Management of software licenses can be complex. Utilizing Software Licensing Management (SLM) tools may help your organization to streamline resources and mitigate risks more easily.
Software License Management is the process of documenting, tracking, controlling and optimizing software licenses within an organization in order to avoid compliance violations and costly fines.
User-Based Licensing
User-based license models allow software customers to gain access to a suite based on their unique email and password, making this an excellent way to support multiple devices like desktops, mobiles and web-based applications. In addition, this model provides real-time data that can help improve or detect unauthorised usage of software products.
User-based licensing is often combined with other models, including device or metered license models. Metered licensing limits software access based on something that can be counted, such as how often an application has been opened or time spent using it; one form of metered licensing known as use time licensing lets software customers pay in advance for a fixed period to use the application - once that period expires, access no longer remains until paying more to renew their usage rights.
Concurrent Licensing
Concurrent license management software serve to optimize cost efficiency for enterprises operating across timezones and needing to support employees working different shifts.
Once a device with a concurrent license logs out, its seat returns to the license pool to be utilized by another machine - offering greater flexibility and scale than traditional device-locked license models.
Concurrent use license models provide deeper data about software usage that can be leveraged for everyday administration, budgeting or billing needs. Utilizing such data is key in understanding software use and optimizing user experiences - yet getting an understanding of concurrent use licensing can often be challenging; it requires taking an holistic view that encompasses license management technology as well as software application itself.
On-Demand Licensing
From a business perspective, licensing your software application effectively means creating a license model that maximizes revenue while giving users sufficient flexibility when using your product. A software licensing system is required in order to enforce any specific access and usage rules you set for your app.
Metered licenses enable licensors to monitor how access is granted by each user and use this to offer various pricing models - for instance you could charge per day, week, month or even year.
Project-based licenses involve providing customers with a base licence, then allocating project-team specific entitlements. Once an entitlement has been checked out from the main pool, no other user may request its use until its return back into it.
License Agreements
License agreements are legal contracts between licensor and licensee that facilitate the monetization of intellectual property assets for businesses. License agreements can either be exclusive or non-exclusive and cover an array of business assets such as trademarks, copyrights, patents or music.
Licensing allows companies to generate income without having to develop products on their own. For instance, a small business that created software to analyze large amounts of data might license it out to larger financial institutions who need the same tool.
Before entering into a licensing agreement, both the licensor and licensee should establish ownership of the IP being licensed. They should then determine if their agreement will be exclusive or non-exclusive as well as its duration; its scope should also be clearly established to avoid any potential confusion or misunderstandings. It's also essential that both parties include non-disclosure agreements to safeguard confidential information and processes.
