Why Analyze Java deployments is no longer a question in the minds of most CIOs. But we thought it will be useful to explain the reasons for this.

The most important Java Licensing Changes

• In 2019, Oracle upended the Java license landscape by changing the policy from ‘java is free’ to ‘java is not free’.
• If this was not enough, in January 2023, Oracle once again stirred the waters of Java pricing with the introduction of a new pricing model for Java SE Subscriptions and the change of the licensing metric to ’employee’.

These are indeed seismic shifts that are still reverberating throughout the Java user and development communities.

Java License changes leads to increased costs by up to 14X

Oracle’s modifications to its Java licensing model have elicited apprehension and heightened scrutiny from large enterprises because of the sudden increase in costs.

• From Java being ‘free’ till January 2019, customers who use Java for commercial purposes must pay for Java.
• The license metric change to ‘employee’ increases the cost of Java by 14 times compared to the 2019 prices (this is for companies with approximately 10,000 employees; for larger companies the increase in price can be even much larger)

What are the options for companies regarding Java?

Customers have the option of either:

• Agreeing to the price ask from Oracle OR
• Conduct your internal due diligence and collect the needed data points to take a well thought out decision.

We believe, in the light of the changes to Oracle’s Java licensing model, having visibility and insights into where Oracle Java is installed has become more important than ever before. This is why Java License Analysis becomes very important.

About Rythium Technologies

Rythium Technologies is a leading provider of Oracle and Microsoft licensing services. We help our clients reduce their software costs, manage their IT assets, and achieve compliance.

We offer a wide range of licensing services, including: Oracle ULA services , Oracle LMS and audit defense, Oracle license review, Microsoft license review, Adobe license review, Managed SAM Services, Software contracts management and Software Procurement consulting.

We have worked on more than 180 Oracle license management projects in the past 7 years.

Go  here if you want to download our guide on ‘How to analyze and license Oracle Java’

Apart from Java, ULAs are another very complex license management bugbear from Oracle. Go here if you want to learn about Oracle ULA Certification.