What Is Bring Your Own License (BYOL)?
Bring your own license (BYOL) is a licensing model that allows customers to apply their existing software licenses to the cloud platform of their choice. This approach affords organizations easier management and tracking, improved cost-effectiveness, and a more flexible alternative to purchasing new licenses for use on cloud-based services.
How BYOL Works
- Database management systems
- Virtualization and containerization
- Backup and disaster recovery
- Mobile security solutions
- Business intelligence and analytics tools
- Development and collaboration tools
The agreements that allow this form of license transfer vary in their terms and conditions, and the policies of the cloud provider. Some licenses may require additional licensing fees or other modifications to enable successful transfer, while other licenses disallow the option entirely.BYOL eliminates the traditional limitations of software licensing models, allowing customers to transfer existing licenses from on-premises environments to the cloud. Using a process agreed upon by the software vendor and cloud provider, organizations are able to apply licenses originally tied to a specific server and migrate it to a cloud resource.
Using existing licenses for software within the context of BYOL makes it easier and more affordable to repurpose and reuse familiar software packages.
Instead of purchasing new licenses and handling the accompanying organizational due diligence requirements and procedures, BYOL enables businesses operating in the cloud to use current licenses at scale. BYOL applies to a variety of software.
Some common examples include the following:
- 운영 체제
- Enterprise software (ERM, CRM, HRIS)
- Endpoint security solutions
The 4 Key Features of BYOL
Below are some of the main features and advantages of BYOL that optimize cloud adoption.
#1: Flexibility
With BYOL, organizations gain increased flexibility and freedom to use existing software licenses in a variety of contexts: on-premises, platforms, or cloud environments.
This allows for the movement of licensed software across environments, resulting in:
- Easier migrations
- Faster adaptation to changing requirements
#2: Cost Effectiveness
BYOL allows organizations to use licenses already purchased, reducing costs to acquire new licenses.
By leveraging current investments in licenses for the same software, organizations avoid duplicate payments. BYOL can also reduce expenses by enabling organizations to phase out legacy systems and their associated maintenance requirements, migrating that software to the cloud.
#3: Tracking and Reporting
BYOL solutions offer increased visibility into license utilization, providing insights into which licenses are in use and where they’re used within the organization. The improved visibility of BYOL allows for:
- Performance analysis
- Identification of trends
- Long-term tracking of licensing across departments
This opens up opportunities for data-driven decisions about resource allocation.
#4: Compliance Management
One effect of the increased view into license usage and entitlements is that the compliance picture becomes clearer. Organizations are better able to avoid non-compliance risks associated with software agreements. BYOL ensures better documentation of resource utilization and easier audits, minimizing the potential for legal or financial penalties.
It allows organizations to freely integrate their licensed products into cloud services without committing to purchasing additional licenses.
BYOL in Major Cloud Platforms
Most major cloud platforms facilitate the BYOL model, allowing users to maximize their investments in on-premises software:
BYOL AWS
Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers a License Mobility program to simplify usage of pre-existing licenses for on-prem software. The AWS License Manager tool for software like Microsoft Windows Server, Exchange Server, or SQL Server.
AWS does not presently issue its own BYOL licenses.
BYOL Google Cloud
Google’s Cloud Compute Engine allows for BYOL using sole-tenant nodes for physical-core or physical-processor licensed software. Google does not charge an additional fee for bringing a license, and users are still responsible for the original purchase costs.
Google’s BYOL program supports various software and operating systems from vendors including Microsoft, Red Hat, and SUSE.
BYOL Azure
Microsoft Azure offers a Dedicated Hosts function for customers to provision and manage licensed software within the context of a private Azure subscription. Dedicated Hosts allows customers flexibility and enhanced control over licenses, with the added benefits provided by Azure infrastructure, such as:
- Advanced scaling
- Security capabilities
BYOL Oracle
Oracle allows users to take on-premises licenses and exchange them for Oracle’s platform-as-a-service (PaaS) or infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) alternatives. Users can migrate software to Oracle’s cloud, leveraging all of the compute, automation, and licensing support that Oracle offers.
Each cloud provider has its own approach to BYOL to help organizations effectively manage their licensing needs while transitioning to the cloud.
Lastly, from a conceptual standpoint, BYOL has clear parallels to the bring your own device (BYOD) movement, wherein end users opt to use personal devices on the company network. As organizations shift towards cloud-based work, organizations must consider BYOL and BYOD security scenarios.
Maximize Security with Check Point
Bring your own license is a model that allows organizations to transfer their existing software and operating system licenses over to cloud platforms. In doing so, they gain flexibility, reduce costs, and simplify license management.
BYOL allows for improved:
- Tracking
- Reporting
- Resource allocation
- 컴플라이언스 관리
Check Point’s Harmony SASE Private Access empowers BYOL cloud environments by providing granular, secure remote access to critical applications. With per-application access control, employees can access the software they need regardless of their device or location, without granting access to the broader network. And Harmony SASE’s device posture check ensures that all connecting devices meet the organization’s security standards.
Try a free demo of Harmony SASE today to experience how it transforms BYOL cloud environments.
