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. By 2025, it aims to achieve a revenue target of 60 billion USD.
- Java is rapidly emerging as one of Oracle’s top revenue-generating products.
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 that have 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 avoid purchasing 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 has not developed a dedicated Java audit tool. Instead, it has opted to verify SAM tool vendors.
- If your organization uses a SAM tool verified by Oracle, it simplifies Oracle’s process of auditing you for Java, as they will use that tool to extract your inventory.
