News

• Microsoft System Center 2012 overhauls licensing, focuses on apps

  By Tim Greene | 20 April, 2012 08:25

  Microsoft has formally shipped System Center 2012 management platform, adding features that create application-centric views of corporate infrastructure and - just as important - implementing a new licensing scheme designed to capitalize on customers' frustration with the leading competitor, VMware.

• Birst offers concurrent user pricing for BI

  By Chris Kanaracus | 21 July, 2010 04:09

  On-demand BI vendor Birst announced Tuesday that it is now offering the option of concurrent user pricing, a licensing model few BI providers use because it can limit the amount of money they make compared to typical "named user" pricing.

• EnterpriseDB serves all-you-can-socket PostGres special

  By Joab Jackson | 03 June, 2010 05:02

  EnterpriseDB, which offers a supported version of the open-source PostGres database, is now offering unlimited subscriptions that will allow organizations to run as many copies of the database server software as they desire. Total cost? US$40,000 per year.

• Google exec worries over 'rudderless' Java

  By Joab Jackson | 14 April, 2010 06:20

  As if Oracle did not have enough work convincing MySQL users of its good intentions, the company also should set its sites on getting the Java platform back on track, contends a Google chief architect.

• Multiple consumer electronics companies hit with GPL lawsuit

  By Joab Jackson | 15 December, 2009 07:06

  The Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC) has brought a copyright lawsuit against 14 consumer electronics companies for allegedly violating GNU General Public License (GPL) in the use of GPL-licensed software in their products. Among those named in the suit are Best Buy, JVC, Western Digital Technologies and Westinghouse.

• Windows 7 install trick saves up to $US100

  By Gregg Keizer | 24 October, 2009 07:15

  Users can do a "clean" installation of Windows 7 using an upgrade license to save $80-$100 over the price of a 'full' edition, a popular blog has reported.

• Wipro may be trimming its IP licensing business

  By John Ribeiro | 25 September, 2009 07:30

  Indian outsourcer Wipro is considering exiting its business of creation and licensing of intellectual property (IP) in the area of connectivity, a company executive said on Thursday.

• Software license audits come in multiple flavors

  By Chris Kanaracus | 21 September, 2009 06:03

  There are several types of software license audits, each with their own risks and variables, experts say.

• Analysts: Microsoft enterprise licensing still challenging

  By Elizabeth Montalbano | 10 September, 2009 06:14

  Despite efforts from Microsoft over the years to simplify its software licensing for businesses, a new analyst report said it's more complex than ever for companies to figure out the most cost-effective way to acquire products from the vendor.

• Analyst: Microsoft's Windows 7 license numbers misleading

  By Elizabeth Montalbano | 17 July, 2009 07:12

  A former Microsoft employee and prominent analyst warned the financial community not to be misled by Microsoft's claims about early corporate adoption of Windows 7.

• Wikipedia drops GNU in favor of Creative Commons license

  By Juan Carlos Perez | 22 May, 2009 04:04

  The Wikimedia Foundation will change the terms under which it licenses the content in Wikipedia, the organization said Thursday.

• Oracle not budging on maintenance fees

  By Chris Kanaracus | 14 April, 2009 05:23

  It has become a regular ritual during Oracle's quarterly earnings conference calls. Company executives point to the vendor's lucrative revenue stream from maintenance - paid annually by customers as a percentage of their license fees - and bask in the approving glow of the financial analysts on the line.

• Layoffs leave orphaned hardware, unused software licenses

  By Lucas Mearian | 12 March, 2009 08:38

  Pat Beemer, IT director for Seattle Lighting, has a lot of orphaned computer hardware and unused software licenses on his hands -- the result of what he calls "serious" layoffs at the company.

• Microsoft cuts software leasing costs to retain companies

  By Eric Lai | 11 March, 2009 08:24

  In an attempt to retain recession-hit companies seeking to opt out of their software maintenance contracts, Microsoft is wooing them by cutting the price of leasing software by as much as 26%.

• Microsoft promotes Gutierrez to steer IP policy, licensing

  By Elizabeth Montalbano | 23 February, 2009 07:22

  Microsoft has promoted one of its intellectual property (IP) attorneys, Horacio Gutierrez, to an executive role to steer its IP policy and licensing programs.