Top Five Tips for Cloud Software Licensing
Cloud software licensing is by no means the sexiest of topics – but it's an important part of cloud computing that is all too often overlooked. We've compiled our top five tips for keeping on top of yours...
1. Shifting the responsibility for virtualisation. In your own, on-premise virtual environment you'll be responsible for licensing the virtual machines, the hypervisors, the storage and so on. When you make the move to cloud service provider (CSP) all of this is alleviated from you. It becomes the CSP's responsibility to manage and pay for the licenses, up to the OS.
2. Complexity. Cloud computing in itself can be complex; cloud licensing can be even more so. For example, if you're looking to put your Microsoft licenses onto your cloud platform, you'll need to have software assurance in place. For OEM licenses, you may need to re-evaluate the situation as it's not possible to transfer these onto a cloud platform.
3. Elasticity – knowing when you can scale-down. Cloud licenses allow you to scale up as quickly as you need to, which is great when you need extra resources for a certain period of time. But you need to be aware that once you have purchased those additional licenses, it can sometimes be difficult to scale back down again – which can sometimes leave you with unwanted costs.
4. Regular Review. The cloud licensing process is going through a lot of change at the moment. And like the rest of the cloud computing industry, it's likely to keep changing. The licenses you do have may not stay the same and so regular review is essential to ensure your licenses are up to date and you are getting the best deal.
5. Don't forget about auditing. You might have shifted most of your licensing costs off to your cloud service provider, but you could still be audited for the licenses you do have. Keep your documentation up to date to avoid any potential fines.
To watch the full chalk talk of technical expert George Pollard explaining these tips, click here.