In a recent article in V3.co.uk, Specsavers global CIO bemoans “trauma” of Oracle relicensing deal. Specsavers global CIO Phil Pavitt described Oracle’s approach to licensing as a “gun-to-the-head methodology”, and said that the database firm won’t change the way it works.

“So what could force a change? “It won’t stop. It hasn’t changed for 20 years so why would it change? If the customers jointly stand up perhaps they’ll do something, but it’ll never happen,” – Phil Pavitt CEO

Jesper Østergaard of ITAMOrg gave his view on the situation.

ITAMOrg recognizes the frustration such experiences in working with Oracle leaves customers with. We do however believe that we must work together to stand up against this.

There must be a close dialog not only with Oracle, but all vendors that find such business methods compelling. Transparent licensing is the mantra and overall goal for ITAMOrg and the dialog and actions that needed to be taken to achieve this fall into several categories. First it is important to continue the work in the standards committees under ISO. But also it is important that the vendors accept and acknowledge that in many places in the world, their customers want to pay for the technology they are using but find it hard to understand how to control the consumption of technology. This complexity is growing dramatically as many new technologies emerge in terms of web-enabled virtualized environments, new devices and methods to access information etc.