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Software Licensing Market Share

ID: MRFR//2560-HCR | 100 Pages | Author: Shubham Munde| December 2024

For any organization utilizing software in its day-to-day operations, the imperative of undergoing regular software license audits has become increasingly crucial. This necessity arises from the escalating frequency of software audits, with the costs associated with noncompliance witnessing a sharp upswing. As businesses grapple with the financial ramifications of overpaying for software licenses, whether for unused applications or those sporadically employed solely to avert noncompliance penalties, the need for meticulous license management is more apparent than ever.

The contemporary business landscape is marked by the rising prevalence of virtual software audits, an additional layer of scrutiny that organizations must contend with. Software vendors retain the authority to initiate these virtual audits at any given time, demanding verifiable evidence that all currently utilized software is legitimately licensed. This heightened level of scrutiny emphasizes the critical role of Software License Management (SLM) software as an indispensable tool in mitigating the risks associated with noncompliance.

One of the foremost challenges faced by organizations is the financial burden arising from the true-up costs linked to noncompliance. These costs, which can be substantial, underscore the importance of robust SLM practices. Businesses often find themselves in the predicament of paying for software that remains either entirely unused or employed on an occasional basis, a strategy sometimes adopted to circumvent penalties associated with noncompliance. SLM software emerges as a strategic ally in navigating this intricate landscape, helping organizations optimize their software licenses, thereby reducing costs and enhancing overall efficiency.

The demand for SLM software is propelled not only by the imperative of compliance but also by the need to expedite the audit process. As the frequency of software audits increases, the ability to swiftly and accurately validate software licenses becomes paramount. SLM software streamlines this process, offering a systematic approach to ensuring that all software in use is legitimately licensed. This not only minimizes the risk of noncompliance but also accelerates the audit timeline, allowing organizations to seamlessly integrate compliance measures into their regular operations.

The strategic deployment of SLM software has a twofold impact: it acts as a safeguard against the financial pitfalls of noncompliance, and it enhances the efficiency of license management. By optimizing the utilization of software licenses, organizations can curb unnecessary expenses, allocate resources more judiciously, and bolster their overall financial stewardship.

Software Licensing Market Overview


Software Licensing refers to an agreement that takes place between a software vendor and a user in order to explain their responsibilities. It can also impose various restrictions that are associated with software usage. Software licenses provide the users with the authority to one or more than one copy without breaching the copyright. The agreements of software licensing mainly consist of disclaimers, warranties, and disadvantages of software liability.  The global software licensing market is expected to grow along with the increase in demand for large IT enterprises such as Accenture, IBM, and Microsoft. The market of software licensing may witness a significant growth and reach a valuation of USD 5 billion by the end of 2030 at a CAGR of 13%. The main factor that is expected to drive the market can be the necessity to reduce the issues related to piracy. COVID-19 Analysis Due to the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, various industries and businesses have come to a halt. There is a huge loss of lives along with a major downfall of the economy. The demand and supply chains have been disrupted for the pandemic. Along with other global markets which include manufacture, finance, and tourism, the software licensing market has also been hit hard. However, it is expected that the market will overcome the downfall soon after the pandemic.


Market Dynamics

  • Drivers


There are various factors that are responsible for driving the growth of the market which include the increase in the requirement of reduction of piracy issues and rise in the audit activities. Optimizing the needs of a license compliance audit is also a major factor that leads the market towards its growth. 

  • Opportunities


Expansion of the market is a great opportunity that can lead the software licensing business towards growth. An increase in cloud governance may offer the market an opportunity to expand which in turn will provide a major opportunity for the market of software licensing.RestraintLack of internal cross-functional collaboration might pose a huge restraining factor for the growth of the software licensing market. Another major restraining factor that can impede the growth of the market is the management of many licensing models.



