202208.01
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3 Actions Oracle Customers Should Take at the End of a ULA

Of the many complex licensing arrangements Oracle offers to its customers, none seem to generate as much confusion and consternation as the Unlimited License Agreement (“ULA”). For companies that have already determined that they are not going to renew their ULAs with Oracle, the following are a few guidelines to follow to minimize the risks…

202010.01
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How to Contend with Oracle’s Many Licensing Policies

It is common practice for software publishers to incorporate by reference various licensing rules and policies to govern the usage of the publishers’ software products. For example, Microsoft’s volume license agreements (such as MPSAs or Enterprise Agreements) incorporate Microsoft’s Product Terms, Online Services Terms and Service Level Agreement for Online Services (among other documents), with…

202009.04
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Using an Oracle Server Worksheet to Respond to Oracle Licensing Inquiries

If your business receives an inquiry from Oracle requesting that you complete an Oracle Server Worksheet, you should proceed with caution. Answering the question without consulting a licensing expert and carefully evaluating the relevant license agreements can result in increased licensing fees, possible audits, and penalties. Before responding to an Oracle inquiry, it is important…

201812.12
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Oracle Licensing and Audit Challenges

Oracle software is used by a wide range of enterprises. Oracle’s audit practice has continued to grow and many customers are surprised by the outcomes in Oracle audits. In some instances, audits results in millions of dollars in licensing exposure. During this webinar, attendees learned: Typical Oracle Licensing Metrics, including Unlimited License Agreements Oracle Audit Approaches…

201809.13
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How to Understand Oracle’s Use of its Partitioning Policy for Virtualization

Oracle’s “Technology” software products (such as its WebLogic and Database programs) are very popular products. Unfortunately, as we have explained numerous times here, Oracle’s license agreements and compliance practices entail numerous pitfalls for unwary users of those products. Being caught in one of those pitfalls can result in substantial, unforeseen expenses following an audit by…

201803.15
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Oracle Licensing: Hard Partitioning and Disaster Recovery

When licensing Oracle products, many businesses fail to understand the licensing requirements for virtual technologies and disaster recovery.  These licensing mistakes can result in significant unbudgeted expenses related to Oracle software licensing. (1) Virtualization Virtualized hardware is now fairly pervasive in the IT world. But, incorrectly virtualizing an environment can have catastrophic effects to a…

201802.14
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Oracle Audit Risks

Oracle maintains what I consider to be the most aggressive audit program of any major software publisher. Its licensing rules can be extremely difficult to understand, and they frequently are not clearly stated in the applicable license agreements. Moreover, Oracle’s License Management Services (LMS) team typically is unforgiving when it comes time to apply those…