Most organizations never think about the future when deciding how to mark the “Future Affiliates” box on their EA and SCE enrollments. Let’s take a company with an EA and an SCE and they select to include all future affiliates on both their EA and SCE. This company has both SQL Server and Windows Server enrolled on their SCE.
Fast forward a year into the future and this company purchases a smaller company who does not have an EA nor any Microsoft software with active Software Assurance (SA). The new company they purchase has a large SQL Server footprint which is all physical. All the new company’s SQL Servers and Windows Servers are properly licensed before the acquisition, but once the deal is inked they are no longer compliant.
All the SQL Servers and Windows Servers now must be added to the acquiring company’s SCE. Chances are no one on the mergers and acquisition team even considered this during the acquisition due diligence process.
In addition to the SQL Servers and Windows Servers having to be re-purchased, the new company will also have to be added to the EA, which is an additional cost.
I once had a Microsoft auditor with one of the Big 4 tell me he loved getting assigned to audits where SQL Server was on an SCE!
SoftwareAdvocates is not a big fan of the SCE, but if you have one you need to fully understand it. For some customers they are fine, but only you can decide if an SCE is right for your company.