FORWARD AND COMMENTARY
"An Enterprise Software Licensee's Bill of Rights (LB0R) V2" brings the 10th installment of an on-going series to provide clients with insight on how to better align their packaged apps strategies.  Version 2 of the LBoR updates the original groundbreaking list of 36 best practices for software licensing and pricing and provides a good check list for contract negotiations strategy.  Eleven new rights have been added that reflect support for new deployment options, cost savings beyond the current recession, mitgation from future lock-in, and client best practices.
Other documents as part of the ongoing series on packaged apps strategy include:

1. Why You Need A Long-Term Apps Strategy
2. Forrester's Long-Term Packaged Applications Strategy Framework
3. Does Your Apps Strategy Support Your Corporate Business Drivers?
4. Packaged Apps Strategies Take A Back Seat At Most Enterprises
5. The ROI Of Packaged Apps Instance Consolidation
6. Five Steps To Building A Recession Proof Packaged Apps Strategy
7. Shape Your Apps Strategy To Reflect New SaaS Licensing And Pricing Trends
8. Third Party Apps Maintenance Rebounds
9. Craft Your Negotiations Strategy To Reflect New Packaged Apps Licensing And Pricing Trends
10. An Enterprise Software Licensee's Bill of Rights, V2

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
A. Introduction
Since publication in December 2006, the LBoR has played a key tool in enterprise software contract negotiations and packaged apps strategy for over 1000 of my software licensing, pricing, and contract negotiations at Forrester.  During the update of the LBoR, over 100 end users and 70 vendors contributed to the addition of 11 new rights.   This document remains a must read for all those engaged in software contracts.
B. Research Findings
Changing market conditions result in new rights
Four themes emerged among the 11 additional rights added (see Figure 1):

• Support for new deployment options. Virtualization and SaaS transcend interesting pilots and concepts and become the norm in mainstream adoption. Users will expect to achieve savings in virtualized instances, the ability to swap user and usage rights among new deployment options, and protection from SaaS vendor bankruptcies.
• Cost savings beyond the current recession. Renewed focus on cost reduction drive enterprises to identify short- and long-term opportunities. These roles expect choice, value, and predictability in their vendor's support and maintenance programs.
• Mitigation from future vendor lock-in in a less competitive environment. Consolidation results in less competition. Users should seek leverage in contract negotiations beyond the initial purchase.
• Additional client input into best practices. More than 70 software vendors and 100 Forrester clients and Software Insider blog readers provided similar suggestions for improvements in the selection and implementation phases of the software ownership life cycle.

Figure 1. Eleven New Rights Reflect Changing Market Conditions and Client Input

Figure 2. An Enterprise Software Licensee's Bill of Rights, V2

Recommendations - Use the bill of rights as the centerpiece in contract negotiations
Now's the time to review existing relationships and renegotiate contracts using the LB0R V2 as a reference guide.  Apply seven simple steps to successfully negotiate enterprise software contracts and build a long-term packaged apps strategy:

1. Assemble the right team.
2. Identify the key business drivers.
3. Apply the software ownership life cycle and the licensee's bill of rights.
4. Determine the product adoption plan.
5. Align product adoption strategy with contract negotiation objectives.
6. Identify main leverage points.
7. Finalize the negotiation strategy.

C. Report Links
To read the details about each end-user right, seven simple steps, recommendations and the "What It Means" cycle, click here for the Forrester Report: An Enterprise Software Licensee's Bill of Rights, V2 . For media courtesy requests, please send me an email to [email protected]

Read other POV on the Enterprise Software Licensee's Bill of Rights

• 20090723 Next Gen Enterprise - Dennis Moore "Enterprise Software Buyer's Bill of Rights and Pricing"
• 20090714 Deal Architect - Vinnie Mirchandani "Bill of Rights - and other amendments to the 'Enterprise Software Constitution'"
• 20090713 Software Licensing & Master Service Agreements - Sam Conforti "Licensee Bill of Rights by Forrester's R. Ray Wang"
• 20090713 ZD Net - Enterprise Irregulars - Dennis Howlett "A buy side response to the enterprise buyer's Bill of Rights (and a partial solution)"
• 20090713 ZD Net - IT Project Failures - Michael Krigsman "Analyzing the enterprise software buyer's 'bill of rights'"
• 20090709 Ragsdale's Eye On Service - John Ragsdale "Forrester's An Enterprise Software Licensee's Bill of Rights"
• 20090708 CIO Magazine - Thomas Wailgum "Enterprise Software LIcensing Negotiations: Insider Tips"
• 20090708 IDG News Service - Chris Kanaracus "Forrester expands 'software bill of rights'"

Your POV.
Would love your feedback on the report.  Looking for help with your SAP, Oracle, Infor, Lawson, Microsoft Dynamics, or other enterprise software contract?   You can post here or send me a private email to rwang0 at gmail dot com.
Copyright © 2009 R Wang. All rights reserved.