The CSP and SPLA programs cover different yet related ways of using Microsoft technologies. CSP is primarily intended for providing and managing Microsoft cloud subscriptions for individual clients. SPLA enables a service provider to use eligible Microsoft software in delivering hosted applications, infrastructure, and other software services to end users.
This combination allows us to include Microsoft solutions in a broader service for managing the IT environment. The client thus gains not only the appropriate licenses or subscriptions, but also assistance with selection, implementation, configuration, management, and support.
What we offer as a partner
We help clients plan, implement, and manage Microsoft cloud services and licenses for hosted environments.
Licensing advisory: we review user, application, and infrastructure requirements and propose a suitable subscription or licensing model. We consider the number of users, required functionalities, how services are used, and the anticipated growth of the environment.
Subscription setup: we arrange orders for Microsoft cloud services and help assign licenses to users. The scope of subscriptions can be adjusted to organizational changes and the actual needs of individual teams.
Implementation and migration: we assist with environment setup, configuration of users, domains, identities, and security policies, and with the transition from existing systems to the Microsoft cloud environment.
Environment management: we monitor service health, perform agreed administrative tasks, assist with subscription changes, and provide support to users and administrators.
Licensing hosted services: within the SPLA program we ensure proper licensing of eligible Microsoft server products that we use to deliver services to clients in our infrastructure.
When selecting a solution, we consider who uses the software, where it runs, who manages the infrastructure, and how the service is made available to end users. This reduces the risk of incorrect licensing and helps the client choose a model that matches the technical design of the service.
Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider
The Microsoft CSP program enables partners to provide clients with Microsoft cloud services and related support services. The partnership includes managing subscriptions, licenses, and the client relationship through the Microsoft Partner Center.
Through CSP we can provide clients with services such as Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure, Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power Platform, and other eligible Microsoft offerings. The exact availability of specific products, bundles, and subscription terms depends on Microsoft’s current catalog for the respective market.
Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 combines services for productivity, communication, collaboration, device management, identity protection, and data security. The feature set depends on the selected plan and may include services such as Exchange Online, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, and Microsoft 365 desktop and web apps.
We help clients select plans that fit their users and security requirements. During implementation we can handle user account setup, domain connectivity, license assignment, baseline security settings, and migration of email and data from the existing environment.
In license management, user seats can be added to existing subscriptions and new services ordered. Changes, cancellations, and seat reductions are tied to the terms of each subscription, its term of validity, and Microsoft’s New Commerce model rules.
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure provides compute, networking, data, and other cloud services. Clients can use it to host virtual servers, applications, databases, backups, development environments, and other IT solutions.
When designing an Azure environment, we consider required performance, availability, security, connectivity, and expected consumption. The solution can include virtual networks, virtual machines, storage systems, identity management, monitoring, and other services needed for the specific workload.
Since a significant part of Azure services is billed based on consumption, regular usage monitoring is important. Proper resource sizing, shutting down unnecessary systems, setting budgets, and tracking costs help prevent unexpected growth in monthly spend.
Dynamics 365 and Power Platform
Dynamics 365 brings together business applications for areas such as sales, customer service, finance, operations, and other organizational functions. Microsoft Power Platform includes tools for building business applications, automating processes, analytics, and creating business solutions with little or no traditional coding.
Available licenses depend on the application, user type, and usage model. Before implementation, it is therefore necessary to determine which business capabilities users actually need and which data, processes, and integrations will be included in the solution.
Managing subscriptions and users
Microsoft Partner Center allows partners to manage client relationships and their subscriptions. A partner can order a new subscription for a client, add licenses to an existing subscription, and view offers and data needed to provide support.
Subscriptions can have different terms and billing methods. For a given offer, monthly, annual, or longer terms may be available, with payment options varying by product and Microsoft’s conditions. The chosen term can affect price, flexibility, and options to reduce or cancel the subscription.
Before ordering, we therefore verify the client’s actual needs, the expected number of users, and the required degree of flexibility. Longer terms can be suitable for steady users, whereas for temporary projects or rapidly changing teams it makes sense to consider more flexible options, where available for the selected product.
Security and access management
Using Microsoft cloud services requires proper identity and administrative-privilege management. Misconfigured accounts, overly broad permissions, or insufficiently protected access can increase the risk of environment misuse.
When setting up services, we therefore pay special attention to administrative accounts, multi-factor authentication, rights assignment, and separation of user and administrative roles. The final scope of settings depends on the selected licenses, the Microsoft environment, and the agreed scope of management.
