Beware hidden costs of Microsoft’s new Windows Server licensing
Serdar Yegulalp, InfoWorld, 1/19/16 The move to per-core licensing could increase the costs of Windows Server substantially and impact Software Assurance customers as well.
What does an Oracle audit look like? This one certainly wasn’t pretty
Katherine Noyes, CIO, 1/20/16 Oracle is at least as well-known for its aggressive licensing tactics as for its namesake database technology, and a recent dispute makes it clear that that reputation isn’t entirely unfounded.
How To Survive A Software Licensing Audit
Lisa Morgan, InformationWeek, 1/1/16 Enterprise IT organizations face software audits as a matter of doing business with large technology vendors. What’s the best approach to dealing with them? Here’s a look at what you should and shouldn’t do when you get that software licensing audit notice.
Software Licensing Audits: Is Your Company Prepared?
Lisa Morgan, InformationWeek, 12/31/15 Software licensing audits can cause minor annoyance or excruciating pain, depending on their scope and how ready your enterprise is for the disruption and expense. We take a look at trends in software licensing audits and the ways they impact your IT organization and your business.
Non-SPLA Licensing for Hosted Microsoft Software
Most businesses seeking to license Microsoft software for the purpose of delivering hosted software solutions over the Internet turn first to the company’s Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA). SPLA is Microsoft’s flagship licensing model for commercial hosting services, and it offers the primary benefit of permitting a licensed hosting company to pay on a month-to-month…
Microsoft SAM – An Audit by Another Name
When I heard a Microsoft executive recently explain its new approach to software license compliance enforcement, I couldn’t believe my ears. Statements like, “Microsoft does not endorse audits,” and “Microsoft believes that most of its customers want to be in compliance, they just need help with tool deployment and reconciliation,” sounded to good to be…
Stephen Pinson Joins Scott & Scott, LLP
Scott & Scott, LLP announces the addition of Stephen Pinson as Associate Attorney. Stephen Pinson is a graduate of Hofstra Law School and a member of the New York and Texas Bar. Prior to joining the firm, Stephen practiced in high-stakes securities litigation, regulation, and enforcement actions. He spent the majority of his time prosecuting…
Why Enterprise Clients Should Choose User-based Software Licensing Metrics
I am a technology attorney in Texas specializing in software license transactions and disputes with the major software publishers including Microsoft, Adobe, Oracle and IBM. I represent some of the world’s largest corporations in enterprise software license transactions. I have been involved in more than 600 software license disputes in the last 10 years and…
A Global Definition for Software “Hosting”
I previously have discussed what “commercial hosting” means when it comes to Microsoft software, but the universe of problems created by the “hosting” ambiguity obviously is bigger than just Microsoft. Almost all software publishers restrict or prohibit – to varying degrees – their customers’ ability to use the software products they license in connection with…
Big Changes for Microsoft System Center Licensing
Business software buyers increasingly are aware of the significant changes that Microsoft will be implementing to the license metrics for SQL Server when version 2012 of the popular database solution is released this April. However, of potentially equal or even greater significance for some companies is the fact that Microsoft also is planning big changes…
Attempts to Transfer Microsoft Licenses May be Ineffective
Like most software publishers, Microsoft includes terms in its standard license agreements to restrict a licensee’s ability to resell or otherwise assign to another party the right to install or use software. Increasing the level of difficulty for IT groups trying to manage their software assets, different types of Microsoft licenses come with different transfer…
Avoid Risks Associated with Software Licensed Through ISVs
Independent software vendors (ISVs) constitute a diverse group of businesses whose core business model typically consists of utilizing third-party software infrastructure and development platforms (such as Microsoft SQL Server or IBM WebSphere Application Server) to create targeted solutions for their customers. ISVs have become a fixture in today’s marketplace for information technology solutions, and most…