Forum Discussion
Microsoft rep insisting there is no Volume Licensing for Win IoT
Has anyone else ever had their Microsoft rep insist that the Windows IoT product can only be purchased with a new PC? We are trying to get the product SKU added to our Volume Licensing and this was Microsoft's response:
"Windows IOT Enterprise LTSC cannot be added to volume licensing. Never has. Never will. It is an IOT OEM product only.
I repeat it: the only option to obtain Windows IOT Enterprise LTSC is to purchase devices that have it pre-installed."
Sharing links such as https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot/iot-enterprise/commercialization/licensing#volume-licensing and https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot/iot-enterprise/deployment/volume-license?pivots=windows11 is not changing their mind:
"Public documentation can help interpret intent, but it cannot expand or override contractual usage rights under the MCA / Volume Licensing terms and the Windows IoT Enterprise EULA."
So we're stuck having to revalidate our manufacturing fixtures every year or so, which is an incredibly expensive process. Has anyone else had Microsoft push back not against the use-case (ours should absolutely qualify) but the very notion that Volume Licensing is allowed at all?
Hi all - I'm from the Windows IoT team. Here is our official reply:
We’re aware of some confusion around how Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC is licensed, so we wanted to clarify:Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC (2021 and 2024) is available through Volume Licensing today, including MPSA, and Select Plus programs. It is also available via MCA (partner-led). It is not limited to OEM-preinstalled scenarios only
At this time, it’s not broadly offered through Enterprise Agreements (EA).
For additional details, you can refer to:
- Windows IoT Enterprise licensing overview on Microsoft Learn
- Microsoft Product Terms for licensing specifics
If you’re encountering conflicting guidance, we recommend engaging your Microsoft account team to align on the appropriate purchasing channel based on your agreement structure and deployment needs.
5 Replies
- GustavoRubio
Microsoft
Hi all - I'm from the Windows IoT team. Here is our official reply:
We’re aware of some confusion around how Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC is licensed, so we wanted to clarify:Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC (2021 and 2024) is available through Volume Licensing today, including MPSA, and Select Plus programs. It is also available via MCA (partner-led). It is not limited to OEM-preinstalled scenarios only
At this time, it’s not broadly offered through Enterprise Agreements (EA).
For additional details, you can refer to:
- Windows IoT Enterprise licensing overview on Microsoft Learn
- Microsoft Product Terms for licensing specifics
If you’re encountering conflicting guidance, we recommend engaging your Microsoft account team to align on the appropriate purchasing channel based on your agreement structure and deployment needs.
It was our Microsoft account team who told us "Windows IOT Enterprise LTSC cannot be added to volume licensing. Never has. Never will. It is an IOT OEM product only." and that learn.microsoft.com is incorrect, so I'm not sure how to apply this recommendation in practice. They are considering the matter closed but thank you for your answer.
Here is the list of IoT distributors: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot/iot-enterprise/windows-iot-distributors
If you are in the USA, I recommend to reach out to Arrow: https://www.arrow.com/ais/msembedded/
If you are still having issues, please reach out to me via my company website: Annabooks.com
Windows 10/11 IoT Enterprise is for OEMs building devices such as ATM machines, industrial controls, medical devices. For OEMs, there is a separate license agreement that gets signed, a process to get product keys, etc. Are you an OEM building a device? If not, then they are correct in their response.
If you are an OEM building a device with Windows IoT installed, who is your Microsoft rep?
It is used for that, absolutely. Not all of those use-cases are OEM: We are a manufacturing company and we build industrial fixtures for production and test assembly of our products. (These fixtures are not the product, we make medical devices) These fixtures only ever run our custom .NET application for automating industrial hardware at that station, which must be validated (ISO 13485) They never run productivity software. So we absolutely fit into the "fixed-function specialized device" requirement.
This is what Microsoft's published guidance says about Volume Licensing for IoT, that it's available as an upgrade. But our rep is telling us that their website is incorrect.learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot/iot-enterprise/deployment/volume-license?pivots=windows11
Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC is now available as an upgrade license for fixed-function, specialized devices through Volume Licensing programs including:
Microsoft Product and Services Agreement (MPSA)
Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA)
Select Plus
For more information, see Windows Desktop Operating System Program Terms
Important
Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC is intended for use for fixed-function specialized devices only and cannot be used as a replacement of Windows desktop for general purpose computing.
learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot/iot-enterprise/commercialization/licensing#volume-licensing
Volume licenses for Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC are available through the following Volume License programs:
Microsoft Customer Agreement
Microsoft Product and Services Agreement (MPSA)
Select/Select Plus program
For information regarding volume license activation options for Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC, see Volume activation for Windows.
Additional information specific to the deployment of Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC using volume licensing, see Windows IoT Enterprise in Volume License
