Listed Providers are specific public cloud service providers identified by Microsoft in its licensing terms and agreements. These include major hyperscalers such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), among others. Being classified as a Listed Provider carries significant implications for how Microsoft licenses and deploys its software products in the cloud, particularly impacting Service Provider License Agreement (SPLA) partners, Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), and organizations seeking flexible cloud architectures.
Due to restrictions introduced and updated in Microsoft’s licensing frameworks, customers and service providers face limitations when hosting Microsoft software—such as Windows Server or SQL Server—on Listed Providers’ infrastructure using certain licenses (e.g., SPLA or traditional on-premises licenses). From October 2025, key changes will further restrict or end the use of SPLA licenses on the infrastructure of these major public clouds, emphasizing the importance of understanding alternative programs like CSP-Hoster or the Flexible Virtualization Benefit (FVB) for organizations transitioning workloads.
For partners and customers, navigating the constraints around Listed Providers requires careful planning to maintain compliance, control costs, and enable ongoing cloud modernization. Technical consulting and in-depth analyses help organizations evaluate the impact on existing architectures while identifying compliant paths forward amid continually evolving licensing landscapes.
