IDC's Software Pricing and Licensing service examines traditional and emerging software pricing models, including perpetual, maintenance, subscription, and value-based licensing approaches. The service identifies disruptive market dynamics, including open source, grid computing technologies, and alternative delivery models, and analyzes their potential impact on licensing strategies. In addition, the service analyzes issues related to software compliance, including best practices for tracking and improving compliance with software license agreements. Subscribers to this service receive direct access to IDC's top industry experts, who can supply competitive analysis and positioning advice, identify strategic partnering opportunities, assist with speaking to the investment community, provide press quotes, and more.

This service covers the following aspects of software pricing and licensing:

• Software licensing disruptive impacts
• Volume licensing programs and frameworks
• Licensing technology strategies

Throughout the year, this service will address the following topics:

• Adoption of subscription pricing models
• The impact of multicore and virtualization on licensing
• Emerging trends for licensing software on a global basis
• Profiles of vendor licensing models
• Volume license programs and elements
• Coverage of licensing technology approaches, including third-party licensing providers
• Electronic software distribution and software metering

Our research addresses the following issues that are critical to your success:

1. What disruptive forces are changing software licensing, and how will they impact vendors and customers?
2. How are licensing models changing in light of new technology scenarios, and what do customers think?
3. What steps are vendors taking to simplify licensing models while also addressing the increasing need for flexibility?
4. What are the required elements of a global license? How are vendors succeeding with this approach?
5. What are some of the best practices for applying technology to a licensing approach?
6. How can vendors get a handle on noncompliance with software license agreements? What will customers accept?

IDC's Software Pricing and Licensing service examines the license strategies, positioning, and future direction of several software vendors and other key players, including:

Adobe, Aladdin, Amdocs, Autodesk, Avaya, BEA Systems, Business Objects, CA, Citrix, Dell, EMC, Hitachi, HP, IBM, Informatica, Ingram Micro, Intel, Intraware, Licensing Technologies Group, Macrovision, MathWorks, McAfee, Microsoft, NCR Corp., NetSuite, Nortel, Novell, Oracle, Platform Computing, Progress Software, Red Hat, SafeNet, Salesforce.com, SAP, SAS Institute, Softricity, Software Spectrum, Sterling Commerce, Sun Microsystems, Sybase, Symantec, Unisys, and VeriSign.

This service focuses on the following core research. In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct additional research on specific topics, or emerging market segments, via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.

A whole host of disruptive impacts are challenging current software licensing approaches, and virtualization is perhaps one of the most vexing. Is there a software licensing approach that can meet customer and vendor needs as well as address the challenges that lie ahead? What would this look like? This IDC study relies on industry trends and simulation modeling to develop possible candidates for the software license of the future.

A licensing program or framework can reduce ad hoc negotiations and inconsistent practices. While there will always be custom elements for deals with the largest customers, the lack of a program may result in extra time spent during the sales cycle negotiating terms that could be part of a standard offering. This study focuses on the elements of a framework that can be broadly applied and provides case studies of successful approaches.

As the software industry matures, software-as-a-service business models proliferate, and vendors place more emphasis on recurring revenue, the software market is going through a fundamental shift. This IDC study outlines the evolution of worldwide software subscription revenue and presents IDC's subscription forecast.

This document defines and develops terminology, concepts, and relationships that compose software licensing models. Various licensing models are also defined.

This study profiles vendors that are using licensing technologies to enable innovative licensing approaches, simplify the software purchase and management process for customers, and increase the availability and usage of technologies that enable software licensing, including software metering and license distribution and management technologies.

IDC offers a complete market intelligence solution customized to meet your business requirements. The array of products and services available to you includes:

• The opportunity to have your specific questions answered through personal interaction with industry experts who cover the topics and markets in your service
• Around-the-clock access to our market intelligence on idc.com, IDC's personalized Web experience
• A view of the market's future with 12 months of continuous intelligence about its direction and the reasons behind it, along with actionable advice for taking advantage of existing and emerging opportunities
• Special client discount pricing on purchases of research from other services
• Complimentary admission to IDC's annual Directions conference, where you'll hear our latest forecasts and network with IDC analysts and other industry professionals
• Complimentary invitations to monthly executive telebriefings, interactive forums designed to provide you with insights about research and strategies directly from IDC analysts

To find out how our flexible packaging options can meet your specific business needs, please contact your IDC sales executive.

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Our steady growth over the past 10-plus years reflects our commitment to investing in our customers.