Software License Management Tips

Software license management has become one of the more critical management functions for modern networks due to the high level of piracy that has been observed in recent years. License distribution and volume licensing agreements are very specific about how many users or how many desktops can have a particular software package installed at any given time, and it pays to have a comprehensive system in place to manage these installations.

Software can be licensed in single user installations for use on one computer by multiple users or on multiple computers by one user in most cases. Multiple licenses are also based on a per seat or per client basis in a similar manner. Per seat licensing is one license for each computer that has the software installed, and per client is one license for each user that will be accessing it at once.

Managing who has access to which software has become more important as networks grow in number of users or number of computers and as the variety of installed software packages grows. This includes operating systems, server software, off the shelf applications, and customized solutions as well as access to a variety of web based resources that require licensing.

Typical software licensing management begins with a comprehensive list of which software is installed on every machine on the network, the users who have access to each computer at any given time, and the number and type of licenses purchased for the products installed. This list is used to track purchases and installations and to inform management of the status of any particular license agreement at a glance.

Management continues into the planning stage to include the number of future licenses for each piece of software and the method for obtaining those licenses either by purchasing individual packages or by purchasing a volume software license agreement that allows a larger number of installations to be performed from a single physical media or a network installation.

Software activation plays a key role in regulating licensing by only allowing registered and activated products to operate and by communicating with the software vendor’s web server every time an installation occurs. To prevent being flagged as pirated or unverified software and risk loss of functionality or even legal ramifications, each license should be carefully monitored and compliance with the end user license agreements should be strictly enforced for every single license purchased.