The UK Oracle User Group (UKOUG), which represents over 1,050 organisations that are all customers of Oracle, has fired back at suggestions that the vendor’s approach to licensing and auditing has resulted in customer relationships that are predominantly “hostile and filled with deep-rooted mistrust”.

The suggestion came from Martin Thompson, the founder of the Campaign for Clear Licensing (CCL), a not-for-profit organisation that looked into Oracle’s licensing and auditing practices.

In a survey of over 100 Oracle customers worldwide, CCL found that that vast majority (92 per cent) believe that Oracle does not clearly communicate licensing changes. Many felt that their enquiries often result in a failure to secure accurate information from Oracle, as Oracle’s own License Management Service (LMS) often does not know who the best person is to answer a query. Only 22 per cent of those surveyed believed that LMS was helpful during an audit, contract renewal or negotiation process.

The UKOUG’s Debra Lilley said that although the organisation accepts the statistics, it believes the findings to be “very harsh on Oracle”.

SOURCE: computing.co.uk