Raff Technologies is now a Microsoft SPLA Partner.
For us, this is more than a licensing milestone. It is a trust milestone.
Raff Technologies has always focused on making cloud infrastructure easier for developers, startups, freelancers, learners, small teams, and businesses that need practical computing power without unnecessary complexity. Becoming a Microsoft Service Provider License Agreement Partner strengthens that direction, especially for customers who need Windows VMs, hosted Microsoft software, or clearer licensing around Microsoft workloads.
The Microsoft Services Provider License Agreement, usually called SPLA, is a licensing program that allows service providers to license eligible Microsoft products and provide hosted software services to customers. In practical terms, Raff LLC is now licensed to host Microsoft software through our SPLA agreement where applicable.
That matters because infrastructure is not only about CPU, RAM, storage, and bandwidth.
It is also about confidence.
When a customer launches a Windows VM, they are not only choosing a server. They are trusting the provider behind it to operate responsibly, license properly, and support the workload in a way that makes business sense.
That is the part we want to make clearer.
Why This Matters
Microsoft software is widely used in real businesses.
Windows Server, Remote Desktop environments, Microsoft-based applications, business tools, internal systems, and legacy workloads are still part of how many organizations operate. Even as Linux, containers, and open-source infrastructure continue to grow, Windows workloads remain important for many teams.
For cloud providers, that creates responsibility.
It is not enough to simply say, “we offer Windows servers.” Customers should also know whether the provider has a proper path for Microsoft software licensing in hosted environments.
That is why SPLA matters.
SPLA gives service providers a licensing framework for offering hosted Microsoft software services to customers. Microsoft explains the program as a way for service providers and software companies to license eligible Microsoft products on a monthly basis during a three-year agreement term, so they can provide software services and hosted applications to end customers.
For Raff, this directly supports our Windows VM direction.
It allows us to speak more clearly about Microsoft software licensing through our SPLA agreement and gives customers another reason to trust the infrastructure they are building on.
What We Can Now Say Clearly
There are a few phrases we can now use confidently and responsibly:
- Raff LLC is a Microsoft SPLA Partner.
- Raff LLC is a Microsoft Service Provider License Agreement Partner.
- Raff LLC is licensed to host Microsoft software through SPLA.
- Microsoft software licensing is available through our SPLA agreement where applicable.
- Raff can provide hosted Microsoft software services under our SPLA agreement.
These statements are important because they are specific.
They do not overclaim.
They do not suggest that Raff is Microsoft, or that Microsoft is endorsing every Raff service. They simply explain the licensing relationship in a way customers can understand.
That distinction matters.
Trust is not built by using the biggest words possible. Trust is built by being precise.
So we will be careful with the language. We will not describe Raff as a “Microsoft-certified cloud provider” or “Microsoft-endorsed hosting provider” unless that exact status is separately granted and documented. SPLA is already a meaningful trust signal on its own. We do not need to exaggerate it.
The accurate message is strong enough:
Raff LLC is a Microsoft SPLA Partner, licensed to provide hosted Microsoft software services through the Microsoft Services Provider License Agreement.
Why We Took This Step
One lesson I have learned while building Raff is that business customers do not only buy infrastructure.
They buy confidence.
A developer may start by comparing CPU, RAM, storage, and price. A founder may look at monthly cost and deployment speed. A small team may care about simplicity and support. But as soon as Microsoft workloads enter the conversation, licensing clarity becomes part of the decision.
That is especially true for Windows VM customers.
A Windows VM is often used for business-specific tasks: remote desktop access, Windows-based applications, legacy software, testing environments, development workflows, administration tools, and workloads that cannot easily move to Linux.
In those cases, licensing cannot be treated as an afterthought.
This is one reason we pursued SPLA.
We want Raff to be a serious infrastructure provider, not just a place where someone can launch a server. Serious infrastructure includes performance, pricing, networking, backups, support, and licensing clarity.
The Microsoft SPLA partnership helps us strengthen that foundation.
It gives us a clearer framework for hosting eligible Microsoft software services and gives customers a cleaner answer when they ask, “How is Microsoft licensing handled?”
That question deserves a real answer.
Now we have one.
What This Means for Windows VM Customers
For customers using or evaluating Raff Windows VMs, this means Raff has a proper licensing path for hosted Microsoft software through SPLA where applicable.
That is important for several types of users.
A business running Windows-based applications may need a cloud environment that is both practical and properly licensed.
A freelancer may need a Windows VM for client work, testing, or remote access.
A small team may need Windows Server infrastructure without buying and maintaining physical hardware.
A company may want hosted Microsoft software services without managing every licensing detail alone.
In all of these cases, the provider matters.
The server is only one part of the decision. The operating model behind the server matters too.
With SPLA, Raff can support hosted Microsoft software licensing in a more structured way. That gives customers a clearer foundation when choosing Raff for Windows workloads.
It also fits our broader product direction.
