Proprietary licences both frustrating and pushing move to PostgreSQL
According to trade magazine Computer Sweden, RAÄ wanted to continue using an older Oracle Database 9.3 system for a limited time, before migrating to the PostgreSQL open source software.
RAÄ had a licence to allow it to run Oracle Database 9.3, but Oracle insisted that the agency also renew its support contract for the system. According to the supplier, a customer must have the same level of support for all copies of Oracle Database used in the organisation — and RAÄ had recently renewed a support contract for a more recent version of Oracle Database. So according to Oracle, the agency had two choices. It could have the existing licence — bought and paid for — nullified and stop using the database software now. Alternatively it could renew the support contract for a software version that soon would no longer be supported by Oracle anyway.
Bordering on a scamIn a follow-up comment, Lars Danielsson, a reporter at IDG Enterprise Sweden, called these practices “bordering on a scam”.