Overview of all SQL Server versions available at Wiresoft

At Wiresoft you will find the following versions of Microsoft SQL Server at a reasonable price, including the respective available editions:

• SQL Server 2019 - Editions: Standard, Standard 2-Core, Enterprise 2-Core
• SQL Server 2017 Editions: Standard, Standard 2-Core, Enterprise 2-Core
• SQL Server 2016 Editions: Standard, Standard 2-Core
• SQL Server 2014 Editions: Standard, Enterprise
• SQL Server 2012 Editions: Standard, Standard, Business Intelligence, Enterprise

The Enterprise Editions are particularly suitable for mission-critical applications in medium-sized and larger companies, while the Standard already offer comprehensive database functions for smaller companies as well.

For the Standard, you can alternatively choose between licensing by Server License plus Client Access Licenses or by Cores (SQL Server versions 2014 - 2019), or by processors for SQL Version 2012.

The following is an overview of the service portfolio of the individual SQL versions. Detailed information as well as comparisons of the differences between the respective available editions and the license terms can be found on our respective product pages.

SQL Server 2019

SQL Server 2019 is the latest version of the proven server software from Microsoft. With its comprehensive portfolio of functions, it meets all the needs that companies have for a modern database management system: for detailed analysis and clear reporting tasks with interactive visualizations, as well as for the protection and security of sensitive data - both on the company side and on the customer side, e.g. in the context of business transactions. That's why SQL Server 2019 is designed with compliance and security in mind, ensuring high reliability for all business-critical applications.

SQL Server 2019 also offers a whole range of other innovative features that increase efficiency in the company: these include intelligent cloud solutions and interfaces to compatible databases such as Oracle, as well as the first-time integration of Java. Intelligent Query Processing (IQP) accelerates the processing of queries, which is a great advantage, especially with large amounts of data. In addition, clustering (group allocation) and data monitoring are also part of this. Big Data Management in SQL Server uses AI technologies, including machine learning models, which allow data to be analyzed almost in real time. You can find more information on the product page.

SQL Server 2017

Microsoft's 2017 version of SQL Server provides users with a database solution that offers maximum flexibility in both managing and protecting data. SQL Server 2017 can be customized with a wide range of options to meet the needs of your organization, including the choice of local or cloud-based application of features and the use of different operating systems, including Linux.

The server system provides all the typical services of a Relational Database Management System (RDMS) for use in the context of merchandise management systems, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and CRM.

Other important features include in-database advanced analytics - both with Python and R - as well as numerous performance improvements to the Master Data Services (MDS) and Reporting Services (SSRS). The SQL Server Analysis Services also offer important new features, e.g. in the tabular models or with Power Query, which with Get Data extends the previous data sources for M-queries. In Integration Services, the Scale Out function also offers additional functions that simplify and improve your execution. Please visit the product page for more important features of SQL Server 2017.

SQL Server 2016

Compared to its predecessors, Microsoft's 2016 version SQL database system features many innovations in the areas of performance, high availability and security. These allow the rapid processing of larger volumes of data that are more complex, including real-time analysis, in-memory performance and advanced analytics functions. These are complemented by the PolyBase feature for processing Transact-SQL queries of relational and non-relational data, as well as the easy exchange of data via JavaScript Object Notation (JSON).

In addition, SQL 2017 allows OLTP data to be captured and stored in Microsoft Azure, which offers hybrid backup scenarios, including recovery of local databases and storage of active secondary replicas in Always On availability groups.

With the Always Encrypted technology, the protection of critical company data is supported locally as well as in the cloud. The performance portfolio of the database software is complemented by business intelligence features in the SQL Server Reporting Services, which are now also available on Android and iOS smartphones to create reports in Excel 2016, supplemented by extensive visualizations. You can get an overview of the full range of features of SQL Server 2016 on the corresponding product page.

