Microsoft has introduced a new site-based licensing model for its Microsoft Defender for IoT solution. This change aims to help organizations better protect their operation technology (OT) environments against sophisticated cyber attacks.
Microsoft Defender for IoT is a security solution that’s designed to secure Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The key features include real-time threat detection, vulnerability management, as well as security analytics & reporting capabilities. Microsoft Defender for IoT also integrates with various other security tools, including Microsoft 365 Defender and Microsoft Sentinel.
How does the site-based licensing model work?
According to Microsoft, new customers can no longer opt for its Azure consumption model. They can either choose to stick to the consumption model or switch to the new site-based licensing model. A site is a physical location such as an office building, facility, hospital, or campus. Microsoft’s new site-based licensing model provides more control to effectively manage security costs within their organization.
“Organizations that want to secure their OT environments with Defender for IoT will now be able to purchase annual licenses with standard pricing based on the maximum number of OT devices they wish to protect at each individual site. Prices are flat rates for each site size and are not prorated based on the numbers of devices. Site sizes are determined by the maximum number of devices per site,” Microsoft explained.
For instance, there is a company with 90, 700, and 25 OT devices across three different sites. The organization will need to purchase an extra-small license for the first and third sites as well as a large license for the second one.
Meanwhile, Microsoft advises enterprise customers to contact its sales teams to protect more than 5000 devices. If you’re interested, you can learn more about the site-based licensing model on Microsoft’s official blog post.