The perils of licensing
Product licensing is a complex area, where it seems that every vendornot only
has a different and incompatible system, but modifies it every eighteen months.
The factors that can affect licensing are:
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named versus concurrent
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functionality enabled
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processor size and speed
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maintenance as a percentage of list price (not negotiated price)
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leased rather than licenses
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number of processors
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development, testing & failover system licenses
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pre-packaged in zones e.g. 1–5 seats = $x, 5–10 = $y.
This is of particular concern during any selection process. It is unlikely that
one will have a full understanding of future license needs, and it is easy to
fall into the trap of choosing a cheap product, and finding that significant
licensing costs emerge as the solution expands. This necessitates a messy
process of costing multiple scenarios (especially future ones), to ensure that
you have an apples–with–apples comparison, as well as an understanding of any
likely cost exposure.
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