What you get
- Extended Security Updates for Windows Server 2012 Standard – 8-core pack, Year 2 (October 2024-2025).
Before you buy
Per Microsoft, Windows Server 2012/2012 R2 ESUs run for three years after extended support ended on October 10, 2023, and end on October 13, 2026 — after that no more updates will be released. Per Microsoft's ESU FAQ, the servers must be covered by active Software Assurance or subscription licenses, the ESU edition must match the Windows Server edition, physical-core licensing has a 16-core-per-server (8 per processor) minimum, and Year 2/Year 3 licenses can only be bought if the prior years were also bought (late onboarding requires catch-up). ESUs include critical and important security updates only — no new features. Workloads moved to Azure receive ESUs at no extra cost.
