Microsoft makes Enterprise Mobility Suite available to small, midsize businesses

Starting March 1, Microsoft is making available its bundle of mobile-management technologies available to small and mid-size businesses (SMBs).

Up until now, that bundle, the Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS) was available for purchase only by larger customers via Enterprise Agreement licensing. As of today, however, EMS is now available under Open volume-licensing, as well. Microsoft reseller partners can sell EMS to SMB, and also get access to EMS for their own use as part of their Internal Use Rights benefits.

EMS consists of three parts : Azure Active Directory Premium, Azure Rights Management services and the Intune mobile-device management service. Microsoft is touting EMS as a more cost-effective and unified way to protect users' Windows, iOS and Android devices, identity, apps and data across devices.

In related news, as a couple of my Twitter buddies noticed, Microsoft quietly dropped the option to purchase the version of Intune that formerly included Software Assurance for Windows -- a bundle of Intune, System Center Configuration Manager, System Center Endpoint Protection and Software Assurance for Windows Enterprise for $11 per user per month.

Those who already purchased that Intune subscription option can continue to renew it, according to a Microsoft forum posting, but users are not allowed to add more licenses for this option. Microsoft is advising those who want an Intune subscription with Windows Software Assurance included to look at the Enterprise Cloud Suite (ECS) option.

ECS includes Office 365 E3, Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS) and a new Windows Software Assurance per User license.