I've been speaking with Crystal Decisions sales department about a report distribution system I'm architecting and they want to sell me Crystal Enterprise Pro for $55K per processor license. I believe CE is a good product but their licensing scheme does everything it can to pick your pocket. It also makes a good n-tier architecture that could control these fees impossible. I figured I might use their components (CRAXDRT9.DLL) to create my own report distribution system. But Crystal sales tells me the best reason not to do this is because it is an old technique that doesn't scale well. I think it's because they want to charge me $55K per processor license. My project will serve a 300 user community with low concurrency at first and will hopefully grow to a thousand users or more in the next few years.
I'm curious who out there is doing this, how many users you serve, how successful your systems are or what other approach you think is better?
Here's a few useful snippets from their license agreements:
From the CR components bundled with Visual Studio .NET
"3.3 Creation of Report Distribution Systems. You may not use the Software or Runtime Software, together or
separately or in combination with Server Environments, as part of a Report Distribution System, without obtaining
an additional license from Crystal Decisions. For more information, please visit the Crystal Decisions’ web site at
From the CR v9 Dev/Adv license
3.4 Creation of Report Distribution Systems. You may use the Software by itself or as part of a system to regularly deliver, distribute or share Reports outside of the Crystal Reports, Report Application Server or Runtime Software environment: (a) to up to fifty (50) end users directly, or (b) to a location that is accessible to up to fifty (50) end users. You may not use the Software to regularly deliver, distribute or share reports to users outside of the Crystal Reports, Report Application Server or Runtime Software environment other than as provided above, unless you have acquired a Crystal Reports Broadcast License from Crystal Decisions. A Crystal Reports Broadcast License is not required for: (a) distribution of Reports in hard copy form, including distribution of paper copies by facsimile; or (b) manual distribution on a one-time or ad hoc basis.
Jami Albro-Fisher
Senior Systems Developer
Fazzi Associates, Inc.
243 King Street, Suite 246
Northampton MA 01060
PH: 413.584.5300
FX: 413.584.0220
jami@fazzi.com
I'm curious who out there is doing this, how many users you serve, how successful your systems are or what other approach you think is better?
Here's a few useful snippets from their license agreements:
From the CR components bundled with Visual Studio .NET
"3.3 Creation of Report Distribution Systems. You may not use the Software or Runtime Software, together or
separately or in combination with Server Environments, as part of a Report Distribution System, without obtaining
an additional license from Crystal Decisions. For more information, please visit the Crystal Decisions’ web site at
From the CR v9 Dev/Adv license
3.4 Creation of Report Distribution Systems. You may use the Software by itself or as part of a system to regularly deliver, distribute or share Reports outside of the Crystal Reports, Report Application Server or Runtime Software environment: (a) to up to fifty (50) end users directly, or (b) to a location that is accessible to up to fifty (50) end users. You may not use the Software to regularly deliver, distribute or share reports to users outside of the Crystal Reports, Report Application Server or Runtime Software environment other than as provided above, unless you have acquired a Crystal Reports Broadcast License from Crystal Decisions. A Crystal Reports Broadcast License is not required for: (a) distribution of Reports in hard copy form, including distribution of paper copies by facsimile; or (b) manual distribution on a one-time or ad hoc basis.
Jami Albro-Fisher
Senior Systems Developer
Fazzi Associates, Inc.
243 King Street, Suite 246
Northampton MA 01060
PH: 413.584.5300
FX: 413.584.0220
jami@fazzi.com