Pre-load Future Date Aggregate Licenses
Aggregate licenses with future start dates can bring around additional value when they are deployed in anticipation of a hike in software demand. This makes it possible for a software vendor to negotiate a term with their customer that includes a predetermined period within the license term where the seat count will automatically expand (or contract) to a new value.
An easy way to visualize this concept is to consider a software application which is involved in managing media broadcasts. Throughout the majority of the year, the usage demands of this application are fairly consistent, and are managed well within the fixed upper seat count limit. But in the summertime, there is a large sporting event during August and September, and this creates a dramatic rise in the demand for the broadcasting software. By combining the concept of aggregate licenses with the ability to ‘pre-load’ licenses which start in the future, the application software vendor can address this anticipated change in demand at the start of the term. They can deliver a license to the end customer which will supply an automatic increase in seat count (hard limit) at say the start of August, with an automatic drop back down to the regular seat count quota at the end of September.
This sudden increase in demand is known as the peak period, which leads to a new licensing concept known as Peak Usage License. The concepts behind this model are explained in more detail over the following pages.
This benefits both parties. For example, the end customer does not need to be concerned about installing new licenses before the peak period starts. The software vendor also does not need to be concerned about a new license delivery, and since the contract is defined at the beginning of the license term, the Sales Rep can recognize all of the revenue from the outset.
NOTE While it is possible to generate licenses with future start dates, only aggregate licenses having start dates in future can be added to the License Manager. For other license models, the VLS_LICENSE_START_DATE_NOT_REACHED/SNTL_LICENSE_START_DATE_NOT_REACHED error is returned while adding licenses.