MSP pooled license allocation centralizes license ownership and supports client-level allocation after platform, tier, and capacity checks.
Separate client purchases can delay onboarding because each new customer may require its own purchase order.
Hexnode UEM MSP uses a shared, platform-and-tier license pool that the MSP allocates across individual client UEM portals.
Each portal requires at least 30 licenses (as of November 2026). The Hexnode MSP Dashboard helps administrators monitor consumed and remaining capacity before onboarding.
MSP pooled license allocation lets a managed service provider (MSP) purchase licenses at the account level. The MSP holds them in a shared pool and allocates them to individual client UEM portals.
UEM (Unified Endpoint Management) enables IT teams to centrally monitor, manage, and secure endpoints through a unified platform. Each client UEM portal provides a separate management environment for one customer.
Per-client purchasing can delay onboarding because the MSP must arrange a purchase before managing a new client’s devices.
Without a pool: An MSP may need to arrange a separate license purchase for each new client. Procurement lead times can delay device management.
With a pool: The MSP uses existing capacity. It allocates compatible licenses when creating a client UEM portal.
Hexnode announced platform-based licensing for Hexnode UEM MSP in its release notes on September 22, 2026. Licenses belong to the MSP account, not an individual client portal. The MSP purchases them by platform and tier, then allocates them across client portals.
Who Owns the License Pool in an MSP Model?
In Hexnode UEM MSP platform-based licensing, the MSP account owns the license pool, not an individual client UEM portal. The MSP account holds licenses purchased by platform and tier. It allocates compatible licenses to client portals.
This ownership model changes three aspects of license administration:
Purchase timing: The MSP manages purchasing centrally and allocates compatible licenses during client onboarding.
License ownership: The MSP account holds the shared licenses. Individual client UEM portals consume their allocated capacity.
License visibility: The Hexnode MSP Dashboard provides a centralized view of license consumption across client portals. This helps administrators monitor usage from the MSP level.
This structure also supports clearer accountability. ISO/IEC 19770-1:2017, amended in 2024, specifies requirements for organizational IT asset management systems. Its requirements provide a general governance reference for managing IT assets. However, the standard does not prescribe an MSP license-pool ownership or allocation model.
Hexnode UEM MSP separates the parent-level management environment from individual customer environments. The Hexnode MSP portal manages separate client UEM portals, which Hexnode refers to as nodes. Administrators can monitor portal status and license consumption through the centralized dashboard. Meanwhile, technicians manage endpoints within their respective client portals.
Importantly, centralized ownership does not establish that administrators can freely transfer or reclaim allocated licenses between portals. Verify such operations with Hexnode before including them in license-reallocation plans.
Maintain a client-level license allocation record
MSPs should track license distribution across customer portals to reconcile account-level entitlements with individual requirements. Maintain the following details:
Client name and associated UEM portal.
Platform, licensing tier, and allocated quantity.
Current device count and remaining capacity.
Expected changes to the customer’s device fleet.
How Do Platform and Tier Choices Shape the License Pool?
Platform and tier choices determine which client fleets an MSP can serve using its license pool. Hexnode UEM MSP offers three platform-based licensing tiers: Enterprise, Ultimate, and Ultra. Each tier covers a different set of platforms. Therefore, MSPs should map client platform requirements before purchasing licenses.
The selection process should follow this sequence:
Inventory client platforms: Identify the operating systems managed across existing and prospective client fleets.
Compare platform coverage: Check which platforms each MSP licensing tier supports.
Select the tier: Match the required platform coverage before purchasing licenses.
Estimate pool capacity: Determine the license quantity needed across current clients and planned onboarding.
Illustrative example: An MSP manages Windows and macOS devices for one customer and Android endpoints for another. Before purchasing licenses, the MSP must compare both platform mixes against the coverage of Enterprise, Ultimate, and Ultra. A tier that does not cover a customer’s required platforms would not meet that client’s needs.
Also consider future client requirements when selecting a tier. An MSP should assess both its current platform mix and the platforms expected across prospective customers. This helps avoid purchasing licenses that do not match upcoming onboarding requirements.
Before selecting a tier, MSPs should confirm its supported platform coverage with the Hexnode team. This helps ensure the selected licensing pool matches their clients’ endpoint requirements.
Need help identifying the right licensing tier for your client platforms? Talk to the Hexnode team.
How Do You Allocate Pool Licenses to a New Client Portal?
To onboard a new client, an MSP creates a client UEM portal and allocates compatible licenses from its existing pool. Each portal requires a minimum of 30 licenses (as of November 2026).
Follow this allocation sequence:
1. Confirm platform and tier compatibility. Check whether the existing pool covers the client’s required platforms and selected licensing tier. Verify tier-specific platform coverage with Hexnode before proceeding.
2. Create the client UEM portal. Open the Hexnode MSP portal and create a new portal from the Portals section. Then, assign the appropriate technicians to that node. Refer to the Hexnode UEM MSP help documentation for portal creation guidance.
3. Attach licenses from the existing pool. Allocate licenses to the new client portal, meeting the 30-license minimum.
4. Verify license consumption. Review the centralized MSP Dashboard’s license-consumption view. Check consumed and remaining licenses to validate the available capacity across client portals.
With sufficient compatible capacity, the MSP can onboard another client without arranging a separate license purchase. This can reduce procurement delays during onboarding.
