Manufacturing Giant saves €4.3m in Oracle ULA Certification

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Download full case study

Industry: Manufacturing

Company size: ~100k employees

Location: Across Europe

Service: Oracle Licensing Contract Intelligence

Result: €4.3M Cost Avoidance

Executive summary 

A leading European manufacturing company faced significant financial and compliance risks as its Oracle Unlimited License Agreement (ULA) approached certification. The organization had previously renewed its ULA because it was uncertain about its licensing position. With only seven months until certification, they turned to Livingstone Technologies for expert guidance. Leveraging its deep Oracle expertise and proprietary optimization methodologies, Livingstone successfully navigated the complex certification process, enabling the company to certify the correct number of licenses and avoid a costly €4.3 million renewal.

The Challenge

The customer had been in a ULA with Oracle for five years, renewing it once after an initial purchase to resolve audit-related compliance issues. As certification approached, multiple obstacles threatened their ability to complete the process efficiently:

  • Incomplete Inventory Data – Despite multiple inventory tools, including a leading SAM solution, the company lacked full visibility into its Oracle deployments.
  • Complex IT Environment – Oracle was deployed across AIX LPARs, Azure, Solaris, and VMware, making accurate usage assessment difficult.
  • Cloud Certification Clause – Oracle’scontractual clause required a detailedcalculation of daily processor averages inthe cloud, adding further complexity.
  • Tight Timeframe – With only seven months to complete the certification, there was minimal margin for error.

The company needed expert support to ensure a smooth certification process and avoid costly non-compliance risks.

The Solution

Livingstone Technologies deployed its Oracle licensing specialists to conduct a thorough analysis of the customer’s licensing position and certification requirements. The engagement involved several key steps:

  1. Contract & Entitlement Review – A detailed examination of Oracle agreements identified potential risk areas and strategies for avoiding a forced renewal.
  2. Internal Audit & License Position Assessment – Livingstone used Oracle license scripts and additional data sources to create an accurate Effective License Position (ELP), uncovering both ULA and non-ULA product deployments.
  3. Risk Remediation – The internal audit revealed substantial risk from unintentional deployments of non-ULA products. Livingstone provided targetedremediation guidance to rectify theseissues.
  4. Certification Execution – Livingstone prepared all necessary certification documentation and helped the customer respond to Oracle’s validation queries, ensuring a seamless certification process.

The Outcome

By working with Livingstone Technologies, the customer successfully certified their Oracle ULA, achieving the following benefits:

  • €4.3M Cost Avoidance – By certifying rather than renewing, the company avoided a multi-million-euro ULA renewal expense.
  • Optimized Licensing – The correct numberof licenses was certified, preventingunnecessary future costs.
  • Compliance Assurance – Oracle’s certification requirements were fully met, reducing the risk of future compliance challenges.
  • Operational Confidence – With expertguidance, the company gained greatercontrol and understanding of its Oraclelicensing landscape.

Livingstone’s expert-led approach provided the customer with the strategic insights and execution support needed to successfully navigate Oracle’s complex ULA certification process. The result was significant cost savings andlong-term licensing security.

 

 

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