Second-Hand Software Updates: How Does It Work?

Updating Second-Hand Software: What Solutions?

Acquiring and maintaining on-premise licenses encouraged by complex and recurring compliance audits is costly for businesses and leaves them at the mercy of software publishers.

It has become necessary for IT managers to consider new software alternatives by combining quality, security, and cost reduction.

Equipping with second-hand software now appears as a credible opportunity to reduce costs, regain control over the application suite, while rebalancing commercial relations with publishers.

However, while the legal framework specifies that a software license is an asset whose usage rights can be transferred to a third party, what about its update? What solutions exist to ensure reliable and secure software?

What Does Updating Second-Hand Software Include?

When using a software system, regardless of the publisher, it's necessary to be protected against security vulnerabilities and to proceed with the installation of updates for optimal use.

The update generally includes several components:

The evolution of the software version (evolutionary maintenance) whether under Android, Mac, or Windows (Windows update).

Bug fixes including the provision of patches (corrective maintenance)

Providing fixes to prevent security vulnerabilities (firmware or antivirus)

Compliance control concerning software in regulated domains

Software Update: What Use?

The update operated by publishers to offer the new version each time is costly. On average, between 15 and 20% of the license price per year. Is it indispensable?

From a legal standpoint, companies must purchase update rights to access publisher support if needed. For software requiring a longer-term deployment with a significant level of complexity, upgrading is then indispensable.

In this case, it will suffice to ask the publisher for reactivation of the update to benefit from the new versions and associated guarantees.

On the other hand, for companies that have stabilized their application environment, resorting to update patches via paid support is almost negligible, especially given the costs incurred relative to actual needs… and if one has level 1 and 2 support teams internally.

Despite the gap between actual needs and the level of updates offered by publishers, most domain managers prefer to play it safe and pay for maintenance rather than risk being held responsible in case of problems.

Everyone must make their decisions consciously.

Software Update: What Opportunities?

The installation or not of updates is a matter of context and choice. In any case, acquiring second-hand software will impact the IT budget downwards. Moreover, other complementary solutions exist.

In the case of standardized software like Microsoft Office suite or certain virtualization solutions, the question of updating arises less. Indeed, maintenance service being spread over time according to the roadmap, the company can easily anticipate potential version updates to come and bypass the update.

An opportunity to optimize its TCO (total cost of a software solution)

Furthermore, other players like third-party maintainers can provide fast and quality technical support for updates. Savings can then reach 50% if one combines software purchased on the secondary market with third-party update support.

Finally, in some cases, it is possible to cancel the update contract offered by the publisher for an application with a lifespan exceeding 5 years. And achieve substantial savings.