Effectively reduce it costs with used software

As the name implies, used software are programs of which the license has been used before. When companies buy software licenses, there may become redundancies, because of the reduction of personnel, insolvency, or system changes. In these cases, selling used software would be beneficial. Used software vendors can then resell the licensed software to other companies. The advantage of buying used software: The costs for the respective licenses are well below the original price. It is also possible to purchase obsolete versions of software that can no longer be supplied by the manufacturer.

After a software usage analysis, it is usually the case that there are a lot of software licenses that are no longer needed. This software can be turned into money again by selling it on the market. These used licenses are sold to another company—in other words, directly to Soft & Cloud AG. It does not matter whether it concerns volume licenses from a volume license agreement or used software from a standard package, single package, full package product (FPP), or OEM software. The decisive factor is that you no longer use the software and that the original purchase conditions permit a sale. Thus, rental models and cloud solutions are generally not marketable. For example, there are currently only “older” Adobe® licenses available on the market up to version CS6. Newer cloud applications such as Adobe® CC are not traded as used software.

The benefits of used software from Soft & Cloud are not limited to financial aspects. The products available from Soft & Cloud offer many other benefits:

• No wear and tear: Used software is always in perfect condition. You get the usual quality, which does not differ from newly purchased access licenses.
• You have update rights: If you buy used software, you may have the option to use the included update rights. For some volume licenses, the update rights are included, so you can easily get the software up to date.
• After-sales services: With used software licenses you may acquire not only important programs for your company, but also the after-sales services of the manufacturer. This includes maintenance and support.
• Use of patches: You can also use patches for easy troubleshooting.
• You have downgrade rights: When purchasing volume licenses, you also have the option to purchase downgrade rights. This is especially useful if you need older software that is no longer available on the market. Pleas note, however, that these rights are generally excluded for full package products. The licensing consultants of Soft & Cloud will be happy to consult you on this personally.
• Save money: With used software, you get a real bargain because you can save up to 70% compared to the original price of the licenses. It is of course the same powerful program. For example, you can use Office or other Windows licenses at low cost and to the fullest extent.

If you buy used software, you must be able to rely on the provider. Soft & Cloud has warranted the trust of its customers for years. The company relies on clearly defined and determined processes to guarantee the best quality for you. Opt for Soft & Cloud and thus certified security. Proof of this is the TÜV-IT Siegel Trusted Process, with which Soft & Cloud has been repeatedly awarded for secure license transfer.

• Licenses with certified transfer processes: If you buy used software from Soft & Cloud, you will receive products that have undergone a certified transfer process. Soft & Cloud exclusively sells licenses that originated from trustworthy sources (legal security) and can be used by you without risks. Legal professionals at Soft & Cloud are constantly working to provide you with quality programs and the best service through numerous quality assurance measures.
• Large selection: The large assortment of Soft & Cloud includes a variety of used software. Choose the software that best suits your business from a huge selection of Microsoft Office, Microsoft Visio, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Windows Server, and other programs.
• Repurchase: Have you purchased licenses from Soft & Cloud Software and no longer need them? No problem! Soft & Cloud likes to buy unneeded licenses. Our software specialists will be happy to advise you personally.
• Delivery of requested software: Are you looking for a particular software but you can’t find it as part of the Soft & Cloud range of products? The Soft & Cloud license consultants will be glad to help you. As a rule, your desired licenses will be available on request within a very short time.

When you buy used software from Soft & Cloud, you get a cost-effective, high-quality solution you can count on. But how exactly does the purchase process at Soft & Cloud work? As a licensing expert, Soft & Cloud is always transparent and will explain everything to you.

Soft & Cloud buys used software licenses Are you wondering where the used software distributed by Soft & Cloud came from? In a nutshell, licenses are offered for sale when companies buy licenses but end up acquiring too many, companies restructure, the staff gets downsized, they move to cloud solutions or abandon it. Soft & Cloud finds out about it through a strong industry network and buys these licenses. Thereafter, Soft & Cloud can conveniently pass the licenses you need on to you.

You choose the software license you need from the Soft & Cloud range of products Soft & Cloud assembles high quality used software such as Microsoft Office and other Windows licenses. The offer is not static, but is always based on current sales. For example, Soft & Cloud can often obtain licenses for inquiries that are not currently available in the product range. The licensing consultants of Soft & Cloud will be happy to personally advise you on all offers and help you find the right used software for your purposes.

You will acquire the software licenses and all associated rights Once you find the right software, you can buy it at Soft & Cloud at a special low price. The delivery of these used licenses is legal and secure. You can instantly install and fully use the software in question.

Used software is legal. But despite the judgment of 2012, only a few companies recognize the savings potential. Buying used software licenses offers a big advantage for companies. Lower costs with the same performance enable high savings in companies and pay off economically. Nevertheless, only a few companies use this opportunity so far. Why is that?

The results of a recent survey by polling institute YouGov provide the answer. Many respondents are uncertain about the legal situation, although it has been clear since the 2012 judgment of the European Court of Justice.

