Prepare for Oracle Java Licensing 2024
As we approach 2024, the landscape of Java licensing has evolved, presenting challenges for organizations.
Oracle Java Licensing in 2024: What to Expect
- Organizations without Java licenses will likely face a formal or soft audit from Oracle.
- Oracle’s aggressiveness will intensify, aiming to achieve a revenue target of 60 billion USD by 2025’s end.
- Java is rapidly emerging as one of Oracle’s top revenue-generating products.
Oracle’s approach to Java licensing has been notably aggressive, focusing on audits, customers who have not purchased Java, and auditing customers who have already purchased Java SE on the legacy metrics.
Something happened recently:
An organization recently contacted us after purchasing Java SE licenses years ago, only to realize they lacked a clear understanding of Java licensing.
As they attempted to renew their Java SE licenses, the complexities of Oracle Licensing on VMWare became evident. Despite exploring various solutions, they considered accepting a quote based on the employee metric, amounting to 8 million euros.
If your company is grappling with a similar situation, regardless of the bill size, know we are here to assist.
If you want a strategy for not purchasing the Java employee metric, we will help you.
Oracle Java Licensing 2024
Oracle’s Aggressive Auditing
- Oracle has intensified its auditing efforts for Java, encompassing both formal and soft audits.
- A formal audit involves Oracle’s dedicated audit team thoroughly reviewing your entire Oracle product suite, often including other Oracle products.
- A Java soft audit involves Oracle sales teams sharing an Excel file containing logs of all your company security updates and downloads and a formal quote for purchasing employee licenses due to your downloads of licensable updates.
The Java Audit Target List
- You’re likely on Oracle’s radar if your organization hasn’t procured Java licenses.
- If you have updated Java in recent years, be aware Oracle maintains logs of these updates. Based on our observations, organizations that have made updates can expect to be contacted by Oracle within the next 12-24 months.
- It’s imperative to assess your deployments and devise a strategy to counteract this potential threat.
Oracle Is Monitoring Updates & Downloads
- Oracle meticulously tracks all Java security updates and downloads. They trace IP addresses for public downloads and scrutinize downloads from My Oracle Support.
Oracle’s Persistent Approach
- Ignoring Oracle’s outreach regarding Java isn’t a sustainable strategy. We’ve observed that companies that sidestep Oracle’s initial communications eventually face escalated communications directed at their C-level executives.
- You may be able to ignore Oracle for 3-6 months before they escalate the issue further.
Existing Business Relations Don’t Shield You
- Even if you have significant business engagements with Oracle, like cloud contracts, it doesn’t insulate you from the Java audit threat. Despite having multi-million dollar contracts with Oracle, some of our clients couldn’t leverage their existing business relationships to fend off Java audit risks.
The Need for Proactive Review
- Organizations yet to assess their Java usage should initiate the process without delay. A significant portion (about 90%) of Java identified can be removed or uninstalled. However, this isn’t an overnight task; it might span multiple years, emphasizing the need to start early.
Strategizing to Avoid Employee Licenses
- Organizations can sidestep the need to purchase employee licenses for their workforce with a well-informed strategy. This requires a deep understanding of Java licensing rules, benchmarking contracts, and robust management backing.
Oracle Java Audit Tools
- Oracle hasn’t developed a dedicated audit tool for Java. Instead, they’ve opted to verify SAM tool vendors.
- If your organization uses a SAM tool verified by Oracle, it simplifies Oracle’s process to audit you for Java, as they will use that tool to extract your inventory.
Conclusion
The evolving dynamics of Java licensing necessitate a proactive and informed approach. If you’re seeking expert guidance on Java licensing reviews or crafting a Java strategy that aligns with your management’s vision, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Contact us today – We’re here to assist.
