What is the difference between a license and a license key?

Computing has become essential in business and regardless of the activity, it is a guarantee of performance in hyper-competitive environments. The software component is the essential brick of your IT infrastructure. Your competitiveness gains are directly linked to the software or applications your employees work with. Beyond their functional and technical dimensions, the software you use daily is associated with legal devices such as the usage license and the license key. These elements ensure their compliance and the sustainability of your infrastructure, and they secure your investment.

Software is not just an application

Software includes different types of elements:

An application

This application can be developed by a publisher such as Microsoft for a specific use. We talk about operating systems for Windows, for example, office suites for Office Pro, ERP for SAP…

A software license

The use and ownership of these software are governed by license agreements that specify the rights and obligations of users towards publishers (copyright, use context, use limits, usage rights…) and the nature of the license (full version, update…). This license agreement is now mostly digital. Accepting the clauses allows you to obtain all the ordered software components and proceed with their installation.

A license key or activation key

The usage license is associated with a license key which functions to activate the software once it is installed. This license key inseparable from the license is composed of alphanumeric characters. It is generated according to an algorithm that takes into account the license number, technical characteristics (number of authorized workstations or simultaneous users…) and the functional scope of the application (features, configuration, interfacing…).

Security of your software assets

The management of licenses and license keys is a major issue for the functioning of the company and its security. From a technical point of view, the legality of the licenses attests to the right to use the installed software versions. This allows users of complex and connected applications to benefit from publisher support and regular updates (bug fixes, security devices, evolution of technical platforms according to hardware updates, OS…).

Importance of license/license key compliance

Continuity of company service guaranteed by the availability of software resources

Whether it is for the installation of a workstation or the reinstallation of a server following a technical problem, you must have the software, usage licenses, and activation keys. The workstation will thus benefit from all the functions and rights linked to the user profile, and the server will regain its initial configuration.

Do not weaken the company with non-compliant software installations

From a legal point of view, the compliance of configurations with the inventory of licenses and license keys is essential to avoid being sanctioned by publishers if they find fraudulent use of their software. This violation can cost you between 49 and 80% of the initial purchase price of the software assets.

Second-hand software, an economical and reliable solution

The high cost of software can sometimes be a barrier to purchase, even though it is an essential tool. To deploy a cheaper software architecture that meets user needs or to regularize your software assets, turn to the second-hand market and opt for software license reuse. It is a perfectly suited and rational solution in a context where resource optimization is paramount. The transfer of license and license key is legal, but it is important to favor a reputable platform rather than a broker who may be less rigorous. Your B2B platform Softcorner, leader in the secondary software market in Europe, guarantees the compliance of its second-hand software licenses. It commits to offering you complete licenses (unique license number, executables, documentation, license keys…), competitive prices (up to 80% reduction), and 100% secure transactions.