Insights

Compliance ·
IBM ·
Oracle ·

Oracle SE2 Clarification Impacts Customers Using IBM or AMD MCM Processors

Oracle now counts each chip in Multi-Chip Module (MCM) processors—such as IBM Power and some AMD EPYC models—as separate sockets for SE2 licensing. Here's what that means for compliance.

Business Practices ·
VMware ·

A Complete Guide to All the VMware Licensing Changes Post Broadcom Acquisition

Broadcom’s $69 billion acquisition of VMware on November 22, 2023, has kicked off a series of sweeping VMware licensing changes that are already reshaping licensing, pricing, support, and renewals for…

Business Practices ·
Procurement ·

What Is FinOps? And Why It’s the Key to Smarter Software Licensing and Cloud Costs

FinOps. It’s the buzzword you’ve probably heard in a meeting, nodded along to, and then quietly Googled afterward. Don’t worry—you’re not alone. Like most IT acronyms, it sounds more complicated than…

Business Practices ·
Microsoft ·

Recent Microsoft Changes: 365, Teams, From SA and NCE Pricing – What’s at Stake

Microsoft's latest licensing changes affect Microsoft 365, Teams, SA Changes, and NCE pricing —here’s what ITAM teams need to know to stay compliant.

Business Practices ·

The High Cost of Layoffs: How Software Vendors Exploit Your Shrinking IT Resources – And What To Do About It

In the U.S., economic instability and market volatility have heightened concerns about a potential recession, leading businesses to brace for financial challenges ahead. Consequently, companies tighten their budgets and often begin with layoffs. In…

The Hidden Security Risks of Poor Software Compliance

When organizations think about software compliance, the immediate concern is often vendor audits and financial penalties. While these are real and costly risks, compliance failures also open the door to cybersecurity threats,…

Business Practices ·
Microsoft ·

Guide: How to Right-Size Your Microsoft 365 Licenses Before Renewal

Right-size your Microsoft 365 licenses to cut costs, reduce waste, and renew with confidence using a data-driven licensing strategy.

Software Audits Are Costing You More Than You Think—Here’s Why

It’s no secret that software audits drain companies of time and money, but the scale of their impact is growing. Our recently published 2025 Survey on Software Audits, commissioned by LicenseFortress and produced…

Set Yourself Up for Success in 2025. Learn Why Investing in ITAM Pays Off.

As 2024 comes to a close, IT leaders are grappling with how to allocate year-end budgets effectively. This year brought transformative changes to software licensing, with major headlines from vendors…

Business Practices ·

Our Low-Profile Promise: Client Confidentiality, Protection, and Proven Results

We all know that friend who just has to name-drop every person they’ve ever met—no matter how forced it sounds. A lot of our competitors do the same, but you…

Java ·

Oracle Changes Terms and Conditions on Java 17: What You Need to Know

Oracle has introduced important changes that may significantly impact your organization’s Oracle Java licensing strategy. With the recent release of Java 21 in September 2023, there have been shifts in…

Audit ·
Java ·
Oracle ·

Oracle Java Audits Surge at an Alarming Rate: Outpacing Industry Predictions

In January of last year, we issued a red alert to our customers about the major changes to Oracle’s Java licensing model and their potential impact on future Oracle Java…

Compliance ·
Oracle ·
ULA ·

Capped Oracle ULA: A Strategic Tool or a Compliance Trap?

Discover the benefits and challenges of Oracle's capped ULA, a licensing solution with controlled deployment for cost-effective management.

Why Compliance and Security Teams Must Work Together

Compliance Isn’t Just a Legal Checkbox Security professionals are tasked with protecting critical systems from cyber threats, while compliance teams focus on ensuring an organization meets licensing, regulatory, and contractual…

Navigating Oracle’s EOFY Series —Part VI: Final Preparations and Execution

Discover expert strategies for Oracle EOFY final preparations. Maximize leverage, align with objectives, and close deals successfully.