  • Challenge


Along with the drivers, there also come a few challenges that the market may face during the forecast period. The rise in the demand for open-source platforms may affect the software licensing industry in a negative way and hence, may stand as a challenge to the market of software licensing.Cumulative Growth AnalysisAccording to the software licensing market analysis, the market may experience a significant growth during the forecast period which may reach a valuation of USD 14.34 billion only if the CAGR rate is 8.6%. The increase in the rules and regulations associated with the software or a platform is enhancing the growth of the software licensing market. Technology Analysis The software or the platform is becoming extremely important in all the software industries which include automotive, telecommunication, and healthcare. Nowadays, the software is becoming more prominent for the devices that are mostly used in the healthcare sector under the rules and regulations. In Australia, the therapeutic goods legislation is responsible for covering the manufacturers of Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) products in order to obtain the conformity assessment certification.Segment OverviewThe market of software licensing is segmented into three major parts. They are by end-user, by deployment, and by licensing type. Here is a list of the software licensing market segments along with their sub-segments. By Deployment,

  • On-premise

  • Cloud-based

  • Others 


By Licensing type,

  • GNU General Public License

  • Workstation Licenses

  • Proprietary license

  • Concurrent use license

  • End User License Agreement

  • Others


By End-User,

  • BFSI

  • Human resources

  • Education and Research

  • Government and Defense

  • Healthcare and Life Sciences

  • Manufacturing

  • Others


Regional Analysis The software licensing market size is segmented into five major regions which include North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. Among these five regions, Europe is expected to hold the largest share in the market of software licensing. This rise in Europe is because of the deployment of the market of software licensing that is majorly divided into two parts. One is the on-premises and the other one is the cloud-based. The presence of major vendors is making North America the leading region for the market of software licensing by revenues. Therefore it is expected that the North American region may show a significant growth in the market of software licensing during the forecast period. Also, Asia Pacific may show rapid growth in the global software licensing market for its increase in the transition from homegrown to commercial SLM systems. This may help in the rise of the adoption rate of various software licensing in the region of Asia Pacific.Competitive Landscape Recently, many new companies are joining the market of software licensing with various strategies which include expansion of the market, the introduction of new services, and forming partnerships with various companies that can offer better products. These strategies are being implemented for the growth of the market and these also help in increasing the customer base. IBM, Microsoft, and Accenture are the most prominent key players of the market of software licensing that are responsible for the rise in the share price of the market. Such markets often launch innovative technologies and offer effective services to stand out in the competition. Here is a list of the other key players that are responsible for enhancing the growth of the software licensing market.List of Key Companies:

  • Flexera Software (US)

  • IBM Corporation (US)

  • Muduslink Global Solutions Inc. (US)

  • Inishtech Technology Ventures Ltd. (Ireland)

  • Microsoft Corporation (US)

  • Accenture Plc. (Ireland)

  • Safenet Inc. (US)

  • Agilis International (US)

  • Dimension Data (South Africa)

  • HP Inc (US)

  • Vector Networks (US)

  • DXC Technology Company (US)

  • Gemalto MV (Netherlands)

  • Reprise Software (US)

  • Snow Software (Sweden)


Recent DevelopmentsThe software producers started producing various types of licenses for the software to meet the constantly changing demands of the customers. Nowadays, the traditional software licensing models are transforming to become a new one that will be cloud-based. Hence, most of the organizations are switching to cloud based platforms. Report OverviewThe software licensing research report provides a detailed overview of the market along with the various software licensing market trends that are constantly changing in the market. It also outlines the various factors that are responsible for affecting the growth of the market such as the drivers, opportunities, challenges, and restraints. The geographic division of the market along with a detailed competitive analysis is also offered by the report. This research report briefly segments the market into three major parts which are described in detail in this report. This report is basically a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the market based on the various factors and the issues that comprise a market. Strategic profiling of the key players who are responsible for the growth of the market can also be found in this research report.Report Detail 

  • Historic Period: 2017-2019

  • Base Year: 2020

  • Forecast Period: 2020-2023


 By Geographically, 

  • North America

  • Europe

  • Asia Pacific

  • Latin America

  • The Middle East and Africa (MEA)

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