Plan licensing across the customer lifecycle
License planning should cover onboarding, ongoing service, and offboarding. Record the customer’s initial requirements, reconcile allocations against actual device counts, and review outstanding licensing commitments before closing an account.
What Capacity Checks Should You Run Before Allocating Licenses?
Before allocating licenses, an MSP should verify pool compatibility, available capacity, client requirements, and growth headroom. These checks help prevent allocation shortfalls during onboarding. The Hexnode MSP Dashboard provides visibility into license consumption across client portals.
Run the following checks before allocating licenses:
1. Check platform and tier compatibility. Confirm that the available pool matches the client’s platform requirements and selected licensing tier. Do not assume licenses from different tiers are interchangeable.
2. Verify unallocated capacity. Check consumed and remaining licenses in the Hexnode MSP Dashboard. Ensure the matching pool has enough available licenses for the new portal.
3. Meet the portal minimum and device requirement. Attach compatible licenses from the existing pool and verify the resulting allocation. Also, ensure the allocation accommodates the client’s expected device count.
4. Preserve growth headroom. Account for existing client requirements, confirmed onboarding plans, and anticipated device growth. Reserve sufficient capacity for prospective customers instead of committing the entire pool to immediate allocations.
Illustrative numbers, not Hexnode pricing: An MSP holds 100 licenses in a compatible pool. Two client portals consume 30 licenses each, leaving 40. A third client needs 45 licenses. Therefore, the remaining pool cannot accommodate the third client’s requirement.
The Hexnode MSP Dashboard provides real-time visibility into consumed and remaining licenses across client portals. It also includes an Invoice Catalog and Estimated Monthly Bill to support internal cross-charging and budgeting.
Accurate inventory also supports sound capacity planning. NIST SP 1800-5, IT Asset Management, presents an example ITAM solution developed for the financial services sector. It demonstrates how organizations can connect physical and virtual assets with information about their usage. MSPs can adapt these inventory principles when forecasting client device requirements and license needs. However, the guide does not prescribe MSP-specific pooled licensing or allocation methods.
Account for licensing costs in customer contracts
MSPs should distinguish their license acquisition costs from the amounts charged to customers. Include licensing expenses when calculating service costs and preparing customer quotations.
Also, review contractual terms for:
Per-device or per-license charges.
Minimum contracted device quantities.
Additional licensing requirements when fleets expand.
Billing adjustments when customer device counts change.
License costs during customer offboarding.
Reconcile License Usage with Recurring Billing
MSPs should periodically reconcile client device inventories and license records against their recurring billing agreements. This helps identify discrepancies when customer fleets expand or contract.
Before preparing invoices, review:
Current managed device or user counts against contracted quantities.
Newly added and decommissioned devices.
Allocated license quantities against customer billing records.
Invoice line items against agreed contractual rates.
MSPs can use their PSA or billing platforms to support this process, where compatible inventory and billing automation exists. Otherwise, maintain a documented monthly reconciliation process.
This helps MSPs maintain transparent customer billing and evaluate the commercial sustainability of their services.
Want to see how pooled licensing works across client portals? Explore the workflow with a personalized Hexnode UEM MSP demo.
Explore how Hexnode UEM MSP supports client portal management, license administration, and security.
How Does Hexnode UEM MSP Handle Pooled Licensing?
Hexnode UEM MSP handles pooled licensing through platform-based licensing, which keeps license ownership at the MSP account level. The MSP purchases licenses once by platform and tier, then allocates them across compatible client UEM portals. This removes the need for separate license purchases whenever a new client joins.
Three validated capabilities support this model:
Platform-based licensing: The MSP account owns the licenses and distributes them across client portals. Hexnode offers three tiers: Enterprise, Ultimate, and Ultra.
Client UEM portal creation: Administrators can create separate client UEM portals from the Hexnode MSP portal. They can also assign technicians to individual nodes.
Centralized license monitoring: The Hexnode MSP dashboard displays license consumption across client portals. Administrators can monitor consumed and remaining licenses to assess available capacity before onboarding another client. The MSP-ready UEM features guide also discusses this dashboard visibility.
Administrative delegation across client portals
Hexnode UEM MSP also supports centralized oversight with delegated administration. The MSP portal provides Scope Groups for assigning administrative responsibilities. Central administrators can monitor portal status and license consumption across nodes. Meanwhile, Reports Manager access allows designated users to review consolidated reports without changing device configurations.
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The MSP account owns the shared license pool, not individual client UEM portals. The MSP purchases licenses by platform and tier, then allocates them across client portals.
How do platform and tier choices affect the license pool?
Hexnode UEM MSP offers three tiers: Enterprise, Ultimate, and Ultra. Each covers different platforms, so MSPs must verify platform compatibility before purchasing.
How many licenses does a new client UEM portal need?
Each new client UEM portal requires a minimum of 30 licenses (as of November 2026). MSPs should confirm available capacity in the appropriate pool before onboarding.
What should an MSP check before allocating licenses?
Verify platform and tier compatibility, unallocated pool capacity, the 30-license portal minimum, and the client’s device requirements. Also, preserve growth headroom and review available license-consumption and billing information. Before purchasing, confirm how Hexnode handles excess allocations, unused licenses, reallocation, and low-capacity notifications.
Conclusion and Next Step
Hexnode UEM MSP supports platform-based licensing across individual client UEM portals. MSPs can review platform requirements, plan license capacity, and monitor consumption through the centralized MSP dashboard.
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