Spilling The Tea On The Audit Exemption Promise Under Oracle’s VSAM Partner Program

Imagine finding the perfect Software Asset Management (SAM) partner, one who whispers the enticing promise of “no future audits” into your ear. It’s tempting to dive headfirst into this relationship,…

Business Practices ·
Oracle ·

Navigating Oracle’s EOFY: Part V — How to Leverage Timing in Your Negotiations

Welcome to Part V of our series on navigating Oracle’s End of Fiscal Year (EOFY) – Leveraging Timing in Your Negotiations. Having developed a robust negotiation strategy in Part IV,…

Compliance ·
ITAM ·
Java ·

Join Us at ITAM Wisdom North America 2024 in St. Petersburg, FL

Discover insights on software licensing & management at ITAM Wisdom 2024. Join LicenseFortress in St. Petersburg for expert sessions!

Business Practices ·
Oracle ·

Navigating Oracle’s EOFY: Part IV — How to Develop a Negotiation Strategy

Dive into our 4th post on Oracle's EOFY: Develop a strong negotiation strategy to optimize your Oracle investments and partnerships.

VMware ·

Is Broadcom Scrapping VMware for Spare Parts?

Is Broadcom dismantling VMware? Explore the sale of the EUC Division to KKR and its impact on the digital workspace in our latest post.

Understanding Your Legal & Contractual Rights in a Software License Audit

Explore the critical role of software audits in management, their legal implications, and the rights and obligations of licensees in this insightful blog post.

Business Practices ·
Procurement ·

Unpopular Opinion: It’s Your Responsibility to Purchase the Right Software, Not the Vendors.

Navigating software procurement? It's your responsibility to ensure due diligence and ethical engagement for the right choices.

Business Practices ·
Oracle ·

Part III: Defining Organizational Goals in Oracle Licensing Strategy

Explore Part III of our series on Oracle EOFY: Defining organizational goals to align your licensing with business growth.

database administration and software license compliance

Business Practices ·
Compliance ·

No, Your DBA Should Not Be in Charge of Your Software License Compliance. Here’s Why.

Explore the key differences between Database Administration and Software License Compliance, and why they're distinct yet crucial roles.

How to Avoid a Bad Oracle Relationship with a Third Party Mediator

Explore how third-party mediation can transform your bad Oracle relationship into opportunities for clarity and partnership.

Understanding and Limiting the Scope of an Oracle Audit

Master Oracle audit scope management to ensure compliance and protect your data with expert strategies and insights.

Audit Anxiety? How to Navigate Any Audit Scenario with Ease

Navigate software license audit anxiety with ease. Discover how LicenseFortress transforms audit challenges into opportunities for compliance, financial stability, and team growth.

Navigating Oracle’s EOFY: Part II – Analyze License Usage

Explore critical strategies for Oracle license management in Part II of our EOFY series. Dive into effective license usage analysis to optimize costs and ensure compliance.

Broadcom shifts VMware licensing model to subscriptions

VMware ·

Broadcom’s Strategy Unveiled: Understanding the VMware Subscription Model Shift

In a landmark shift that's reshaping the tech landscape, Broadcom has announced its move to transition VMware into a subscription-based model, marking the end of perpetual license sales. This strategic…

AWS ·
Microsoft ·

Microsoft Isn’t Playing Fair When it Comes to the Cloud

Delve into how Microsoft cloud licensing revisions are redefining the cloud services landscape. Understand how these changes affect flexibility, costs, and competition, and why staying informed is vital for businesses…

Business Practices ·

A Business Case for Spending Your Year-End Budget

As the year draws to a close, many organizations are faced with the critical decision of how to allocate their remaining budget. In an economic climate rife with the potential of…

Navigating Oracle’s EOFY: Part I — Internal Audit and Data Gathering

A month-by-month guide for Oracle's fiscal year-end preparation, focusing on internal audits and detailed data gathering to navigate Oracle agreements, analyze support invoices, and understand legal complexities.

IBM ·

Navigating IBM’s Price Increases: A Strategic Guide for Businesses

Learn about the reasons behind IBM's price hike, its regional effects, and various strategies to mitigate its impact, including negotiation tips, contract renewal planning, and exploring alternative solutions.

Business Practices ·

Performance Guarantees in Software Asset Management: More Hype Than Assurance?

Understand the pitfalls of non-compliance and learn why genuine commitment trumps marketing gimmicks of a 'performance guarantees'.

