Webinar Highlights: What has changed with the Oracle ULA?

The Oracle ULA (Unlimited Licence Agreement) was once a great investment, but it seems to have soured over time.

What changed?

In this webinar highlight, Mark Bartrick from Forrester and Support Revolution’s CEO Mark Smith discuss the ever-changing world we live in. More specifically, they discuss how it has affected the once glowing reputation of ULAs.

Before Coronavirus, the opinion of ULAs was already shifting. In the “business as usual” world, Oracle’s customers were discovering that ULAs were not fit for purpose. The demand for Oracle products in their organisations had diminished, and ULAs were in fact very limiting.

2020 has skyrocketed this change in opinion. As we enter a recession, revenues have fallen, staff have been made redundant, and cost saving has become the main priority. Many organisations are considering shrinking or are being forced to shrink. The demand for excessive amounts of Oracle products has shrunk with them.

Less demand, less value

When does an Oracle ULA lose its value? When your demand for Oracle software is static or diminishing.

No one could’ve predicted the impact of 2020. It is unfortunate for organisations that decided to invest in a ULA before we were hit with the global pandemic. However, if you’re planning to invest in one now, or you’re weighing up whether to renew your ULA, be sure to think hard about it.

As Mark Bartrick puts it, “no business is benefiting from a ULA in 2020, unless you’re in one of the very few industries like healthcare or food delivery that could potentially grow during this time.”

Behind with the times

Another big change to the demand for ULAs has come about with changes in technology. ULAs made sense in a time when a company’s only IT strategy was to invest in Oracle software, but now there are many more options out there. In the modern world, organisations tend to cherry pick from various vendors to best suit their needs. A ULA that allows you to use lots of Oracle software – most of which you’re not interested in – is an unnecessary expense.

Following on from that, Oracle software hasn’t seen massive changes for several years. It’s still good, solid software but it’s no longer on the cutting edge of the tech world. This is something organisations have to take into account when it comes to ULAs.