Trial Software License
Trial Software Licenses are intended to allow customers to use the software for a short period of time (trial License Period usually 30-90 days) free of charge. If the vendor provides SaaS offerings, then the trial license would typically be on their host platform, and they would simply create a separate instance, provide you with login details, for you to try out the software. When the trial license is for on-premises use on your server, or cloud service; or if the Vendor is providing the trails on their host, the vendor is incented to help get your test environment prepared and help get team familiar with the Software. Often the vendor will expect to provide you with free implementation support to ensure that you can get off to a good start.
A significant challenge for the vendor is they typically do not have ongoing visibility to help ensure that the Software is being used properly. Often simple operator errors can derail a software trial. If you are offering a free software trial you should ensure that you have your internal resources ready, the sample data ready, an idea of the product functionality you want to test out and an idea of what acceptable results might be, in total a test script. If you don’t take the time to plan and prepare, often the trail test will not delivered the information you need to make an informed decision. Everyone complains when you ask them to test, but I have never seen anyone conduct a test and say they really didn’t need to do the preparation.
Considerations with Trial Software Licenses
Proof of Value. Some vendors understand that in order to make a trail meaningful, both parties need to staff and invest a bit. Many vendors basically offer to provide the customer with free proof of value, which typically takes the form of a small project. They work with your team to implement the environment, load the data and then they have a formal User Acceptance Test, this is sort of a bet you hand exercise. The vendor is saying if I do the POV for you and demonstrate that the POV archives the pre-defined acceptance test criteria the parties agree upon, then the customer is obligated to purchase the license. The POV test itself is generally free, but obviously it is a serious commitment by both parties.
On-Prem Trial licenses are sort of like taking a car for a test drive, there is little to no preparation, the vendor provides you with trial software (that expires at the end of the Trial License period and then the customer and their team free to try it as the choose. As I mentioned above, without preparation that testing is generally hit and miss. Many on-premises trial licenses do not contain a warranty, nor do they contain an indemnity. Obviously, Customer are not concerned about warranty coverage from a vendor trying to sell them, they would do cartwheels to repair the software.
Trial Software License Attorney
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