Remembering your licence renewal

Trying to keep on top of licensing renewals can be very difficult, especially when utilising a growing number of cloud-based software packages and services.

Our work life has changed from the days of mostly relying on pen and paper to utilising computers, Chromebooks, phones and tablets.

Types of licence and what to watch out for!

A standard licence does not expire but will require a small renewal fee to continue benefiting from support and maintenance. An annual licence on the other hand expires after a year and will in most cases require an amount of money close to the initial payment that schools paid upon beginning the contract.

These licences, as we've all experienced, come with some new user perks, such as technical support and software updates.

It is important therefore to actively renew or agree to cancel licences when they are coming towards expiring as it can be difficult to get back your previous agreement after it has expired. Most software will have a licence renewal page in the app or their website or you can contact the support team for more information or renewal advice. Always have a list of your licences and check expiry dates of all software you or your organisation are using. 

Please note that many schools don't realise which licences they have and some auto-renew when ideally they would like to cancel. Additionally, what is your notice period for cancelling and do you have a means of creating a reminder for this important date?

4 useful ways to remember your renewal dates:

Calendar

Setting up calendar entries gives you peace of mind. Worth setting up upon beginning your licence as they are easy to forget! You can also set recurring reminders to be alerted annually.

Licence management software

For schools struggling to manage multiple licences, these proactive tools can help you scan your system on product activation and enable licence tracking.

Emails

Set up email alerts as a reminder of your upcoming licence renewal(s). Save all reminders from providers into a folder for safe keeping and to action any renewals or negotiations.

Notepad or wall calendar

The good old days of pen and paper! A desk notepad with a 'Reminders' and 'To-Do' list section or a wall calendar can be a paper-based solution to give you relief from the screen.

Advice - how can SBS help?

I hope you have found this information useful. If you require any help or support, please contact SBS and we will be happy to help on  0345 222 1551 • Option 1 or email ICTservicedesk@schoolbusinessservices.co.uk

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