We want Raff to make cloud infrastructure feel easier to understand without removing the serious parts that customers depend on. Licensing is one of those serious parts.
Why Licensing Clarity Is a Product Feature
Licensing may not sound like a product feature at first.
But for business infrastructure, it absolutely is.
A product feature is not only something visible in the dashboard. It is anything that helps the customer use the service with more confidence.
Clear pricing is a product feature.
Reliable backups are a product feature.
Private networking is a product feature.
Support is a product feature.
And for Microsoft workloads, licensing clarity is a product feature.
If a customer is unsure whether their Windows VM is properly licensed, that uncertainty affects the whole experience. It affects trust. It affects procurement. It affects whether a business feels comfortable putting real work on the platform.
That is why this announcement matters.
It is not only a badge.
It is part of Raff becoming more mature as a cloud infrastructure provider.
The Practical Customer Benefit
The practical benefit is simple: customers evaluating Windows workloads on Raff can now see that Microsoft software licensing is handled through Raff LLC’s SPLA agreement where applicable.
This is especially useful for customers who care about:
- Windows Server hosting
- Remote Desktop workloads
- hosted Microsoft software services
- business applications that require Microsoft environments
- development or testing on Windows VMs
- clearer licensing responsibility
- infrastructure providers with stronger trust signals
For some users, Linux will still be the natural starting point. Raff continues to support Linux VMs for development, self-hosting, automation, Docker, web hosting, and general cloud workloads.
But for customers who need Windows, this is a different conversation.
They need performance and simplicity, yes.
They also need licensing confidence.
That is where SPLA makes Raff stronger.
How This Fits Raff’s Direction
Raff’s positioning is simple: Fast. Simple. Reliable.
The Microsoft SPLA partnership supports the “Reliable” part in a very practical way.
Reliability is not only uptime.
Reliability is also whether the provider is taking the right operational steps behind the scenes.
A customer may never read the full licensing terms behind a Microsoft-hosted workload. But they still benefit when the provider has a structured licensing agreement in place.
That is the kind of invisible work that makes infrastructure more trustworthy.
From the outside, a VM may look like CPU, RAM, storage, and an operating system.
From the inside, cloud infrastructure is a series of responsibilities.
Hardware responsibility.
Network responsibility.
Backup responsibility.
Security responsibility.
Billing responsibility.
Support responsibility.
Licensing responsibility.
The stronger we become in each of these areas, the stronger Raff becomes as a company.
That is why this milestone matters to me.
It is not just about being able to say we are a Microsoft SPLA Partner. It is about what that says regarding the kind of cloud provider we are trying to become.
What This Does Not Mean
It is also important to be clear about what this does not mean.
This does not mean every Microsoft product is automatically included in every Raff service.
It does not mean every workload has the same licensing requirements.
It does not mean customers should ignore their own compliance, software, or contractual responsibilities.
It does not mean Raff is claiming a separate Microsoft endorsement beyond the SPLA relationship.
Microsoft licensing can be specific, and the right answer depends on the product, workload, deployment model, and customer scenario.
That is why we will continue to be careful with language.
The correct statement is that Raff LLC is licensed to provide hosted Microsoft software services through the Microsoft Services Provider License Agreement where applicable.
For customers, the practical takeaway is this:
If your workload involves Microsoft software, Raff now has a clearer licensing framework to support hosted services through SPLA.
That is the trust signal.
What This Means for You
If you are evaluating a Windows VM provider, do not only compare price.
Price matters, but it is not the whole decision.
Ask whether the provider can clearly explain how Microsoft software licensing is handled.
Ask whether the infrastructure gives you enough control.
Ask whether backups, snapshots, networking, and support fit your workload.
Ask whether the pricing model is understandable before you deploy.
Ask whether the provider is serious enough for the work you plan to run.
If you need a Windows environment for development, business applications, remote access, testing, or hosted Microsoft workloads, you can start with Raff Windows VMs.
If you are still comparing operating systems or workload types, you can also review Raff VM options and Raff pricing before deciding.
For Microsoft workloads specifically, the important update is this:
Raff LLC is now a Microsoft SPLA Partner, licensed to host Microsoft software through our SPLA agreement where applicable.
That gives us a stronger foundation for Windows VM customers and a clearer trust signal for businesses evaluating Raff.
Final Thought
Cloud infrastructure is built in layers.
Some layers are visible: the dashboard, the VM, the operating system, the storage, the price.
Other layers are less visible: licensing, operational responsibility, provider maturity, and the decisions made before the customer ever launches a server.
Becoming a Microsoft SPLA Partner strengthens one of those less visible layers.
It helps Raff serve Windows VM customers more responsibly.
It gives business users a clearer answer around Microsoft software licensing.
And it moves Raff one step further toward becoming the kind of infrastructure company we want to build.
Fast.
Simple.
Reliable.
And now, stronger for Microsoft-hosted workloads through SPLA.