Is Software Licensing at a Breaking Point?
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Is Software Licensing at a Breaking Point?
Software licensing has become a giant thorn in the side of IT departments. Today's licensing environment is incredibly complex and is undergoing radical change. -
Natural Adaption
85% of the survey respondents believe that software vendors must constantly adapt to evolving market needs. -
Flexibility Rules
83% of the enterprise software users said that flexible software packaging and accessibility across multiple devices are extremely important to them. -
Forward Thinking
Three-quarters of the independent software vendors (ISVs) believe that business success revolves around software that is future-proof. -
Delivery Issues
Nearly half of ISVs admitted that they face challenges in delivering flexibility with software licensing and supporting their software on multiple devices. -
Widespread Challenges
Only one out of 10 ISVs and intelligent device manufacturers does not face any type of licensing operations challenges. -
Growing Disappointment
About 90% of the enterprises surveyed reported that they experience some type of challenge with their software licensing. -
Biggest Enterprise Gripes
Cost of renewing and managing licenses: 87%, Time spent at the task: 83%, Time spent on non-product-related development: 82%, Limited visibility about how products are used: 68%. -
Unlicensed Use
About 80% of ISV respondents said they worry about unlicensed software use—up from about 75% in 2012. -
Enterprise Users Wish List
Clarity about audits: 80%, Usage tracking: 72%, Improved pricing model: 71%, Improved license enablement: 60% -
Key Findings
ISVs are failing customers., Enterprises aren't complying with license agreements., Non-compliance has a significant impact., Third-party licensing solutions may provide a solution.
It's no secret that software licensing has become a giant thorn in the side of both IT departments and the business in general. Not only is today's licensing environment incredibly complex and becoming tougher, it's also undergoing radical change. Virtualization, clouds, software as a service (SaaS), mobile apps and entirely new digital delivery models introduce both opportunities and challenges—and alter the stakes dramatically. A new report from digital security firm Gemalto, "Software Licensing: Expectations, Challenges and the Future," notes that new and evolving models are affecting the way software vendors and buyers interact. The key themes the report identifies include: the need for a framework that supports anywhere, anytime access; user-centric licensing that revolves around individuals and not machines; better usage tracking and pricing models; and a common-use experience that spans on-premise use, clouds and various devices. Here are some of the key findings from the survey of 600 enterprise software users and 180 software vendors.