Business Practices ·

The Paradox of Trust: Software Asset Management and Data Privacy

Amid the digital era's push for data privacy, some software asset management companies use high-profile client names as a marketing ploy. This not only contradicts their role as data protectors…

Speculating: Is VMware the Next to Join Aggressive Software License Audits?

We examine the speculation around VMware's potential shift towards aggressive software license audits due to its pending sale to Broadcom, considering factors like reputation, industry trends, and the balance between…

Compliance ·
Java ·

The Release of Java 21: What This Means for Java Customers

Delve into the offerings of Java 21 and learn to skillfully traverse the licensing maze, securing maximum advantages while controlling costs.

How Much Does an Oracle Licensing Violation Cost?

Navigating Oracle's complex licensing models can be a minefield of potential violations, leading to unexpected costs for organizations. Our guide sheds light on the most common to least common Oracle…

Oracle’s 13% Stock Drop Sets Stage for Rising Audits

As Oracle grapples with a 13% plunge in stock value, alarm bells are ringing on the audit front. Factors like missed earnings projections, an overwhelming $89 billion in debt, the…

Legal ·
Oracle ·

Oracle v. Rimini Street Timeline and Customer Implications

The Oracle v. Rimini Street legal battle was a significant event in the software industry. The dispute centered on copyright infringement, with Oracle asserting that Rimini Street had improperly accessed,…

Six Critical Oracle Audit Negotiation Tips

While Oracle holds the upper hand in the audit process due to their contracts and intellectual property ownership, there are several points of negotiation you can strategically leverage to create…

Why Organizations Hesitate to Hire a Third-Party Expert for an Oracle Audit

An in-depth look at the risks and challenges of navigating an Oracle audit without external expertise, revealing how third-party experts can provide invaluable guidance that can save time, money, and…

Audit ·
Oracle ·

Audit Help from Oracle: Friend or Foe?

Oracle, renowned for its comprehensive suite of software services, is not without its complexities. Particularly when it comes to license management and compliance, customers often find themselves grappling with convoluted…

Audit ·
Java ·

Navigating Oracle Java Soft Audits: Striking a Delicate Balance

Oracle Java license soft audits, often perceived as looming risks, necessitate organizations to carefully navigate the situation as auditors delve into compliance matters. While there is no legal obligation to…

Audit ·
Java ·

Everything You Need to Know About the Java Audit Process

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you most likely are aware of the series of changes Oracle has made to licensing its Java products over the past few years.…

Compliance ·
Java ·

The New Oracle Java Pricing: What You Need to Know

Oracle has recently made some changes to its Oracle Java pricing model, and as a result, many organizations are now questioning the cost implications of using this technology. In this…

IBM ·
Microsoft ·
Oracle ·

Enterprise Software Licensing and Audit Trends Survey

Coming out of the pandemic, faced with an uncertain economy, software vendors have been looking for sources of additional revenue. And they have found it—through customer software audits. Unsurprisingly, these…

12 Pro Tips for Overcoming an Oracle Audit in 2023

You’ve heard the stories [or shall we say nightmares] about Oracle audits. And you have always feared what an Oracle audit might reveal should your organization be the subject of…

7 Reasons Why Waiting for an Oracle Audit is the Wrong Approach

If you head up IT and your organization is an Oracle customer, are you sleeping well at night? If you are monitoring your Oracle licenses, you can sleep soundly. And…

How to Choose a Software License Consultant

Business Practices ·
Oracle ·

Not All Advice is Created Equal: What to Look for in a Software License Consultant

Getting the right advice to move forward is vital. Consider these questions about a potential software license consultant.

Nutanix ·

The ArxPlatform is Nutanix Ready AHV Integrated Approved

We are thrilled to announce that our ArxPlatform 6.0 has achieved the prestigious status of being Nutanix Ready AHV integrated approved in Applications. This significant achievement attests to our commitment…

Audit ·
Oracle ·

The Empire Strikes Back: Increasingly Aggressive Oracle Audits, Explained

A long time ago (ok, before the infamous Google suit was determined), in a galaxy far, far, far away (except not really that far), Oracle – while never exactly a…

Click-through Contract Caution: Why You Need to Read the Small Print

Let’s face it; most of us don’t read the fine print in click-through contracts. We often find ourselves clicking ‘Accept’ without a second thought. Especially when it comes to accepting…

Avoiding Conflicts in Software License Management

Oracle ·

How to Avoid Conflicts of Interest in Oracle Software Asset Management

Learn how to identify any conflicts of interest in software asset management when evaluating potential partners and consultants.

