Cisco AnyConnect 4.0 is not licensed based on concurrent connections (like the old AnyConnect 3.x), instead it is now based on users. This implies that a user connecting using his phone and laptop concurrently will only require a single license.

As the newer Cisco AnyConnect licenses are subscription-based, when the subscription expires and has not been renewed, they will not work any longer.
 
Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client 4.0 provides support for the below operating systems:

  • Windows 8.1 – (32bit & 64Bit)
  • Windows 8 – (32bit & 64Bit)
  • Windows 7 – (32bit & 64Bit)
  • Linux Ubuntu 12.X – 64Bit
  • Linux RedHat 6 – 64Bit
  • Mac OS X 10.10 to 10.8

Please note that Windows XP is no longer supported.

Cisco AnyConnect Plus License (Replacement for the previous Essentials License) 1, 3 or 5-Year Terms

The AnyConnect Plus License is a subscription-based license with the choices of a 1, 3 or 5-year renewable subscription and provides support for the below features:

  • VPN Support for devices including workstations & laptops.
  • Secure Mobility Client support (Cisco AnyConnect Mobile). This includes phones, tablets etc.
  • SSL VPN – Client-based
  • Per-application VPN Support. Approve particular apps to access the VPN.  Supports particular devices and software.
  • Basic endpoint circumstance gathering
  • IEEE 802.1X Windows suppliant
  • Cisco Cloud Web Security agent for Microsoft Windows and Macintosh OS X platforms
  • Cloud Web Security & Web Security Appliance
  • Advanced Malware Protection for Endpoints Enabler. AMP for Endpoints is licensed separately
  • Network Access Manager
  • Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) Compliance

Cisco AnyConnect 3.x necessitated the buying of an Essentials or Premium license + AnyConnect Mobile (L-ASA-AC-M-55xx) to support mobile devices (Smartphones & Tablets etc.).  Cisco AnyConnect Mobile is now assimilated into the new Cisco AnyConnect Plus license.

Cisco AnyConnect Plus Perpetual License (Permanent)

The Cisco AnyConnect Plus Perpetual license provides support for the same features as the Plus license detailed above, but with the difference that it is a perpetual term license.
 
The client buys it once and does not get any subscription services, though it is still necessary to buy a Software Application Support plus Upgrades (SASU) contract. Customers thinking about buying the Plus Perpetual license may want to compare costs with the subscription-based license to see whether it is worth going down this path in the long run.

Cisco AnyConnect Apex License (Replacement for the previous Premium License)

The Cisco AnyConnect Apex License comprises all the features of the AnyConnect Plus license along with the below:

  • All Cisco AnyConnect Plus features
  • Clientless/browser-based VPN Termination on the ASA Firewall
  • VPN compliance and posture agent in tandem with the Cisco ASA Firewall
  • Incorporated compliance and posture agent in tandem with the Identity Services Engine (ISE) 1.3 or later
  • Support for better next-gen encryption (Suite B)

The Cisco AnyConnect Apex license is only obtainable as a subscription-based license. There is no permanent license obtainable.
 
The next-gen suite B encryption provides support for the below mentioned improvd encryption standards:

  • Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) having key sizes of 128 & 256 bits.
  • Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) – digital signatures
  • Elliptic Curve Diffie–Hellman (ECDH) – key exchange agreement
  • Secure Hash Algorithm 2 (SHA-256 and SHA-384) – message digest

To learn more, please speak to our licensing specialists today.