Mobile Software Licensing

Licensing models and license management systems are going through major changes because the traditional shrink-wrapped software way of licensing does not meet the needs of the modern software market. In particular the emergence of new platforms, such as mobile computing and the assumption by software vendors of clients possessing network connected software, will revolutionize how software is licensed and managed. Software license systems are moving towards more exibility and supporting several licensing models. Usage of the software can be tracked by licensing servers, and new pay-per-use models are being introduced. This paper reviews current situation in the mobile software applications, analyzes current licensing systems and models used in mobile computing and issues associated with them, and introduces possible future developments in the eld.