Oracle License Compliance
Our Oracle license compliance services are designed to help you inventory, manage and optimize your licenses and avoid large noncompliance penalties.
We offer license compliance + optimization
If you use Oracle products and services, then you have an Oracle license agreement you must manage. We have developed a range of services designed to help Oracle customers stay in compliance and optimize their license position with Oracle.
We blend a comprehensive understanding of Oracle licensing models, policies, and contract terms, with the unique ability to measure Oracle license compliance across the entire range of Oracle products, including their 100-plus acquisitions.
Our clients receive timely, expert advice that supports their business strategy. They are empowered to take back control of their Oracle relationship while minimizing costs and maximizing their IT flexibility.
Oracle license compliance services
Urgent support
Every merger, acquisition, or divestiture creates Oracle licensing implications that must be quantified and mitigated urgently. Oracle also looks for revenue during their customers’ overseas expansion, cloud migration, or data center transitions.
What we can provide:
Our Oracle license management experts deliver Oracle licensing and business advice that enables senior executives to understand the risks, and make the transaction happen on time. We offer the fastest, most comprehensive way to understand your Oracle license position, and what to do next.
Oracle license optimization
CIOs routinely rate Oracle as one of the most difficult vendors to do business with. Every effort to reduce the cost of licenses or support runs the risk of violating Oracle’s famously vague and confusing licensing policies.
What we can provide:
The first step to reducing your Oracle costs is to understand your current Oracle position, rather than assume compliance and then start cutting. Oracle will wipe out years of spending reductions with a single license audit. Palisade Compliance offers a unique mix of compliance, negotiation, contracts, and technical advice for executives ready to reduce their total cost of Oracle.
We have successfully negotiated Oracle license agreements for:
- ULAs
- PULAs
- Pool of Funds
- Enterprise agreements
- Ordering documents
- Migrations
Oracle third-party licensing impact analysis
Oracle customers spend millions of dollars unnecessarily thanks to vague and conflicting interpretations of Oracle policy. Oracle’s reaction to third-party products such as VMware is a well-known example.
What we can provide:
Palisade Compliance empowers you to understand how differing interpretations of Oracle policy can radically change your compliance risk. We do not sell Oracle, third-party, or any other product. As a result, our unbiased, independent Oracle license management experts can help you ensure your deployment on Oracle third-party products and services avoids risks that can lead to huge unbudgeted costs.
30-day Oracle license compliance assessment
Our clients have expressed the need to better understand how their management of Oracle compares to their peer companies in the same industry or geography. They have also asked for tools to better predict their audit risk and quantify their total cost of Oracle. Our assessments enable that understanding, and provide the internal justification for a focus on Oracle cost reduction. Assessments are simple, affordable, and provide answers quickly. Evaluate your control of the Oracle relationship with a Palisade Compliance assessment!
We don't know if our licenses are compliant with Oracle!
Navigating the Oracle licensing maze
Core Oracle licensing challenges
There are several recurring and costly problem areas. Explore the four biggest challenges below:
Cloud and virtualization traps
The ULA paradox
Hidden feature costs
Many valuable database options (e.g. Diagnostics Pack) are installed by default and enabled with restricted use licenses which are easy to violate and trigger the full-use license. Inadvertent use is a primary driver of audit findings, with over 80% of customers falling into this trap.
The Java shockwave
The recent shift to a per-employee subscription model for Java SE caused massive cost increases. Oracle’s broad definition of “employee” forces companies to license their entire workforce, driving many to open-source alternatives.
Interactive vCPU Calculator
One of the most common cloud licensing mistakes is miscalculating vCPU requirements. On-premise core factor tables do not apply in the cloud. Instead, a direct ratio is used, often doubling the perceived license need. Use this tool to see how it works.
The Oracle audit as a business model
A recurring theme in user forums is the perception of Oracle’s audits as a primary revenue driver, not just a compliance check. Fueled by complex rules and a lack of transparency, these aggressive audits frequently result in substantial retroactive penalties, creating an “audit-driven relationship” with customers.
“Oracle is a lawsuit/subscription service that occasionally releases software.”
~ Reddit user comment
“The explicit threat of an audit is a deliberate tactic used by Oracle sales to pressure customers into renewing ULAs.”
~ Expert analysis summary
A proactive Oracle licensing survival guide
Given the challenges, a proactive approach is critical. Here are our key recommendations:
Conduct regular internal audits
Implement robust cloud governance
Plan ULA exits strategically
Thoroughly evaluate alternatives
Engage specialized licensing experts
TOP RESOURCES
Licensing Oracle on VMware in 2025 – We Can Help You Win
Oracle customers are fighting back over audits and Oracle VMware licensing in 2022. We look at this issue and offer suggestions to help you win.
Oracle Compliance Assurance for Midwest Manufacturer
Find out how we were able to help a large Midwest manufacturer ensure they were compliant with their Oracle licenses and realize substantial cost savings.
Standard Edition Licensing – What Is Oracle Doing?
What is Oracle doing to SE2? From version 19c of the SE2 database, RAC is no longer available. Read our suggestions for Standard Edition licensing.
Research Note: Licensing Oracle on Google Bare Metal Solution
Google’s Bare Metal Solution is an off-premises offering that minimizes the Oracle licensing risks associated with cloud environments.
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