SQL Server 2014

Microsoft SQL Server 2014 is a powerful database solution that enables organizations of all sizes to store and access large data sets and functionality locally for desktop applications and online. In line with the ever-increasing orientation towards the cloud, the server software convinces with its stronger link to the Azure Cloud platform including the Azure Virtual Machine, which supports a variety of hybrid scenarios, supplemented by higher scalability and performance as well as backup and disaster recovery.

The proven components of the SQL Server system - also known as Microsoft Services - together offer a comprehensive range of functions for the analysis, processing and management of data, based on the powerful SQL database engine, including DQS (Data Quality Services) servers: These include Analysis Services, which can be used to create OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) queries as part of forecasts and trends in data mining and financial reports. These are supplemented by Reporting Services, which are used in SQL Server 2014 to create, manage and provide reports in a variety of forms. Finally, administrators benefit from the Integration Services, which allow data to be easily copied, moved or transformed. A detailed description of SQL Server 2014 can be found on the corresponding product page.

SQL Server 2012

SQL Server 2012 is a proven relational database management system developed in collaboration between Microsoft and Sybase to meet the latest SQL standards. To this end, this software offers not only important business intelligence applications but also the connection to cloud services to make data available not only locally but also on the web.

A variety of functions and optimizations support cross-team collaboration to make business processes even more efficient. This includes increasing the performance of SharePoint Services using SQL Server PowerPivot, which improves coordination, administration and collaboration. These are also supplemented by Always On Availability Groups: This high-availability solution offers fast disaster recovery with nine availability replicas and various failover methods.

Through the improved integration of SQL Azure, databases are simply provided online and synchronized with local databases. The SQL Server Management Studio also makes it even easier to move databases via Contained Databases. In the area of data warehousing, SQL Server 2012 offers

Columnstore Index for Transact-SQL a new Standard for the analysis of large tables, which allows up to ten times faster query performance. Last but not least, the SQL Server Data Tools provide a compelling successor to Business Intelligence Development Studio for creating and managing data warehouses. Detailed information about  SQL Server 2012 can be found on the product page.

The Microsoft licensing model for SQL Server versions

Microsoft has updated the license metric with the 2012 SQL Server version. This not only defines all the licensing options available for individual SQL editions, but also the rules used to calculate the license requirement, especially for the Enterprise Edition.

If this was calculated with the previous versions on the basis of the existing processors of the servers, the number of cores is now the basis. This means that the server performance is now the measure for licensing.

Licensing of SQL Server on a core basis

For core-based licensing of SQL Server versions, the following Microsoft-defined terms apply:

1 The core licenses are available as packages of 2.

2. when calculating the license requirement, the pure number of cores per processor is not decisive - instead, a minimum of 16 cores is assumed, even if the actual number is less. Thus, 8 packages with 2-core licenses must be purchased in any case.

3. no additional access licenses are required when licensing via cores.

Server/CAL Licensing for SQL Server

The Standard of SQL Server 2012 is alternatively available with a server license plus additional client access licenses (CALs). According to Microsoft, the following conditions apply here:

1 Each server requires a license. This includes admin access rights to manage the server services.

2) A client access license must be purchased for each employee using SQL Server services and features.

3. CALs for users are available in two variants: the User CAL for one person or the Device CAL for one end device.

4. client access licenses can only be granted once and cannot be transferred to other persons or end devices afterwards.

License purchase and license consulting for SQL Server at Wiresoft - all from one source

At Wiresoft you will find these SQL Server 2012 versions as well as CALs as original Microsoft licenses at a particularly favourable price. Our customers always benefit from our reduced price of all software products - including server licenses - which originate from European companies and were legally acquired by Wiresoft. You as a customer are always on the safe side, because you receive 100% usable licenses, which have been checked exactly for authenticity. License your servers very economically with the license offer of Wiresoft and profit from our expert advice. If you have any questions about the most advantageous licensing with a Microsoft SQL Server version, please contact us.