Software systems have become extremely important for small and large businesses to run their operations smoothly and well-organised. Oracle is one of the most popular business organising and operation software providers around the world today, and Oracle software is being increasingly used by small and large businesses alike.
However, as with every reputable software system, there is a complicated and costly user licence agreement accompanying all Oracle software. Many business owners complain of having to pay more on licence management than they feel it is worth. Hence, these 5 ways to completely sabotage your Oracle licence management will help avoid unwanted extra costs and unnecessary licence management hassle when using Oracle software systems in your business.
Why is it important to manage Oracle software user licences?
Ideal Oracle licence cost management gives an in-depth insight into licence metrics, usage, deployment, virtualisation, configurations, etc. As there are constant challenges regarding user compliance which cannot be managed effectively using conventional means, such as spreadsheets, an automated Software Asset Management (SAM) tool is used.
SAM tools are incredibly effective for protecting against software audit risks and determining the areas where Oracle licence optimisation can help cut costs.
Top 5 ways to completely sabotage your Oracle licence management privilege
SAM experts advise avoiding the below-mentioned 5 things to prevent misuse of your business’ Oracle licence management terms and conditions:
1. Expensive Support Fees
Normally, Oracle charges as much as 22% from their licence fees as support fees. It is important to remember that you need to apply the items listed under the Technical Support Policies correctly. In reality, Oracle’s revenue from maintenance fees is comparatively more than its software licences. Hence, you should be careful to cut back on the costs of Oracle maintenance support.
2. Complicated Metrics
Oracle uses two complicated metrics for its software licensing plan, namely, according to CPU (processor usage) and NUP (Named User Plus). In addition, you should also consider the other complicated metrics, such as core types, core counts, multiplexing and variation in core types, and core counts, as well as virtualisation and clusters.
3. Complex Terms and Conditions of Use
The business software use contracts from Oracle can also be as complicated as their user metrics. Oracle usually acquires and integrates new software solutions, where each system has its own specific user licence terms and conditions. There is also a lack of standardisation in Oracle’s contract language, which can be confusing to end-users without software licence management tools.
4. Lack of Communication
Oracle is itself not always ideally communicative when it comes to changes in the user licence agreement. On top of this, new information is very difficult to find. This makes it a challenge to adhere to the Oracle terms and conditions of use at all times. Hence, it is highly advisable to consult with SAM experts if you want to ensure complete compliance with the software user licence regulations.
5. Pick and Choose
Every individual software system from Oracle, including features and packs, comes with their very own specific user licence agreement. However, users may accidentally switch on a feature, which is not licence-bought by your company resulting in higher costs than estimated. Hence, there needs to be a control mechanism in place, such as SAM to prevent accidental activation of unwanted features in your business software.
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