Microsoft’s New European Cloud Commitments: A Turning Point for Licensing and Digital Sovereignty

On April 30, 2025, Microsoft announced a set of updated commitments designed to address European concerns around digital sovereignty, fair competition, and cloud market dynamics. Titled the “European Cloud Principles” and framed within a broader “European Cloud Customer Commitment,” the move responds to growing regulatory scrutiny across the EU and attempts to align more closely…

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US Federal CIO Mandates Software License Inventory: What It Means for SAM and Why It Matters Now

In a significant move to enhance software asset management (SAM) across U.S. federal agencies, newly appointed Federal CIO Greg Barbaccia has mandated a comprehensive inventory of software licenses. By April 2, 2025, agency CIOs are required to report all licenses held with the government’s top five software vendors: Microsoft, Adobe, Salesforce, Oracle, and ServiceNow. This…

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Licenseware Named Among Romania’s Top 35 Innovations of 2025

Licenseware has been recognized as one of Romania’s top 35 innovations in the 2025 edition of the Innovation 35 report by start-up.ro. This annual initiative highlights groundbreaking projects across various sectors, celebrating the nation’s most forward-thinking companies. Licenseware: Leading the Charge in Software Asset Management Licenseware’s inclusion in the Innovation 35 underscores our commitment to…

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Free ESXi Is Back! But What’s the Catch?

Broadcom quietly revives VMware’s free hypervisor, and the virtualization world takes notice. In a quiet yet significant pivot, Broadcom has reinstated the free version of VMware ESXi, the widely used Type 1 hypervisor, just over a year after pulling the plug on it. The return was noted subtly in the release notes for vSphere 8.0 Update…

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Adobe Retires VIP Commercial Program: Transition to VIP Marketplace by May 31, 2025

Adobe has officially announced the retirement of its Value Incentive Plan (VIP) for commercial segment customers, with a complete transition to the VIP Marketplace required by May 31, 2025. This change affects all commercial customers globally, including those who had previously received extensions to the migration deadline. After this date, end-users remaining under the VIP…

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Upcoming Price Increase and Changes to Microsoft On-Prem Server Licensing

Microsoft has announced significant licensing and pricing changes for its on-premises server products, effective July 1, 2025. These updates will impact organizations relying on Exchange Server, Skype for Business Server, and SharePoint Server. As the software asset management (SAM) landscape evolves, understanding these changes is crucial for maintaining compliance and optimizing costs.  What’s Changing? 1.…

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Introducing NEO Support: AI-Powered Customer Support for Licenseware Products

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of NEO Support, a specialized version of our beloved AI licensing chatbot, NEO, tailored specifically for customer support inquiries related to Licenseware products. Why NEO Support? The standout feature of NEO Support is its training—it’s exclusively trained on our own documentation! This laser-focused approach ensures accurate, reliable, and specific answers…

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DOGE Bites Oracle: Pentagon’s $280M Oracle HR Software Fiasco Spotlights Need for Smarter Licensing

Behind the Oracle HR Software Debacle The Pentagon has decisively terminated a massive human resources software project, built on Oracle technology, after it ballooned $280 million over budget and fell dramatically behind schedule. This cancellation is a significant blow to Oracle, raising concerns about transparency, accountability, and the efficiency of large-scale government software licensing and…

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Oracle’s attempt to hide severe cybersecurity incidents from customers in Oracle SaaS service

Oracle Faces Backlash Over Handling of Cloud Security Breach In March 2025, Oracle Corporation found itself at the center of a cybersecurity controversy following allegations of a significant data breach affecting its cloud services. A threat actor, known by the alias “rose87168,” claimed responsibility for infiltrating Oracle’s systems and exfiltrating sensitive data, including six million…

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US Lawmakers Revisit Software Licensing Bill: What It Means for Your SAM Strategy

In a significant move for government IT management, lawmakers are once again introducing the Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act. The bill aims to standardize and improve software licensing practices across federal agencies, addressing persistent issues of inefficiency, overspending, and compliance risk. “By improving transparency, reducing duplication, and leveraging enterprise licensing, we…

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Major Update for VMware Customers: minimum purchase requirement of 72 cores per product

EDIT: VMware Walks Back Controversial Licensing Change After Industry Backlash, Denies Official Announcement If you’re managing VMware licenses, this development demands your immediate attention. Starting April 10, 2025, VMware customers will face significant licensing changes following Broadcom’s updated policies. The update introduces a minimum purchase requirement of 72 cores per product, not a per-CPU licensing requirement…

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VMware’s Lawsuit Against Siemens: A Stark Reminder to Get Your Software Licensing in Order

In a significant development for the software licensing industry, VMware, now a subsidiary of Broadcom Inc., has initiated legal proceedings against Siemens AG and several of its U.S.-based subsidiaries. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, accuses Siemens of copyright infringement related to unauthorized usage of VMware software. The…

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Oracle Data Breach: Important Information and Steps to Protect Your Organization

On March 21, 2025, a user going by rose87168 posted on BreachForums claiming to have compromised Oracle Cloud, a widely-used platform in enterprises worldwide. According to the alleged breach details, the attacker gained access through the login portal login.[region-name].oraclecloud.com . The stolen database reportedly contains sensitive data, including: While Oracle has publicly denied the occurrence of any security…

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Licenseware Recognized as a High Performer on G2 Grid for SAM Tools

The latest G2 Grid for Software Asset Management (SAM) tools has just been released, and Licenseware is honored to once again be recognized as a High Performer, driven largely by our exceptional customer satisfaction ratings. This achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to providing intuitive, flexible, and effective SAM solutions that meet the evolving needs of…

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Introducing NEO – Your Free AI-Powered Licensing Chatbot

We have some BIG NEWS! 🎉 NEO, our Gen AI licensing chatbot, is now officially available to everyone. And it’s completely FREE of charge! What is NEO? NEO is an AI-powered chatbot designed to simplify software licensing. Built using advanced natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning, NEO can:✅ Answer complex licensing queries instantly✅ Provide…

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Est. global distribution of ITAM, SAM, Software Licensing, and Licensing Auditor professionals

🌎 North America Metric Estimate ITAM Professionals ~100,000 SAM Professionals ~75,000 Software Licensing Professionals ~50,000 Software Licensing Auditors ~12,000 Primary Sources – IAITAM membership data 🌍 Europe Metric Estimate ITAM Professionals ~60,000 SAM Professionals ~45,000 Software Licensing Professionals ~30,000 Software Licensing Auditors ~10,000 Primary Sources – ITAM Forum EU and other regional associations 🌏 Asia-Pacific…

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