Questions about licensing are something that comes up a lot here at Rustici. Specifically, the topic of reusing a “license” when someone has left a company. The question is usually something like: “Hey there, we had someone start with us in January, but they are no longer here. How can we use their license for someone else for the remainder of the term?” This question revolves around an older software licensing convention commonly referred to as "Seats".
I like to explain "Seats" by talking about textbooks. If I ran my own class, purchased books, and handed them out, those physical books could later be retrieved and given to a new student when someone leaves the class. In a world of physical media, this is a great way to handle licensing.
When we step into the digital world of e-learning, however, things change. When a learner launches and consumes your content, that instance of the content can’t just be sucked back out of their brain and handed to someone else. (At least, not until we all get cyborg implants.)
This brings me to hamburgers. Whether you call it registration-based or learner-based licensing, it's better to think of your modern licenses as a bag of hamburgers. If I run to the local burger mart and get a bag of juicy burgers ... please hold, I just made myself hungry... I now have a specific number of burgers to hand out. Once a learner eats the burger, they've consumed it. You can't exactly take it back and give it to the next person.
As learning continues to shift heavily into the digital space, adjusting our mindset from a "Seat" model to a "Hamburger" model will help you make the most of your licensing while keeping your costs and usage accurate.
Still hungry for answers?
Every use case is a little different. If you want to dig into how your specific Rustici licensing works—or you just want to debate the best burger toppings—feel free to reach out to us at support@rusticisoftware.com. We're always happy to help!
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