Dual Use Rights refer to licensing entitlements provided by Microsoft for certain products, most notably within the Dynamics 365 suite, which allow customers to access both cloud-based and on-premises versions of the same software. With these rights, an organization licensed for a cloud service such as Dynamics 365 can also deploy and use the equivalent on-premises server software and related client access thereby eliminating the need for separate licenses during migration or hybrid operation phases.
Dual-use rights are particularly valuable for organizations transitioning from legacy on-premises systems to modern cloud solutions. They enable users to run both environments concurrently, facilitating seamless migration, extensive testing, and phased deployments. These rights help mitigate business disruption, giving customers flexibility to move workloads at their own pace without incurring additional licensing costs.
For managed service and hosting providers, effectively managing dual-use rights requires careful license tracking, especially in multi-tenant or hybrid data center environments. Key considerations include understanding deployment limitations, managing user entitlements, and ensuring compliance with Microsoft’s licensing rules.
Dual use rights ultimately empower organizations to future-proof their infrastructure, balance operational continuity, and optimize costs, especially as they navigate complex business application modernization journeys or orchestrate gradual shifts from on-premises to fully cloud-based architectures.
