts, etc.
  • Project Management

After going through and paying for most or all of the above, the SharePoint 2010 Enterprise CAL should be a fraction of the overall budget. I’d even bet its less than 5% if you worked out all the TCO. So why wouldn’t you go all the way?

The Enterprise CAL gives you (IMHO) one of the jewels of the SharePoint crown, InfoPath Web Services – Web based forms and lists that can be modified used InfoPath. Never mind the power of Excel Services, BI/Performance Point, Access Services, Visio Services, Filtering Web Parts, etc.

So much rich stuff and all the stuff your executives have seen in demo’s and started salivating over SharePoint about in the first place!

I get the value/price point of SharePoint Foundation. Heck, that’s what helped build our company, providing innovative and clever ways to not spend any money on SharePoint Licensing Winking smile, but Standard confounds me.  To me, there is only Foundation or Enterprise when talking to a customer about their needs and requirements, yet we end up with Standard at our disposal more times than not.

Either way, Microsoft is happy.  Foundation is the product that gets you hooked and spurns/sprawls many little SharePoint engagements and inspirations.  SharePoint Server/Enterprise is the product that provides the tools that allows you to tie all the little Foundation implementations together with navigation and insights into your data with publishing, search and BI.

5 responses to “Just get the (SharePoint) Enterprise CAL already”

  2. I beg to differ on this topic here. You really need to do the math before leaping into the Enterprise CAL versus Standard CAL because using Sharpoint 2010 Enterprise features you will need both on each desktop. So lets say you are paying the average price of $89 per user and now you need to also use the ENT CAL. Both together are ranging at about $175 dollars. So that is and additional $86 per user. If you are a mid size company of lets say 1000 users that is $86,000. Not small chump change. And probably would be looked at a few times by your executives. You need to determine where the value actually is and is there anything else out there that can do it cheaper, better, faster. I love using the Sharepoint BI tools but this added cost for the ability to create a Dashboard online, not too sure. I wouldn’t “JUST GET IT” if I was anyone else.

    1. Hi Steve,

      I was just sharing an opinion, as you are entitled to yours. In my case, customers have done the math and came to the same conclusion. I also wasn’t suggesting BI was most important but rather InfoPath/electronic forms which pay for themselves, per user, in no time. Thanks for your comments.

      S.

  3. You’re missing another point that you might not be aware of also, you can mix and match SharePoint 2013 Enterprise and Standard CALs and only have to go for the Enterprise CALs on the server side. If people want the enterprise features, and I’d expect it to be only the minority, then the cost is limited to those really needing the Enterprise features only..

    There was a blog I read about this many moons ago, but not actually implemented myself, but can probably dig it out again if necessary.

    Jason.

    1. Thanks Jason. Yep I’m aware of her new changes in 2013 that allow for isolating enterprise from standard users. I was speaking more to general reasons/arguments for the enterprise CAL in this post but your point is most certainly valid. To your point though, while I agree with what you are saying, in my experience, there are lots of consumers of web based electronic forms (InfoPath), less so for the BI obviously. That and the need then to carve out your content and dashboards in such a way that makes sense for those consumers.

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