This is part of an Avaya document that I received from an Avaya business partner. Interesting information:
Clarification of Avaya IP Softphone “5 free license” Policy
Date: October 6, 2004
Summary: The five IP Softphone licenses bundled with new purchases of Communication Manager should be positioned as ”try-it, buy-it” licenses rather than free licenses. This is because once the customer purchases additional IP Softphone licenses, the “free” licenses are no longer valid for that purchased release, or any preceding release. They can, however, be used for future releases of IP Softphone.
For customers that are very concerned about not being able to use the five “free” licenses any longer once they purchase additional IP Softphone licenses, Avaya is offering 5 IP Softphone licenses at the upgrade price ($60) rather than the full price ($130). This offer is in place until December 31, 2004.
Description: Since Avaya introduced MultiVantage™ R1 (and DEFINITY® R10), 5 release-independent IP Softphone licenses have been included in every system sale. While the original intention was for these licenses to truly be free (to entice customers to purchase more licenses); they were literally encoded as trial licenses in the Communication Manager/MultiVantage/DEFINITY software. This means that once the customer purchases any IP Softphone license, the five included licenses are deactivated for any release up to an including that release number. However, they can be reapplied to a new IP Softphone release; where they remain active until the customer purchases licenses of the new release. The 5 included licenses will then “roll forward” to the next release. (Note that “release” in this context refers to major release – not a “dot release” or service pack.)
For example, if a customer purchased Communication Manager 2.0, they received 5 IP Softphone RTUs, which could be used for IP Softphone R5. If they then purchased 10 additional IP Softphone R5 RTUs, only 10 would be allowed to register with Communication Manager – not 15. The 5 “included” RTUs could be used for IP Softphone R6 once it becomes available – but not for R5 (or prior releases).
Please note that Extension to Cellular RTUs, which has had a similar “5 free license” offer, were not encoded in this fashion and are truly “free”.
Clarification of Avaya IP Softphone “5 free license” Policy
Date: October 6, 2004
Summary: The five IP Softphone licenses bundled with new purchases of Communication Manager should be positioned as ”try-it, buy-it” licenses rather than free licenses. This is because once the customer purchases additional IP Softphone licenses, the “free” licenses are no longer valid for that purchased release, or any preceding release. They can, however, be used for future releases of IP Softphone.
For customers that are very concerned about not being able to use the five “free” licenses any longer once they purchase additional IP Softphone licenses, Avaya is offering 5 IP Softphone licenses at the upgrade price ($60) rather than the full price ($130). This offer is in place until December 31, 2004.
Description: Since Avaya introduced MultiVantage™ R1 (and DEFINITY® R10), 5 release-independent IP Softphone licenses have been included in every system sale. While the original intention was for these licenses to truly be free (to entice customers to purchase more licenses); they were literally encoded as trial licenses in the Communication Manager/MultiVantage/DEFINITY software. This means that once the customer purchases any IP Softphone license, the five included licenses are deactivated for any release up to an including that release number. However, they can be reapplied to a new IP Softphone release; where they remain active until the customer purchases licenses of the new release. The 5 included licenses will then “roll forward” to the next release. (Note that “release” in this context refers to major release – not a “dot release” or service pack.)
For example, if a customer purchased Communication Manager 2.0, they received 5 IP Softphone RTUs, which could be used for IP Softphone R5. If they then purchased 10 additional IP Softphone R5 RTUs, only 10 would be allowed to register with Communication Manager – not 15. The 5 “included” RTUs could be used for IP Softphone R6 once it becomes available – but not for R5 (or prior releases).
Please note that Extension to Cellular RTUs, which has had a similar “5 free license” offer, were not encoded in this fashion and are truly “free”.