ggall@apg-4.arpa (Gene Gall AMSTE-IMI 3708) (12/09/86)
Geroge/Frank,
I have been tasked with providing a quick response to a query regarding
site licensing of software. I haven't been following this too closely of late.
Would appreciate any off-the-top-of-your-head comments on current status.
On my last look, most software vendors (despite enormous pressure from
business users) were well-contented with status quo and reluctant to offer site
licenses. The few I read about seemed to be only token gestures
(astronomically priced). Has anything changed?
1. Any typical examples spring to mind (product, license cost, copy limit)?
2. Does one license generally provide for multiple formats (e.g., NorthStar,
Apple, Z-100, Wyse PC, Z-248)?
3. Are patches or upgrades included or even provided for?
Any quick thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.
Genejc@piaget.UUCP (John Cornelius) (12/13/86)
In article<1364@brl-adm.ARPA>ggall@apg-4.arpa (Gene Gall AMSTE-IMI 3708) writes: > > I have been tasked with providing a quick response to a query regarding >site licensing of software. I haven't been following this too closely of late. >Would appreciate any off-the-top-of-your-head comments on current status. These are DEFINITELY off the top of my head. > On my last look, most software vendors (despite enormous pressure from >business users) were well-contented with status quo and reluctant to offer >site licenses. The few I read about seemed to be only token gestures >(astronomically priced). Has anything changed? The major problem with site licenses for software vendors is that your idea of a site license is open ended. There is no limit on the number of machines a given program might be made to run on. Since license fees are what these guys use to put food on the table and Ferraris in the garage, why should they give it away? There are a number of vendors which will provide bulk and/or unsupported use licenses to large sites but there is still a per installation fee. DEC is one such company. >1. Any typical examples spring to mind (product, license cost, copy limit)? Many universities have site licenses for VMS and some PDP-11 operating systems. One copy of the operating system is fully licensed. The other installations pay a smaller fee (often much smaller) and get no manuals (purchased seperatly) and no support. When a bug fix or new version of the software is released, it is sent to the fully licensed installation which is responsible for distributing the revision and reporting all bugs. The USE ONLY installations are ignored when they call DEC with problems; they are required to go through the fully licensed site. >2. Does one license generally provide for multiple formats (e.g., NorthStar, >Apple, Z-100, Wyse PC, Z-248)? No! >3. Are patches or upgrades included or even provided for? See above. > Any quick thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks. It depends on what your objective is. Any arrangement you make with a software company will require sacrifice on the part of your institution. One approach is to contract to buy as a distributor and make a commitment to purchase 500 or 1000 copies of the product. If the manufacturer has several products of interest you should be able to mix and match. Universities usually cannot do this because it requires the purchase of a large number of packages up front, before you have homes for them. On the other hand, large companies often do it and just keep them in the stock room where they are purchased on a requisition. The key to this arrangement is that you actually have to buy as many as you say you will buy. -- John Cornelius (...!sdcsvax!piaget!jc)