Database & EBS Security

UNDERSTANDING ORACLE LICENSING PRACTICES

Oracle licensing is complex, elaborate and has a lot of details to it. With Oracle’s never ending acquisition of technology vendors, it is often challenging for an Oracle customer to keep up with the latest licensing policies and procedures. Oracle licensing policy states that any software installed and/or used needs to be properly licensed. Therefore there are a few questions that the Oracle customer must not avoid:

According to analyst house Gartner, Oracle is one of the top four software vendors conducting license audits and at the highest frequency. Gartner also states that, if an organization has not been audited in the last three years, then there is a 65% chance that the organization may be audited in the next 12 months.

The audit clause in the standard Oracle license agreement states that Oracle may audit the customer once-a-year upon a 45-day notice. The clause also explains that that the customer must agree to pay within 30 days of written notification any fees applicable to the use of the programs in excess of the license rights.

It is imperative for Oracle customers to mitigate their financial, operational and legal risks by adhering to Oracle licensing best practices.

CrosPlat's Oracle certified licensing experts can help you navigate the licensing system to ensure compliance while avoiding unnecessary licences, helping you minimize risk while maximizing your software investments.

• What Oracle licenses does your company currently own?
• Do you have adequate Oracle licenses for all your IT environments?
• Do you know if your Oracle licenses are being managed effectively?
• Do you understand the serious implications of a contractually abiding Oracle license audit?
• Does your team fully understand the Oracle licensing complexities, contractual rights and restrictions?
• Are of aware of any exposure to financial and operational risks, by means of license over-usage or under-usage?