Zentitle -
#1 Platform for Cloud Software Licensing
Understanding the various software licensing models is crucial for both software vendors and customers. This comprehensive resource provides an overview of the most common licensing models used in the software industry today. Each model offers unique advantages and potential drawbacks, catering to different software business needs and market strategies.
Listed below are concise descriptions of each licensing model used by leading software companies on the Zentitle platform. For a more in-depth analysis, including advantages, disadvantages, and detailed comparisons, click on the "Learn more" link accompanying each model.
This resource is designed to help you navigate the complexities of software licensing and find the model—or combination of models—that best suits your business requirements. Remember, the right licensing strategy often involves a mix of different models, providing the flexibility to adapt to changing market demands and customer needs.
As you explore these options, consider how each model aligns with your business goals, customer expectations, and operational capabilities to find the perfect fit for your business.
Perpetual Software Licensing is the traditional "buy once, use forever" model that has been a cornerstone of the software industry for decades. This straightforward approach allows customers to purchase a license outright, granting them indefinite access to the specific version of the software they've acquired. It's particularly appealing to businesses that prefer predictable, one-time costs and long-term ownership of their software assets.
While many software companies are transitioning away from this model, perpetual licensing remains relevant for certain markets and use cases. It offers customers the benefit of a fixed, upfront cost and the ability to use the software indefinitely without recurring fees. However, it may limit access to updates and new features, which are often provided through separate maintenance agreements or upgrade purchases.
Find out more about Perpetual Software Licensing
As consumers we are more and more familiar with purchasing in a SaaS-like Subscription way. It's the reality for so many services we now use, hence a majority of customers are happy to adopt it and it feels quite normal. Zentitle's Cloud-Based Licensing makes it easy for you to adopt Subscription Based Licensing for your regular Desktop, Server, IoT and Mobile type Software, as well as being great for use cases where you have a Desktop-SaaS Hybrid offering you need to control. By using Subscription Based Licensing with our Account Based Licensing, the User becomes the central focus as against a License Code.
Find out more about Subscription Based Licensing
A great way of easing the mechanics of bulk licensing for your customers. Simply restrict the number of active copies of your Software which are permitted to use on a License Code. For your business customers this is an easy way for them to buy what they need and for you to make sure they only get to use what they have paid for and are entitled to. Drastically lower licensing support issues by making it far easier for you and your customers to manage their license entitlements.
Find out more about Concurrent Licensing
When you have business customers who have multiple instances of your software, you can cap the number of instances of a feature or ability that can be used at the same time. For example, 10 users are using copies of your software, but only a maximum of 3 can use a certain feature at once.
Find out more about Floating Feature Licensing
If you have business customers who are running multiple instances, you may find you want to restrict access or ability to use a certain resource. These resources are Element Pools. For example, if your software is run on 10 graphics workstations, and for final rendering they have access to a total of 100 processing cores to render final frames, Element Pools lets each of the 10 workstations have access to the 100 cores in any amounts, but the total cores used by all machines together at any one time cannot exceed 100.
Find out more about Element Pools Licensing
One of the most modern Licensing Models, Consumption-Based Licensing enables you to track what is being used. Consumption Pools of Consumption Tokens make this possible, with the allocation of Consumption Tokens tracked. Depending how you want to use it, you can have a usage-tracked model for overseeing a usage-based contract, or offer Pay-as-you-go or Pre-paid Licensing Models for your customers. You can use this in conjunction with our Subscription Based Licensing and our Account Based Licensing.
Find out more about Consumption Based Licensing
Account Based Licensing is the modern way. The user or customer is at the center of everything, with a username/email and password identifying the entitlements. It's familiar in the world of mobile and SaaS, but now you can do the same for Desktop, Server, SaaS-Desktop Hybrid Software and Services. Zentitle's Account Based Licensing can be used in conjunction with any other of our Licensing types here.
Find out more about Account Based Licensing
When you want your Licenses to be valid up to a fixed date then to stop working, you can use End-date Based Licensing. You can then extend the end-date when required via the Licensing UI or API.
Find out more about End-date Based Licensing
Restriction of Features for any License Code or Account means you have fine-grained control over what aspects of your software each user can use and what they cannot. You can do more than simple on/off models for your individual Features, such as Concurrent Licensing, Consumption Licensing, or limited try-outs.
Find out more about Feature Based Licensing
If your software has a Suite of offerings such as Lite/Std/Pro versions of it, or distinct parts such as Word Processing/Spreadsheet/Presentation, you can ship the whole suite in one binary and let Nalpeiron Licensing securely take care of which users get access to what. This makes instant upgrades simple and easy to offer and fulfil. It also greatly reduces engineering complexities, lowering the amount of binaries you have to maintain, update, fix and manage.
Find out more about Suite Based Licensing
You may immediately recognise a use-case where you want to sell to customers who are going to use your Software at sites which don't have regular internet access available. You still want to restrict what they are permitted to use, often across a set of computers, devices, or users at that company. Not a problem. Zentitle Network Licensing has these use-cases covered with our Network Licensing Server which sits on the LAN. Our Network Relay Server is an equally interesting option, providing a gateway to our regular Cloud-Based Licensing through the DMZ.
Find out more about Network Licensing
Although as consumers we take internet access for granted, sometimes it is not available or it is restricted. Zentitle Offline Licensing makes the bulk of our Licensing Models possible, and our Offline Activation is simple, quick, and hassle-free for your customers who need it. The portal is fully skinnable so your brand is kept constant.
Find out more about Offline Licensing
For companies who ship Hardware which has software at its core, we support many platforms so that you can leverage all the benefits of Licensing. From provisioning through to use in the hands of the customer, Zentitle Hardware Licensing provides control and monetization opportunities for hardware companies wanting to increase revenues and gain control of what users can and can't do. Propagate upgrades purchased by your customers in nothing more than a reboot.
Find out more about Hardware Licensing
When you use Zentitle Licensing you can also track the Maintenance Contracts you sell or initially include with purchases of your software.
Find out more about Maintenance Contract Licensing
Zentitle Licensing is multi-platform, Windows, Mac, Linux, ARM, Java, and more, ask for details if you have specific platform support requirements.
Find out more about Multi-Platform Licensing
When you choose Zentitle Licensing you get great Trial Licensing right out of the box, so your customers can immersively experience your Software. How you want Trials to behave is up to you, from simple time limited trials, to trials which are feature restricted, to experiencing trials of new features which are offered through further upgrades or purchases.
Find out more about Trial Licensing
Zentitle Cloud-Based Licensing brings powerful ways to manage multi-user customers, making things easier for you and importantly for them too. Gone are the days of having to deal with one license code per user, with much more modern methods like concurrent licensing, multi-activation licenses and more.
Find out more about Multi-User Licensing
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