Autodesk has further extended the deadline for migrating from floating (multi-user) to named user licenses. This is good news for two reasons: (1) it gives you as a SAM manager more time to deploy a monitoring system for collecting license utilization data, and (2) the procurement plan will be drawn up based on real-usage data, not a qualified guess. In this article we will look into why the user-license ratio is critical and how this parameter will help you to understand how many licenses you need.
What is the user/license ratio?
The ratio between end users and license inventory is the most critical parameter determining the efficiency of an engineering network licensing system. You can get this number by dividing the number of users by the number of licenses. If the result is 4 – the magic number – then it means you are on the right path, but you can do better.
Autodesk offers 2:1, but your user/license ratio may differ
Autodesk is offering two named user licenses for one multi-user license via its trade-in program. While this may look good on paper, the reality is that you are trading in a license that could be used by more than two people for two licenses limited to single users.
So, before you jump on the deal, you need to understand the environment you are about to reshape because of the change in the licensing model. To do that, you need access to critical data such as license utilization and the user/license ratio.
Know your environment
First things first. If you have, let’s say, 30 multi-user licenses, you must ask yourself if you are fully utilizing the licenses or maybe just 50 percent.
Second, you need to understand how many users the current licenses serve. This is important for understanding the actual rate. For example, if you have 30 licenses and serve 60 users, then everything is fine: you will get the licenses you need with the trade-in, and you can cover everything for the same cost. However, if you serve 90 or 100 users, then our critical parameter gives us a 3:1 result.
With a license optimization solution in place, this ratio can go up to 6:1 or more. This means that the actual trade-in offer an organization needs is a 6:1, not 2:1. However, Autodesk is offering only two named user licenses in exchange for one network license. So, what can you do during the transition? Buy additional licenses for the rest of the end users who won’t be able to access Autodesk applications after the transition closes. But then you need to make a decision: do they really need a named user license? Are they using the application that much?
Make a decision
Of course, if you have the license utilization data OpenLM provides, which gives you access to user-level information on license usage. Why is this important? Because the actual usage data will provide a clearer image of how many users your Autodesk inventory currently serves. Only by having this data can you apply the ratio measurement and decide whether to assign a named user license to a specific user or check for alternatives.
OpenLM understands that this transition is a huge challenge for organizations of all sizes. It doesn’t matter if you have a small or huge installation base; you need the data. You decide whether you need the OpenLM Cloud or the on-premises solution to capture the data and provide the insights. We are here to help. Contact us today!
