Back in 2012, Microsoft decided to reduce the number of SKU versions for Windows Server 2012 from 12 to 4: Datacenter, Standard, Essentials, and Foundation. For the upcoming Windows Server 2012 R2, these four SKUs will still be available; however, the price of the Datacenter version has significantly increased.
In a licensing price list on Microsoft's official website, the price of the Datacenter edition for Windows Server 2012 R2 is listed at $6,155, which does not include client access license fees. This is much higher than the previous pricing of $4,809 for the Windows Server 2012 Datacenter edition, marking an increase of nearly $1,350.
Even though you can install an unlimited number of virtual machines on a host licensed with the Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter SKU, this price hike is still hard to swallow. Microsoft explained that the new price "is based on current market conditions, overall value enhancements of the product, and selected options."
For the other three SKUs, the prices remain unchanged from before: Standard edition at $882, Essentials edition at $501, and the Foundation edition, which is only available pre-installed by OEMs, so its price remains undisclosed.
Windows Server 2012 R2 is expected to reach RTM (Release to Manufacturing) by the end of this month, just like Windows 8.1.