For Military VMware users: When Underwater Operations Meet Licensing Flexibility

Fun fact: VMware has introduced a new “critical” license designation to accommodate environments where continuous connectivity for license reporting is impossible, like military submarines. This tweak highlights the growing need for licensing models that account for truly disconnected or highly secure environments. What Changed VMware software subscriptions traditionally require one of two licensing modes: However,…

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Microsoft Ends Volume Discounts: Why the Change Matters for Licensing Strategy

On November 1, 2025, Microsoft is eliminating the longstanding volume-based “waterfall” discounts (Levels B–D) for Online Services under Enterprise Agreements (EA), MPSA, and OSPA. All customers will pay Level A list pricing for services like Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Azure, and more, drastically reducing the value of bulk licensing. This pivot has big implications for budgeting, cloud adoption, and…

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Microsoft’s Pricing Changes for Online Services: What You Need to Know

On August 12, 2025, Microsoft unveiled a significant change to its pricing model for Online Services under volume licensing agreements, including Enterprise Agreement (EA), Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA), and China’s Online Services Premium Agreement (OSPA). Beginning November 1, 2025, Microsoft will apply a single, standardized price, matching the publicly listed price on Microsoft.com,…

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The Rising Tide of Linux on Business Desktops

According to Lansweeper, Linux usage on enterprise endpoints (desktops and laptops) rose from 1.6% in January 2025 to 1.9% in June, and among devices deployed after March 1, 2025, it reached 2.5%. These figures are drawn from a whopping 18.5 million device scans, signaling significant and growing enterprise interest in Linux. This isn’t a fluke, it’s…

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Oracle VirtualBox’s Hidden Licensing Shift: What SAM Teams Must Know

Oracle quietly revised the licensing terms for VirtualBox’s Extension Pack, eliminating the previous free evaluation loophole. Now, even downloading the Extension Pack after version 7.1 could obligate you to pay for a commercial license, regardless of whether you ever used it. Here’s what you need to know. What’s Changed? What This Means for Organizations Why…

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Oracle Database 23ai – Release Update 23.9: What SAM Teams Need to Know

Oracle just released Oracle Database 23ai – Release Update 23.9, and it’s packed with enhancements that dramatically improve developer productivity, data management flexibility, security, and operations. From compile-time JavaScript checks to smarter AI‑vector indexing, this latest release reflects Oracle’s continued leadership in enterprise-grade, adaptive databases. Developer Productivity and SQL Enhancements Security & Access Control Data,…

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From Free to Fee: Bitnami’s Bold Shift and What It Means for DevOps

Broadcom has officially confirmed that Bitnami’s free container catalog will end on August 28, 2025, replaced by high-cost subscription tiers ranging from $50,000 to $72,000 per year for enterprise-grade access. This transition marks another step in Broadcom’s playbook, acquire, monetize, and accept customer churn for higher per‑customer revenue. What’s Actually Changing? Why This Matters The Reality for…

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How Sui is Building a Blockchain for Software Licensing at Scale

The world of software licensing has long been a centralized affair, governed by complex agreements, restrictive terms, and the constant specter of vendor audits. For years, blockchain technology has been touted as a potential solution, promising a future of immutable ownership records and transparent, automated compliance. However, the dream has often been hampered by the…

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European Cloud Providers Drag Broadcom’s VMware Deal into Court

The legal battle over Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware has entered a critical new phase, as the trade body Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE) formally seeks the annulment of the European Commission’s decision to approve the deal.¹ In a detailed legal filing, CISPE has accused the EU’s top regulator of committing “a catalogue of…

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The Next Frontier of SAM: Your Next Asset Class Will Be a Robot

For decades, Software Asset Management (SAM) professionals have wrestled with an ever-expanding list of assets. From physical servers in the data center to virtual machines, cloud instances, and user-based subscriptions, the definition of a “software asset” has constantly evolved. Now, a glimpse of the next great leap is emerging, and it has two legs. The…

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West Northamptonshire Council’s Saves £1 Million on Microsoft in Post-Merger License Consolidation

In an era of tightening public sector budgets, a £1 million saving is a significant victory for taxpayers. West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has achieved just that, securing approximately $1.25 million USD in savings through a renewed and consolidated software licensing agreement with Microsoft.¹ This achievement is more than just a successful negotiation; it is a…

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How Kerala’s Schools Saved $360 Million by Swtching to Open Source

In the world of public sector IT, a savings of a few million dollars is considered a major victory. The southern Indian state of Kerala, however, has achieved something on a completely different scale. By systematically replacing proprietary software with a custom Linux-based operating system across its government schools, the state has realized an estimated…

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A Turning Point for Digital Sovereignty in the Netherlands

In a striking move on March 18, 2025, the Dutch Parliament approved a series of motions urging the government to reduce its dependence on U.S. software companies. These measures emphasize the creation of a national cloud services platform under full Dutch control and push for the active development of European alternatives. Motivations: Autonomy, Cybersecurity, and…

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A New Deal for Europe: Microsoft Unveils Consumption-Based Licensing for Windows Server

Microsoft has announced a significant change to its licensing model for Windows Server in Europe, introducing a new “Cloud-Optimized” option that allows local cloud providers to offer the ubiquitous operating system on a pay-as-you-go basis.² This move, which directly addresses long-standing complaints of anti-competitive behavior, is a major concession aimed at leveling the playing field…

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A Final Reprieve: Microsoft Announces Paid Extended Security Updates for Exchange and Skype Servers

Microsoft has officially announced a paid Extended Security Update (ESU) program for Exchange Server 2016 and 2019, offering a six-month window of continued security patches beyond the products’ end-of-support date. The move is a direct response to customer feedback, providing a crucial, albeit temporary, lifeline for organizations that are in the process of migrating but…

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The Price of Freedom: Confronting the Sustainability Crisis in Open Source

The modern digital world, a multi-trillion dollar economy of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and global connectivity, is built upon a foundation that is paradoxically both immensely powerful and dangerously fragile. This foundation is free and open-source software (FOSS), a vast ecosystem of tools and components often maintained by a handful of volunteers. For decades, the…

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Oracle’s Database@AWS Launch Signals Multicloud Pivot While Preserving License Revenue Streams

Oracle’s recent launch of Database@AWS represents a fundamental strategic shift that simultaneously embraces multicloud flexibility while ingeniously preserving the company’s lucrative perpetual licensing model. The general availability announcement, coupled with aggressive Bring Your Own License (BYOL) incentives offering 76% cost savings, reveals a sophisticated approach to maintaining market relevance in an increasingly cloud-native world while…

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VMware Extended Support Lifecycles Signal Strategic Retreat Amid Customer Backlash

In a significant strategic pivot that reflects mounting enterprise resistance to Broadcom’s aggressive licensing overhaul, VMware has fundamentally altered its product development approach by extending release cycles from two to three years while simultaneously expanding support lifecycles. The changes, announced alongside the general availability of VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0, represent what industry analysts characterize as…

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Microsoft’s Concessions to European Cloud Providers: A Stalling Tactic or a Step to Fair Competition?

A recent agreement between Microsoft and Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE) has brought a new chapter to the long-running saga of antitrust scrutiny faced by the software giant in the region.[2] After a formal complaint was filed in November 2022, Microsoft has offered a series of concessions aimed at appeasing European cloud providers…

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