License Types & Definitions

All Licenses are exclusive to the University of California, Irvine

Competitive Upgrade: Some companies allow/encourage purchasing their product at a reduced price if you are switching from a specific competitors software. Microsoft is one company who uses this term.
Con currency: Exact definition may vary according to vendor. In general, refers to number of users accessing a computer at one time. Con currency clauses can be found in software volume license agreements as well as maintenance agreements.
Discount Pricing: Discount Pricing:Lower-than-list prices unilaterally offered by a software manufacturer or vendor, without negotiation or formal contract. Education pricing, multi-license breaks, limited-time or introductory offers and breaks based on a commitment to purchase a given number of licenses over time are all forms of discount pricing. If the product has a large enough user base or is considered strategic, the University may formalize such offers as a volume purchase agreement. Without an agreement, offers can be withdrawn or changed without notice.
Floating License: A license where many machines may have the software installed, but only a specific number of machines may run it at a time. All machines that may run the software must have network access. When the user starts the program, the program checks with a central monitoring system to see if there is an "open" license. If all the licenses are in use, the program stops and returns the information to the user.
License: A written license, acquired at time of purchase, authorizing you to legally use a particular piece of software --- all software require a license for legal use. Software agreement licenses are located in the box when you purchase software at your local computer store. Or, they may also be covered under a Software Volume License Agreement or SVLA (see below for definition). When you acquire through the proper procedures, the SVLA allows you legal use of specific software. In some cases, a serial number is included, enabling you to take advantage of a vendor's technical support; in other cases, a designated, Campus contact routes questions to technical support.

Maintenance: Recurring annual fees, which may or may not be mandatory for continued use of the software. Maintenance usually includes technical support and updates. For programs that are not paid-up at initial purchase, maintenance is the annual fee to keep the program running.
Multi packs: Many software companies offer software in *multipacks*. Usually included is one set of media, one set of manuals and a license agreement for a specific number of users -- 10 or 50 or 100.
Node-locked License: A license where only so many specific machines may have the software installed. Usually requires registration of CPU serial numbers.
"Paid Up": Software that is paid for on a one-time basis, giving the user the right to run the program as long as he/she chooses. It does not imply a right to updates, which are typically sold separately as part of a maintenance agreement, or on a per-update basis. Some software is more "leased" than sold, in that there is an annual fee to continue using the software. If these cases, if the fee is not paid, the software quits working.
Shared Purchases: A type of software multi-license purchase, by a group of campus departments, coordinated by the Office of Information Technology and distributed via the OIT Archives.
Site License: Usually applied to a licensing agreement that allows software to be run on an unlimited number of CPUs. The number of users per CPU is not limited by the license where multi-user capability exists. Some agreements have CPU limits so high as to be considered site licenses. Site licenses are relatively rare.
SVLA - Software Volume License Agreement: A term used to describe all types of software license agreements, monitored by the UCOP.
Volume Purchase Agreement:: A formal agreement between the University and a software manufacturer or vendor. A source, order process and usually pricing limits are negotiated and put in a contract with a specific term and renewal conditions. Volume purchase agreements are rarely mandatory (i.e., end users can buy elsewhere), but generally have very advantageous pricing