Resolutions on used software: With its decision on second-hand software in 2012, the ECJ laid the foundation for today’s legal situation. Software may therefore be resold and the buyer also receives the right to update. In 2013, the German Federal Supreme Court (BGH) confirmed the decision of the ECJ, so that the legal position has since been consolidated in Germany. The relevant decisions were verified by the Münster Procurement Review Authority in 2016 as well.

The uncertainty of many companies with regard to the topic of used software is unfounded. After all, used software is an optimal way for companies of all sizes to cut costs without sacrificing the power of high-quality software. The Soft & Cloud License consultants will be happy to advise you in detail on your options.

Do you still have questions about how to buy licenses from Soft & Cloud Software and benefit from special offers? Get consulted by our license experts, free of charge and without obligation. The Soft & Cloud Hotline: +49 2571-3 999 00

Do you have questions about specific software (for example Microsoft Office, Microsoft Server or other Windows, Server and Office licenses)? Find out more about the current range of used licenses on the Soft & Cloud website. Here you will find helpful hints concerning the range of available products and with regard to the topic of used software licensing, windows server license, and many other topics.

As the name implies, used software are programs of which the licenses have been used before. When companies buy software licenses, there may become redundancies, because of the reduction of personnel, insolvency, or system changes. In these cases, selling used software would be beneficial. Used software vendors can then resell the licensed software to other companies. The advantage of buying used software: The costs for the respective licenses are well below the original price. It is also possible to purchase obsolete versions of software that can no longer be supplied by the manufacturer.

Of course. Soft & Cloud not only sells used software, but also buys used licenses. Your license consultant will even buy back used software that you have purchased from Soft & Cloud. So you can safely sell software from your own over-licensing.

The current stock of used software at Soft & Cloud is based on customer needs. In addition to many licenses that Soft & Cloud always has in stock, license experts can obtain the software licenses you need at any time. This is possible thanks to an international network that Soft & Cloud can access as an experienced software dealer. You can see here which used software is available to you immediately.

Can’t find the used software you need in the assortment? Talk to your license consultant personally and we will find a solution. Contact a license consultant.

This question can generally be answered with a clear “yes.”

Used software may be resold. This was decided by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg in the judgment of the proceedings between the German software dealer UsedSoft and the US software producer Oracle.

It is not relevant for the resale whether the software was acquired on a disk or digitally as a download. Oracle argued that in the case of downloads, the buyer only acquires the license to use a copy of the software and does not become its owner.

The ECJ contradicted this in its judgment. With the acquired license, the buyer becomes the owner of the software copy. However, upon its sale, the sellers right to use the software copy expires. It is therefore not legal to resell the license for a copy and continue to use the program itself. Before its sale, the copy must be uninstalled by the seller.

However, the judgment of the ECJ limits the free license trade in two points. For one thing, splitting up license packages is not legal. This means that you cannot resell excess copies for collective licenses. If, for example, ten licenses are included in the purchase price when purchasing a software, but the customer only needs eight of them, he may not resell the remaining two.

Secondly, the reproduction right for software remains exclusively with the author, i.e., the developer. Software buyers are therefore not allowed to duplicate programs independently and resell them.

Whether new or used, in terms of updates and maintenance, all software is treated the same. In other words, an update-entitled version retains this status as used software as well. The second purchaser can therefore purchase the desired updates from the manufacturer just like the first acquirer.

This results in further alluring savings options for many users. A company can obtain licenses of an older, update-entitled version cost-effectively on the second-hand market and then buy the corresponding updates from the manufacturer. The sum of the costs is usually well below the price of a current full version.

Likewise, all after-sales services provided by the manufacturer (maintenance, support) are usually available for used licenses as well. Once a company has acquired used licenses, it then contacts the manufacturer and offers to take them under a maintenance contract. Experience has shown that this process is usually very smooth and problem-free, since manufacturers generally do not refuse maintenance contracts because of their own interests. Maintenance contracts are pure profit.

In addition, serious legal concerns could be raised if a manufacturer refused to maintain the software it produced. Such abuse of a dominant position could be a clear violation of European antitrust regulations.

Software is not subject to wear and tear. However, if the software was previously used, and the use was discontinued by its original user, you can usually purchase these licenses much more cheaply. You save a lot of money in this case while retaining the same range of functions and all rights.

A patch, also bugfix or hotfix, is a correction for software or data from the end user’s perspective, in order to close security gaps, eliminate errors, or retrofit functions that were not yet available. Some manufacturers also call them service packs.

In the legal sense, such patches are mostly services in the context of remedial measures, to which the manufacturer is usually obligated. In their own interest, manufacturers supply the patches in almost all cases free of charge to all users, in order to guarantee a flawless and risk-free use of the software.

This also applies to the use of used software.

Soft & Cloud limits its trade in used software to major software licenses from major manufacturers. A large assortment of these licenses is usually available immediately or within a short period of time.

The current range from Soft & Cloud

No. It is not possible to rent used software. However, Soft & Cloud offers a financing model for used software. This preserves your liquidity.