Best time to prepare to leave an Oracle ULA? The day after it starts, say licensing gurus

The best time to prepare for exiting an Oracle Unlimited License Agreement is the day after the user organization signs up to one, according to software asset management experts. Although Oracle says its ULA agreements are "generally considered an easy way for a large global organization to support business agility and value …

[Anonymous Coward]

or the sensible approach

Stay as far away from anything oracle related as possible.

[GlenP]

Re: or the sensible approach

Yep, we were looking at alternative ERP systems, anything that mentioned Oracle was immediately culled from the list.

[hoola]

Re: or the sensible approach

Is SAP any better as a company?

I have no experience to don't know......

[b0llchit]

Do not play with the oracle dice

The biggest win for your bottom line is not to deal with oracle at all.

I'd rather pay a postgres support firm a large annual sum than to give one penny to oracle. With the former I retain my choices and options, while the latter is like dealing with the devil.

[zuckzuckgo]

Re: Do not play with the oracle dice

> ... while the latter is like dealing with the devil.

... while the latter is dealing with the devil. FTFY.

[Richard 12]

There's an important phrase in there

Compliance, an advisory firm specializing in Oracle licensing

If there are any advisory firms specialising in licensing for the thing, it means the licenses are very expensive, very difficult to understand and comply with and have significant consequences for failure to comply.

Which makes using the thing an existential risk to the business.

[jonathan keith]

But... why?

Frankly I'm astounded that anyone is still doing business with Oracle.

[b0llchit]

Re: But... why?

That is because of OSI layers 8, 9 and 10, also known as friends, money and politics.

[Bebu]

The Godfather?

"...are really priced by what Oracle wants to get out of the account, what they believe they can get out of the account. Usually it's seven figures plus."

Sounds more like a Corleone shakedown. "I make you an offer you can't refuse."

[Dideyesneeze]

The value of a ULA is 90% (or more) recognized the moment it is signed.

ULAs are doubly problematic for 1) the outdated issues outlined in the article and 2) the requirement to keep paying support for the ULA's term let alone many years after.

The "software asset management experts" quoted in the article implicitly suggest its best to certify at the end of the term.

Smart customers enter breach (aka accelerated certification) and initiate strategies to reduce the annual software support fees sooner rather than later.