Oracle ·

How to Build a Better Oracle Relationship: Stop Oversharing

Sesame Street and organizations like the Salvation Army might tell you that sharing is caring, but there are people you shouldn’t open up to.

2021 LicenseFortress Company Update

Hi, I'm Dean Bolton, Co-Founder and Chief Architect of LicenseFortress. I wanted to thank our customers for their continued support and loyalty. 2020 was a challenging year for many businesses…

Compliance ·
Oracle ·

Oracle on Amazon RDS: licensee beware (Part 2)

It sounds like a great deal at first. Spin up a fully-managed Oracle database instance with the license cost already baked in. And in a lot of ways, it can…

Compliance ·
Oracle ·

Oracle on Amazon RDS: licensee beware (Part 1)

It sounds like a great deal at first: spin up a fully-managed Oracle database instance with the license cost already baked in. And in a lot of ways, it can…

Oracle ·
ULA ·

Why the Oracle Perpetual ULA is Insidious

Ok, we’ll admit it. We like to encourage a healthy skepticism of Oracle Unlimited Licensing Agreements (ULAs) here at LicenseFortress, but we’re completely willing to admit that there are scenarios where adopting…

Oracle ·
Procurement ·

Why You Should Plan for Oracle’s End-of-Fiscal-Year Now

If you can plan for it, you can often score some pretty sweet deals around the Oracle’s end-of-fiscal-year, May 31. It’s not for everyone, but some Oracle customers swear by doing…

Legal ·
Oracle ·

Why You Need Preventative Software Legal Services

Imagine, for a moment, that you could inoculate your organization against audits or negative legal entanglements regarding your Oracle agreements.

Oracle ·

Oracle Changes to Term Licenses: 4 Facts You Should Know

Near the end of the summer, Oracle announced that it was making a “strategic decision to eliminate on-premise term licenses,” effective September 1, 2020. Oracle states this decision was influenced…

Oracle ·

Oracle’s New Data Recovery Requirements

On July 28, 2020, Oracle issued new guidance on Licensing Data Recovery environments. It is important to take the time and review these policy statements from Oracle. It is possible…

Legal ·

Get to Know Beeman & Muchmore, LLP

LicenseFortress announced a new exclusive partnership with Beeman & Muchmore, LLP, the Northern California law firm founded by Arthur S. Beeman and Joel T. Muchmore, the legal duo that served…

Oracle ·

Important Change to On-Premise Term Licenses

With our joint customers’ focus directed toward the Cloud and the on-premise customers moving more toward perpetual licenses, we made a strategic decision to eliminate on-premise term licenses, providing streamlined…

Oracle ·
ULA ·

U-LA-La: 3 More Unlimited Licensing Agreement Myths

Imagine that during negotiations, you mention a specific point you want written into the ULA – an exception to the technical support cap, for example – and your Oracle salesperson…

Oracle ·
ULA ·

3 Common Myths about Oracle ULAs You Probably Believe

There are few things worse than thinking you understand something – a complex, multi-faceted historical event that’s easy to oversimplify, a movie with a nuanced ending, or your relationship with…

the limits of unlimited licensing agreements

Oracle ·
ULA ·

The Limits of Unlimited License Agreements

Most people like the sound of the word “unlimited.” Unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks at a certain well-known Italian chain restaurant; unlimited free refills; the all-you-can-eat buffet.

Our Headquarters has Relocated to Sunny Los Angeles!

We are excited to announce our headquarters has relocated to the LA region, where we will have access to more of the industry’s top technical talent. Through a combination of…

Audit ·
Oracle ·

Didn’t Mean to Turn You On: A Brief Study in Accidentally Enabled Features

Everything is running along just fine for your organization’s Oracle product – or so you think. But many organizations using Oracle products don’t know until it’s too late that a…

Oracle ·

Oracle Standard Edition 2 High Availability (HA)

Almost one year after announcing that Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC) is de-supported on Oracle Standard Edition 2 starting with Oracle Database 19c, the other shoe finally dropped: Oracle announced…

Oracle ·

Oracle Licensing 101: Oracle LMS is Still Making it Up

This February, LicenseFortress sent a few people to the RMOUG Training Days conference. RMOUG Training Days (https://rmoug.org/training/) is an outstanding event loaded with top-tier Oracle experts and technical content. It's…

Oracle ·

Oracle Spatial: Free in All Editions!

