Oracle ULA is ‘the all you can eat option’ from Oracle. ULA stands for Unlimited License Agreement.
Pay an upfront fee to Oracle and use as much of the identified products for a fixed period of time. This licensing option, one of the most popular for Oracle customers, can be both beneficial and turn out to be very risky. Read on to understand the basics of the Oracle ULA.

WHAT IS ORACLE ULA ?

Unlimited License Agreement

Salient Points:

1. Pay license fees upfront for future use.
2. Defines a set of products that can be used.
3. Defines a time period in which the products can be deployed.
4. Allows for unlimited use of these set of products during the term of the agreement/contract.

BENEFITS OF AN ORACLE ULA

How does the ULA benefit a customer?

Key Benefits:

1. One time deal, no need to worry about negotiations for additional licenses during the term of the agreement.
2. Customers have the flexibility to install large number of licenses without needing to worry about immediate spends.
3. Customers do not need to worry about license audits for the specified set of products during the term of the agreement.

RISKS IN AN ORACLE ULA

Oracle ULA Risks: Myth v/s Reality

We have heard Oracle sales people say that the ULA is without risks for the customer. This is not true. 

Key Risks:

1. Oracle ULAs are written, like most contracts, to benefit the drafter of the contract.
2. Oracle ULAs can be very expensive if potential future usage is not calculated correctly.
3. Oracle ULAs can be very expensive if not utilized well.
4. Oracle ULAs generally lead to complacent behavior leading to potentially very expensive compliance risks.
5. Licensing during mergers and acquisitions can get complicated with an Oracle ULA.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

Best Practice Recommendations

Key Points:

1. In case you are considering a ULA, get expert advise from an objective source. Do not depend only on the Oracle sales team or your internal technical experts alone.
2. In case you have already signed a ULA, you should monitor usage constantly.
3. Get an expert to vet the contractual terms so that risks are mitigated.

Oracle ULA Expertise

You might want to read more about our CEO Sheshagiri Anegondi (Sheshu). He is amongst the foremost Oracle License Experts globally.
Read this if you want to know the 12 steps for ULA Certification. Read here