License to Compute: Software Licenses

Buying software for a home computer is a relatively uncomplicated process. Figuring out which software to buy is the only difficult part. After that, the actual purchase involves only a single call to a Alliance Technologies, a visit to a favorite website, or a trip to a local retailer.

Buying business software, on the other hand, can be much more complicated. With home software, physical access is typically the only limiting thing – if you bought the media, you’re golden for as long as you want to use the software (with the exception of some antivirus subscriptions).

Business software is generally purchased through software licensing, instead of attached to physical media. Unlike home retail software, business software is generally provided with only a single physical copy of the media, or even just a link to download the software from the producer. The limit on how many computers the software can be installed on is based on the licensing agreement.

When business software is purchased, the purchaser is typically provided with a license key code, which is good for a limited number of software installations. The type of license also differs depending on the options the business needs: is the software an upgrade or a new purchase? Is the software permanently tied to a specific piece of hardware, or can it be uninstalled and reinstalled on another machine? Is the software based on the number of users, the number of installations, or the number of physical computer processors?

The answers to these questions all call for different types of software licenses. Software upgrade pricing is different from new software purchases. OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) software can only legally be used on one machine.

Some software licenses are based on the number of computer processors and others are based on specific user or devices based licenses called CALs (Client Access License). It all depends on the software and all companies are different. With all these options, it can be confusing to get the right licenses you need for the software you want. Spending time properly researching your software is the best way to make sure you only purchase the licenses you need and don’t spend any more money than necessary. But sometimes there isn’t enough time to do the research yourself. Luckily, we have licensing experts here at Alliance Technologies to help you decide the best software and licensing package for your business.

We’ll wade through the confusion to find the best solution for your business.