"Microsoft SQL Server Standard edition will be able to run on a four-processor server with dual-core processors, utilizing all cores on the processors, and requiring just four licenses. That's the same number of licenses required if the SQL Server software is running on a server with single-core processors."

Wondering what Microsoft was going to do with their "per-processor" software licensing model when hardware containing dual-core and multicore processor technology for the Windows platform becomes available next year? The licensing model will not change, and Microsoft will continue to licence its software using a per-processor model for hardware that contains dual-core and multicore processors.

"[It] made sense for our technology to be licensed in the per processor mode. We really want our customers to take advantage of these enhanced technologies and of the growth and the speed that they will be able to get from that."