Some software publishers are scrambling to increase revenues and create a steady revenue stream to keep afloat by introducing new licensing schemes that lead to greater complexity and confusion. A good trend overview can be found in the PDF report by the SIIA, Key Trends in Software Licensing.
Another survey conducted by Macrovision of nearly 400 software companies and 100 enterprise executives responsible for software purchases from October, 2004 mentioned in this C|Net article Customers cool on subscription software says ...the study found that corporate customers aren't yet buying into the change. Sixty-four percent of software buyers prefer buying a license up-front over a subscription model...
These articles discuss other license plans that add complexity to the already complex field of software management. In a NetworkWorld article from July 2004 Linda Musthaler wrote that
While customers clamor for software licensing simplicity, the vast array of choices will make your head swim. It looks like it's time to get certified in software license management.The process of figuring out what kinds of licenses are best for your organization, and tracking them, gets more complicated every day. The whole IT industry is ready for a shake up in the way that customers pay for software use. And for once, customers are driving this paradigm shift.
Douglas Chick states in his article about the Macrovision survey that IT people [are] tired of being pushed around by software vendors. He sees that Subscription-based Licenses are Pushing IT Closer to Open Source.
