Licensing...

[tony]

I'd really, [i]really[/i] like to nail this one...

What is a Seat License?  I know there are many models in both technical and commercial terms, but I would really like to understand what the term "Seat License" actually means.

Technically, my understanding is; it is when an SDN (or other license type, such as a TDN) is checked out of FlexLM - that's the easy part...

But - Commercially?

Is it a Desktop PC with the means to connect?
Is it an actual desk/workplace?
Is it a Person/Agent?
What if there is desk-sharing?
What if an Agent works mornings only and another Agent afternoons only, at the same desk - is that 1 Seat License - or 2?

I expect we'll be fighting over this one so it would be great if anyone could come up with the definitive answer from a Genesys perspective..?  Or is the commercial agreement purely down to what the customer, the reseller/SI and Genesys agree in the Terms and Conditions?

Thanks,

TT

[mgcristino]

Hi,

i hope to clarify some of your questions (as far i've understand)...

Take the example of a Nortel Switch, 1 physical phone have 2 objects (genesys configuration point-of-view)
- 1 ACD Position (agent states: ready, not-ready, login/logout)
- 1 Extension (make and receive calls, on-hold, transfer, conference,...)

So for this matter, you have one seat license (commercially) with two tserver_sdn licenses.

Tserver_snd licenses are consumed for this kind of configuration objects:
- ACD Positions,
- Extensions,
- Routing Points

Answering all your questions, the tserver_sdn licenses are consumed by each physical phone independent if is used 24h a day or not used at all.

Hope that this could help you,
Regards
Cristino

[tony]

Thanks Cristino,

In your example; 2 x SDN = 1 x ACD and 1 x EXT
and therefore 1 x Seat License irrespective if it is in use, or not.

So if a Contact Centre has the [b]capacity [/b]of, for example; 2000 ACD/EXT on a Switch, then 4000 SDN's are required and 2000 Seat Licenses

...even if the staffing level is 1000 and therefore only half of them are in use...?

T

[fnunezsa]

Hi!

I'd like to see it this way: a seat license is required for every telephony object that an agent needs in order to register against the Switch/PBX. The amount of seat licenses required depends on the type of Switch/PBX and the number of concurrent registered agents.

ACD Queues and Routing Points do not require seat license. These objects require technical license (tserver_tdn).

Regards,
Franklin.

[tony]

Thanks - I think the definition is clear that it is the Agent's telephony that dictates licensing, rather than their "Seat".

The reason I am asking is that I have heard many different explanations, but it's never been clear to me what constitutes a Seat, from a [i]commercial [/i]perspective.

The SDN's and TDN's are [i]technical [/i]and I have no problem with that...

Thanks again,

TT

[Fra]

Mr Tillyer,

I'm surprised by your query!

From the Genesys pricing guide:

Seat:
Micro-computing unit or other assemblage of computer equipment that is enabled to allow use of the Licensed Software by a maximum of one agent at any given time.
Agent Workstation may be configured to allow multiple agents working in shifts to use the Licensed Software so long as it is not enabled for concurrent use. 


Fra

[tony]

Thanks Fra - I think you and I both knew this but I was recently given (3) definitions of a Seat License by various (official) parties and I wanted an opinion from the Forum.

In the end I think the definition is relevant to the subject matter, rather than being an absolute definition - so it depends on who you talk to and what you are talking about!

Unless of course we take the standard definition for all cases - in which case there is a lot of scope for License Reviews, if it really is the number of Desktop PC's rather than anything else which could be "counted".  In my experience Desktop PC's don't sit around idle - if they are not in use, they are packed away in storage so, even though there is a "desk", there is no "Seat"...

TT