Gartner Research

A 25% Miss in Expected Growth Plans Can Derail the Benefits of an Oracle ULA

Published: 26 March 2014

ID: G00260186

Analyst(s): Jane B. Disbrow, Lori Samolsky, Alexa Bona

Summary

Gartner has been reviewing Oracle Unlimited License Agreements for more than eight years, during which satisfaction with ROI from Oracle ULAs has varied significantly. Gartner's five best practices helps IT procurement leaders ensure that ULAs are only selected when most effective and appropriate.

Table Of Contents
  • Key Challenges

Introduction

  • What You Need to Know About Oracle Unlimited License Agreements
    • ULAs Have a Set Time Frame
    • New License and Maintenance Fees Will be Combined With All Previous Maintenance and Support
    • ULAs Are Not Completely Unlimited — They Are Limited to a Specific Set of Products on the Bill of Materials
    • The Customer Must Certify Deployment at the End of the ULA
  • Potential Advantages of the Unlimited License Agreement
  • Potential Disadvantages of the Unlimited License Agreement

Analysis

  • Best Practice 1. Develop Realistic Growth Projections for Oracle Technology
  • Best Practice 2. Accumulate and Validate Current License Usage and Entitlements
  • Best Practice 3. Develop a Business As Usual and Growth Projection Model to Analyze Your ULA Proposal
    • Business As Usual Modeling Sets a Baseline
    • Will You Fail to Maximize Your ULA?
    • Ensure You Capture the Full Business as Usual
  • Best Practice 4. Involve IT Procurement Early in the Negotiation Process
  • Best Practice 5. Compare Your Current Agreement Versus ULA Discounts
    • Bottom Line

Case Study

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