Just a quick update around Oracle licensing changes from last week. As of December 5, 2019, Oracle Spatial is no longer a licensable feature and is included free with all…

Oracle ·

New Oracle Terms and Conditions – Buyer Beware

It should be no surprise to anyone who reads this article that Oracle Corporation, like many other vendors, is using software audits as a way to generate easy revenue.

Oracle ·

OpenWorld 2019: Multitenant Changes

Oracle is making significant progress in implementing its long-awaited multitenant changes, which involve a fundamental shift towards pluggable databases. Over five years since the initial announcement, the vision is finally…

Oracle ·
VMware ·

Oracle and VMware Partner Up to Support Customer Hybrid Clouds – A Licensing Viewpoint

At Oracle OpenWorld, Oracle announced an expanded partnership to help customers leverage their existing enterprise software and cloud solutions to make the move to the cloud. Under this new partnership,…

Oracle ·
VMware ·

Sub-cluster Licensing in the VMware Cloud on AWS

We're thrilled to announce a long-awaited development: the approval of licensing sub-clusters for Oracle in VMware Cloud on AWS. While this capability has actually been available since February, the technical…

Java ·
Oracle ·

The Impact and Solution to the 2019 Oracle Java Licensing Changes

In a significant development, Oracle made a substantial change to the licensing of Java, effective April 16, 2019. his alteration has the potential to create financial implications for organizations that…

Audit ·
Oracle ·

Top 7 Reasons You’re Getting Audited by Oracle

Let’s face it, if you’re an Oracle® customer, you’ve heard about Oracle License Management Services (LMS). And you for a fact know that they come in and perform Oracle software…

Audit ·
Oracle ·

Five Immediate Steps to Take in an Oracle Audit

#1: Relax The general terms of an Oracle licensing contract specify that, upon 45 days written notice, Oracle may audit your use of their programs. You agree to cooperate with…

AWS ·
Oracle ·

Licensing Oracle on AWS? A Word of Caution

Exercise caution and be aware of the facts when it comes to Oracle licensing on AWS. Some licensing firms may suggest a recent policy announcement creates an opportunity, but we…

Top Ten Reasons You Need Software Licensing Help

Oracle ·

Ten Reasons You Need Software Licensing Help from LicenseFortress

Discover the top 10 reasons why hiring LicenseFortress for software license management provides expert guidance, compliance assurance, audit defense, license optimization, vendor negotiations, risk mitigation, cost savings, efficient renewals and…

Six questions you should be asking your staff about oracle licensing

Oracle ·

Six Critical Questions You Should Be Asking Your Staff About Oracle Licensing

Despite relying on your IT staff to ensure compliance with license agreements, it is essential to ask crucial questions to maintain control over your licensing environment. In this blog, we…

Oracle ·
ULA ·

Welcome to Oracle ULA 101

An Unlimited License Agreement (ULA) is a time-based contract for unlimited use for a subset of Oracle products. At the end of the term, the customer may choose to renew…

Oracle ·
VMware ·

VMware CPU Affinity Scheduler Operation

Within VMware vSphere, you have the ability to set CPU Affinity on a particular Virtual Machine (VM). CPU Affinity is where you restrict the virtual machine running on vSphere to…

Procurement ·

3 Approaches to Software Procurement

Navigating the complexities of software contracts has become increasingly challenging in today's business landscape. As software solutions advance and evolve, licensing models and terms have grown more intricate, making it…

Oracle ·
VMware ·

Oracle Licensing with VMware NSX

'm sure some of you are asking how a network virtualization product can help with software licensing. Well, if you've been following VLSS for a while, you know that our…

I'm Getting Audited. Now What?

How Do I Build a Compelling Case for SAM?

How Do I Establish a Software License Baseline?

How Can FinOps Help Reduce Software Licensing Costs?

How Does an M&A Impact Our Software Compliance?

How Do I Prepare for an Upcoming Renewal?

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