Article Unmasking Oracle's Licensing Labyrinth: Java woes and beyond
Unmasking Oracle's Licensing Labyrinth: Java woes and beyond
By Insight UK / 21 Dec 2023
Ever since the revelation of the new Java price list in January 2023, organisations find themselves caught in the crossfire of Oracle’s licensing complexities with a focus on looking at the landscape of Java licensing and how it has, and will impact their IT budget. The journey from Java's 'free' era to Oracle's strategic shift in 2019 with Oracle's transition from usage-based metrics to a company-size-centric model has real-world consequences, and organisations have grappled with potentially unaffordable annual costs.
Navigating the Oracle minefield: A global view
Our observation and experience unveils daily struggles with how businesses are coping and learning to navigate this challenging terrain. They are having to make strategic decisions in contemplating a shift away from Java for cheaper options or how to mitigate against licensing cost increases if continuing down the Oracle roadmap. Despite increased awareness and focus, organisations must remain vigilant and understand the broader implications, as Oracle monitors and regulates Java usage, with potential repercussions for your entire IT ecosystem.
Java is the tip of the Iceberg
Whilst attention has been fixated on Java, organisations risk neglecting paying attention to what maybe their largest part of Oracle spend. Think of Oracle products such as Database, Weblogic, and more, with licensing policies that can drain your resources. Shift the spotlight beyond Java, look beneath the tip of the iceberg and embrace a holistic approach to Oracle license and contract management. Understand why monitoring Oracle product usage is not just a compliance necessity but a strategic imperative.
Just check the staggering costs of Oracle Database licenses and uncover the intricate licensing and pricing structures with the potential financial nightmares hidden within virtualization, DR environments, Kubernetis, and containers. Remember that a single processor license for Enterprise Database Processor today costs $47,500 USD for the license and $10,450 USD for the maintenance (Oracle technology price list). Now try to multiply those figures by the number of cores of your entire Vmware infrastructure where you have deployed your Oracle databases.
Navigate beyond Java: A comprehensive Oracle strategy
Shift the spotlight beyond Java and make sure you embrace a holistic approach to Oracle licensing and contractual management. When it comes to managing Oracle contracts and licensing they demand your constant attention, but many businesses need help to understand what is possible. Monitoring Oracle product usage is not just a compliance necessity, but a strategic imperative.
When looking at Oracle’s recent H1 2024 results where they missed expectations, and are struggling with overall revenue and cloud growth, there will be a big focus on boosting sales throughout the remainder of the fiscal 2024 year. With that backdrop, I would not be surprised to see an increase in audit activity through the remainder of their financial year.
Insight’s Optimisation & Governance consultants focused on Oracle can help you navigate the challenges and complexities. We can guide and support you to:
● Align usage to the rights within the contract terms
● Optimise license usage
● Reduce support costs
● Mitigate against unexpected costs when being audited
● Support your migration of Oracle workloads to the cloud in a cost effective way
● Gain the maximum return on investments in your Oracle spend
Contact us to see how we can work with you, offering guidance and expertise to ensure your Oracle environment is not just compliant but optimised for cost and success.
