ABOUT LICENSEFORTRESS

We are the future of software asset management.

How Licensefortress Started

LicenseFortress was created in 2014 by VLSS’s founder and chief architect, Dean Bolton, to help companies and organizations take control of their investments while removing the threat of non-compliance. VLSS spent nearly two decades specializing in Oracle and VMware technologies. VMware saw that many of their customers were subject to Oracle’s aggressive auditing tactics, especially in cloud environments, and approached VLSS about finding a solution for software asset management. Today LicenseFortress can proudly point to 90% customer satisfaction and customer retention rates among clients that range from Fortune 100 companies to government agencies and small-to-mid-sized businesses. LicenseFortress is the only software asset management managed service that provides a bundled offering including legal and technical advice under a financial guarantee.

THE LICENSEFORTRESS APPROACH

At LicenseFortress, we are fully committed to our customers, and we always strive to deliver innovative solutions on time and under budget for your software asset management needs. Our goal is to optimize your software investment by enhancing your understanding of software licensing and pricing practices.

We help customers implement compliant software asset management strategies worldwide.

Licensefortress Management Team

Dean Bolton

Co-Founder + Chief Architect

Dean Bolton launched his IT career in 2000 after completing his bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He started working with Oracle databases early in his career at an internet systems and applications design firm. Since then, he has continued working as an Oracle developer, database administrator, architect, consultant, and evangelist. Today, Dean is the managing partner of VLSS LLC, a premier Oracle and VMware consulting firm. He serves as the lead enterprise architect with a focus on Oracle applications and database solutions. Dean is an Oracle 12c DBA Certified Master, Exadata Specialist, SQL Certified Expert, and VMware vExpert. Additionally he is a recognized Oracle licensing expert with presentations at VMworld, IOUG Collaborate, UKOUG, and OpenWorld.

Michael Corey

Co-Founder + Chief Operating Officer

Michael co-founded Database Technologies (DBT), the first East Coast consulting firm specializing in Oracle and other relational databases (later acquired by Level 3 Communications). Under his direction, the organization experienced triple-digit growth. Deloitte & Touche and Hale and Dorr recognized DBT as the fastest growing technology company in New England and the 51st fastest growing technology company in the United States. Michael also founded Ntirety, one of the first Managed Service Companies focused on database services and consulting (later acquired by HOSTING). He was honored with a gubernatorial appointment to the Massachusetts Robert H. Goddard Council for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, where he currently sits on the executive committee.

Michael is a prominent and prolific speaker and author. He frequently presents at international technology and business conferences traveling everywhere from Australia to Brazil. In 2017, Michael was named #42 among the cloud industry’s top 100 most influential people. Michael is a recognized Oracle ACE, VMware vExpert, and Microsoft Data Platform MVP (formerly Microsoft SQL Server MVP). He is the original Oracle press author; his newest book is Virtualizing SQL Server with VMware: Doing IT Right from VMware Press. Michael is a regular columnist on Clouds Trends for the Big Data Quarterly magazine.

Mary Petricone

Controller

Mary Petricone joined LicenseFortress as Controller in May 2019 to plan the overall financial strategy and direction at LicenseFortress, allowing the company to pursue an aggressive growth strategy and meet its client and investor expectations. She is an expert at identifying and solving business challenges and promoting growth within companies and organizations. Throughout her nearly 20-year career in accounting, auditing, and financial planning, Mary has established a reputation for aligning financial and business metrics to support business strategy. Mary is a CPA and holds a bachelor’s in accounting from Emmanuel College and an MBA from Bentley University. In addition to her work as a financial strategist, Mary is an ambitious advocate for the disabled. She chairs the Lowell Area Department of Development Services Citizen Advisory Board, where she advises the department about disability issues. Additionally, she has successfully organized significant events drawing legislators’ attention to the needs of those affected by disabilities.

LICENSEFORTRESS ADVISORY BOARD

Don Sullivan

Don oversees business-critical applications and databases working for VMware. He develops collateral related to Oracle, SAP, Microsoft, selected AI/ML projects, and third-party companies. Don also leads the teams that include the “VMware Experts Program,” which sponsors well-known subject matter experts in the application’s disciplines to work with VMware as members of these elite programs, as well as the VMware Solutions Lab (VSLab).

Don is a Global Oracle Resource who spent seven years working at Oracle as a senior principal instructor and an advanced technology consultant (ATS). He was one of the original creators of the Oracle Certified Master Practicum and instructor of the “Oracle Internals” seminars, considered among the most technically in-depth classes offered by Oracle University. Don is the co-author of the official VMware press book, the definitive source for Oracle on vSphere, “Virtualizing Oracle Databases on vSphere.” Additionally, he is a credentialed VMware CTO Ambassador and a vExpert.

As a Global Database specialist, Don has worked with VMware Professional Services as a solutions architect and VMware Sales as a database specialist systems engineer starting in 2010. Before moving to VMware, Don worked at the startup Polyserve during Hewlett Packard’s acquisition. In 2014, Don advanced to the VMware Cloud Platform Business Unit to direct Business Critical Operations, where he oversees business-critical applications running on VMware technologies.

Don is a frequent speaker at VMworld, Dell Technologies World, VMug & Quest Oracle Community/OUG events. Don wrote his master’s thesis on deeply recursive triggers in Sybase Transact SQL.

Sudhir Balasubramanian

Sudhir Balasubramanian is the VMware Sr Staff Solution Architect & Global Practice Lead for Oracle Technologies in the Cloud Infrastructure Business Group (CIBG), VMware . Sudhir specializes in the virtualization of Oracle business-critical applications. He has more than 27+ years’ experience in IT infrastructure and database, working as the Principal Oracle DBA / Architect for large enterprises including Sony , Sempra Energy Holdings, Teletech, SAIC etc. focusing on Oracle, EMC storage, and Unix and Linux technologies.

Sudhir holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from San Diego State University. He is the Lead Author of “Virtualize Oracle Business Critical Databases” , The official VMware Press book which is a comprehensive and authoritative information source for Oracle DBAs regarding Oracle and Linux deployments on a VMware vSphere platform.

Sudhir is a recognized speaker at various events including Oracle Cloud World (Open World), Oracle User Groups, Quest (IOUG/Collaborate), VMware Explore(VMworld), VMUG, Dell EMC World, SNIA, FMS, SDC and various Webinars.Sudhir is a VMware vExpert & vExpert Application Modernization , Member of the Office of the Chief Technical Ambassador VMware (Alumni) and an Oracle ACE.

Sudhir often writes blogs at https://blogs.vmware.com/apps & http://vracdba.com

Bart Sjerps

Bart Sjerps is a Principal Systems Engineer with extensive experience in UNIX, Linux, and database technology since 1995. Bart did research on aerodynamics for NASA and FAA and was responsible for running mission critical transaction systems in a major Dutch investment bank before joining EMC in 2000.

Bart was pre-sales engineer and solutions architect responsible for Philips Electronics – focusing on storage performance, database integration and disaster recovery.

Bart is Oracle subject matter expert for EMEA at Dell Technologies. His current primary focus is cost optimization by improving efficiency of database infrastructures.

Bart is author of several Open-Source tools for managing databases on Linux and VMware.

He also focuses on systems and information management, security and innovation – maintains a blog (Dirty Cache) on application optimization and is a speaker at technology events.

Bart lives in the south of the Netherlands, holds a bachelor’s degree in Avionics (Aviation Electronics) and is a private pilot, spending some of his free time “up in the air” flying cross-country and aerobatics.