Partner access to the client’s environment must be established in a controlled way and only to the extent necessary to deliver the agreed services. Microsoft uses mechanisms for managing partner administrative relationships that enable more granular role definition and time-limited access.
Microsoft Services Provider License Agreement
The Microsoft SPLA program is intended for service providers and software solution providers who want to use eligible Microsoft products to deliver software services to their clients.
A software service is a solution in which the client accesses, directly or indirectly, Microsoft software managed by the service provider. This can include hosting business applications, virtual servers, remote desktops, databases, web solutions, and other managed IT environments.
SPLA is not a traditional purchase of perpetual licenses for the client. The licensing rights are tied to the service provider, who uses the software to deliver services to end users. The client uses the software as part of a hosted or managed service and typically does not obtain a perpetual license to the product.
Licensing hosted infrastructure
SPLA applies to eligible Microsoft server and other products listed in the current Microsoft Service Provider Use Rights documents. Commonly used products can include Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server, remote access licenses, and other products required to run hosted solutions.
Each product has its own rules and licensing metrics. Licensing may depend on processor cores, number of users, devices, accesses, or other criteria. Therefore, the rules for one product cannot automatically be applied to another.
In a hosted server environment, it is necessary to consider the physical and virtual infrastructure, the number and type of processors, the placement of virtual servers, the way users access, and any use of shared infrastructure for multiple clients.
Windows Server
Windows Server is used in hosted environments as the operating system for virtual and physical servers. It can run business applications, web services, file systems, directory services, and other infrastructure components.
The licensing approach depends on the product edition, physical infrastructure, and number of cores. In virtualized environments, you must also take into account rights to run individual operating system instances and the distribution of workloads across hosts.
SPLA allows us to include the use of eligible Windows Server versions in the hosted service. The client thus uses the server environment as an integral part of the service, while the provider handles license reporting and compliance.
Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server is used to run relational databases and applications that require the Microsoft data platform. In a hosted environment, the database can be dedicated to one client or part of a broader managed application service.
Licensing depends on the chosen edition, technical architecture, and the applicable licensing metric. In some scenarios, core counts are used; in others, user or device access, if such options remain available for the product and program.
Before implementation, we assess expected workload, required availability, database size, and licensing requirements. This enables us to select the appropriate edition and architecture and avoid licensing capacity that the solution does not need.
Remote desktops and applications
SPLA can also be used for services where users remotely access desktops or applications running on the provider’s infrastructure. Such an environment is suitable for centralized execution of business applications, work from remote locations, and use of programs the organization does not want to install on every individual device.
In addition to the base server operating system, you must correctly license the required remote access rights and any additional Microsoft products. The licensing model depends on the access method, number of users, and the software included.
Monthly usage reporting
One of the key characteristics of the SPLA program is usage reporting. Under the contractual terms, the provider must track license usage and report it regularly to the authorized partner or Microsoft.
Billing is based on the reported usage and the applicable prices for each period. This allows adjustment of the number of licenses to actual service usage, but requires the provider to keep accurate records of installed and used Microsoft products.
For the client, this means that Microsoft software costs can be included in the monthly invoice for the hosted service. The level of cost may change if compute resources, the number of users, the number of accesses, or the volume of software used increase.
The difference between CSP and SPLA
CSP and SPLA are not interchangeable programs. CSP is used primarily for subscriptions to Microsoft cloud services that are linked to an individual client’s environment. SPLA is used when the provider uses Microsoft software to deliver a hosted software or infrastructure service to its end users.
With Microsoft 365, the client typically receives user licenses for services delivered by Microsoft. Under SPLA, the client uses a service delivered and managed by the provider on its own or rented infrastructure.
A given solution can include both programs. For example, an organization can use Microsoft 365 through CSP while also using, in the provider’s hosted environment, a business application based on Windows Server and Microsoft SQL Server and licensed through SPLA.
The right choice depends on the technical architecture, ownership and management of the infrastructure, the type of software, and how end users access it.
Why Humanfrog
We do not treat Microsoft licensing separately from the IT environment in which it is used. We help clients connect licensing with the actual requirements of users, applications, servers, security, and management.
For cloud services, we can handle subscriptions, initial configuration, migration, user management, and ongoing support. For hosted services, we incorporate SPLA into a comprehensive service covering infrastructure, operating systems, databases, monitoring, and technical support.
This approach enables the client to obtain Microsoft technologies together with expert support and management. The goal is transparent licensing, effective use of the subscribed services, and an IT environment tailored to the organization’s actual needs.
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