Make Users First in Software Licensing - New 10-Second Rule

Some long-standing expectations exist in software licensing… That it is complicated. That licensing technologies are hard to learn and deploy. That it’s not easy to update and manage.

It’s now time to challenge those expectations.

A new approach, Nalpeiron’s “10-second rule,” can help you transform licensing into a simpler, much more user friendly experience. The basic premise? If it takes an end customer more than 10 seconds to complete a software licensing task, you need to rethink the process. It’s all about starting with the all-important user perspective — making licensing of your applications and devices as drop-dead easy as possible.

With today’s technology, you can take software licensing to a new place.

What’s Changed — Design Thinking, Licensing Technology

Two important changes enable the 10-second rule.

First, the emergence of software and systems that use a design thinking approach to simplify processes for end users. Users expect their perspective to be deservedly front and center, which makes a friendly experience critical to customer satisfaction and a strong business relationship.

Second, software licensing technology has evolved. Solutions today offer a platform and structure that fully supports a customer-centric perspective. These changes mean it’s a great time to take a step back and assess your current program.

Start by Asking Questions

To get started, we recommend exploring these three areas.

Ask: What takes end users more than 10 seconds today?

• Do they have to take a license file and stick it in an obscure location in the file system?
• Are customers having to be pointlessly exposed to complicated and arcane concepts — MAC addresses, “Host IDs” or server names?
• Does an end user have to do things all over again when license rights change due to a renewal of a subscription, purchase of add-on features or additional seats?

Ask: What advantages does the latest licensing technology bring?

• Does it support friction-free licensing that gets you and your customers up and running quickly?
• Will it eliminate users dealing with excessive details and confusing jargon?
• Will it enable you to build customer-centric licensing focused on a great end user experience?
• Does it make it far easier for customers to upgrade, renew, rehost and view their entitlements, resulting in less customer support overhead and higher customer satisfaction?

Ask: How easy would it be to migrate to a new system?

• How does a new solution support mass migration of your existing entitlements?
• Is silent activation functionality offered so a change requires “zero touch” for customers?
• Does the vendor have success with transitioning clients from legacy environments to a new system?

The answers open the door to the many benefits of the 10-second rule and far greater licensing simplicity for everyone.

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