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By Tony Lock

This research from Freeform Dynamics, based on a survey of end users,  identifies the challenges faced by IT departments and suppliers on software licensing, and offers advice to organisations on dealing with software licensing.

This research from Freeform Dynamics, based on a survey of end users,  identifies the challenges faced by IT departments and suppliers on software licensing, and offers advice to organisations on dealing with software licensing.

Organisations are faced with a wide range of license models for the software they deploy in their business operations. The advent of ’cloud’ options for the delivery of some services is further adding to the mix, but one constant remains. This research reveals there is perceived to be insufficient flexibility available in the majority of software licensing models and this appears to be inhibiting organisations as they seek to implement business requests more rapidly.

Key findings:

• Few organisations know what software they are using
• The proliferation of licensing mechanisms is aggravating the problem
• Use of Software as a Service (SaaS) is rising, but beware contract inflexibility
• Many licences and subscriptions are based on the ‘ratchet’ principle of commitment

It is clear that many organisations need to get better at managing their software assets and subscription arrangements, while suppliers must stop dragging their feet on providing the flexibility needed to support the promise of cloud computing.

In the meantime, contract due diligence is as important as evaluating functional fit, security, manageability, cost and other aspects of solutions and services when making software or SaaS related decisions.

Freeform Dynamics is a research and analysis firm which tracks and reports on the business impact of developments in the IT and communications sectors. It uses an innovative research methodology to gather feedback directly from those involved in IT strategy, planning, procurement and implementation.

Vendor:

TechTarget ComputerWeekly.com

Posted:

Feb 8, 2021

Published:

Aug 5, 2011

Format:

HTML

Type:

Analyst Brief