Licenses and license types

A license is a legal agreement providing you, as the customer, a right to use a product. You receive licenses when you purchase IBM® software products. However, you need license keys either on a license server or on desktops to actually enable and run the products.

IBM software products provide a variety of license options. Visit ibm.com® to find out more about your IBM software license types. This topic provides additional information for IBM Rational® software licenses.

Purchasers of IBM Rational software products can choose among three types of product licenses: an Authorized User license, an Authorized User Fixed Term License (FTL), and a Floating license. The best choice for your organization depends upon how many people will use the product, how often they will require access, and how you prefer to buy your software.

Authorized User license

An IBM Rational Authorized User license allows a single, specific individual to use an IBM Rational product. Purchasers must obtain an Authorized User license for each individual user accessing the product in any manner. An Authorized User license may not be reassigned unless the purchaser is replacing the original assignee on a long-term or permanent basis.

For example, if you purchase one Authorized User license, you may assign that license to one specific individual, who may then use the IBM Rational product. The Authorized User license does not entitle a second person to use that product at any time, even if the licensed individual is not actively using it.

Authorized User Fixed Term License (FTL)

An IBM Rational Authorized User FTL allows a single, specific individual to use an IBM Rational product for a specific length of time (the term). Purchasers must obtain an Authorized User FTL for each individual user accessing the product in any manner. An Authorized User FTL may not be reassigned unless the purchaser is replacing the original assignee on a long-term or permanent basis.

Note: When you purchase an Authorized User FTL under the Passport Advantage® Express program, IBM will automatically extend the license term for an additional year at the prevailing price unless you notify IBM before the license expires that you do not want an extension. The subsequent FTL term starts when the initial FTL term expires. The price for this subsequent term is currently 80 percent of the initial FTL price, but this price is subject to change.

If you notify IBM that you do not want to extend the license term, then you must stop using the product when the license expires.

For example, if you purchase an initial twelve-month FTL for $1,000, then your right to use the program will expire at the end of the term, or in one year. At that point you can either stop using the product or buy a new twelve-month FTL to extend the term. This subsequent license will cost 80 percent of the initial license ($800 in this example). When this license expires after another year, your right to use the program will again end. You must either stop using the product or buy another subsequent FTL at 80 percent of the initial license cost (again, $800 in this example).

Floating license

An IBM Rational Floating license is a license for a single software product that can be shared among multiple team members; however, the total number of concurrent users cannot exceed the number of Floating licenses you purchase. For example, if you purchased one Floating license for an IBM Rational product, then any user in your organization may use the product at any given time. Any other person who wants to access the product must wait until the original user logs off.

To use Floating licenses, you must obtain floating license keys and install them on an IBM Rational License Server. The server responds to end-user requests for access to the license keys; it will grant access to the number of concurrent users that matches the number of licenses the organization purchased.


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