CW+ Premium Content/Computer Weekly

The prospect of an Oracle licence review can be scary. Despite the best efforts of your business, substantial costs on software asset management (SAM) and an eye-watering amount paid to Oracle every year, your sinking heart knows the audit will result in a huge and unexpected demands. But what are Oracle’s audit rights? And can it really come in at any time and search your systems for evidence of non-compliance? Despite Oracle’s $170bn might, and a 39-year history in which to have fashioned the toughest contracts to its benefit, the truth is that Oracle’s audit rights are weak and ambiguous. And they do not give it the rights that its licence management service (LMS) team and CIOs assume. A new study from Cerno offers eight reasons why it is you, rather than Oracle, in the driving seat. You should consider whether these reasons can be used to respond to a demanding call from a dominant Oracle to allow its personnel in for a wide-ranging audit. Firstly, Oracle has no right to enter your premises. UK and US laws give strong ...