Cloud Licensing Challenge: Preventing After-Hours Use for Side Projects

[arch_08]

We recently transitioned to Archicad Collaborate. Previously, we had a network license version on a physical key plugged into our server, meaning everyone had access to the license upon logging into the company network while on-site in the office.

Now we have 'cloud-based' licenses, accessible via the internet, which means logging into the office network is no longer required. This also enables working from home. Great. All well and good until someone starts taking advantage of it.

The issue: How can we prevent an employee from using our company license for after-hours work for a competing company or for their personal side projects? Essentially, using the licenses we paid for, free of charge.

Is there a way to prevent this? One potential solution would be to tie the license to specific projects and those projects only. For example, we upload a project to BIMcloud SaaS, and the license is only usable for work on that specific project, but not for any others. Is this feasible?

How is this challenge typically addressed in other projects/firms?

Any advice would be highly appreciated!

Thank you and best regards

[jl_lt]

tight clauses in work contracts could help.

unless that extra use represents more money, i would let them use it for non-competing side projects and competitions though, as they learn more by using it more, and that knowledge will spill into your office.    Nothing makes a young architect happier than this kind of stuff (along with having permission to crawl into the office after hours and being able to print material for competitions).

[Barry Kelly]

Your company Graphisoft ID administrator can log into Graphisoft ID and recall all of the licenses at the end of the day.

Just hope that no-one is doing overtime though.

Barry.

[Lingwisyer]

That would be just kicking everyone off any licences that they had active, but it would not prevent them from reconnecting and getting a new licence would it?

[Barry Kelly]

No, it doesn't stop them reconnecting.

They would soon get the message if they are getting kicked out.

If it really is an issue, then admin could just monitor who is using a license out of hours and then just ask them why.

With software keys, I know admin gets an email every time a license is uploaded to or downloaded from to the company pool.

But I don't think that happens with the cloud licenses, so admin have to monitor usage.

Barry.

[arch_08]

Thank you very much for the response.

It appears that there is currently no effective technical solution for this issue.

This inevitably translates into additional work for the administrator—either by manually releasing licenses at the end of the working day, or by constantly monitoring usage.

Regarding monitoring: If I understood correctly, the License Management Site only displays the last activity of a license. Is this correct?

Is there a way to view a longer usage history for individual licenses anywhere?

Thank you again for your time.

[Barry Kelly]

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@arch_08 wrote:

Regarding monitoring: If I understood correctly, the License Management Site only displays the last activity of a license. Is this correct?

Is there a way to view a longer usage history for individual licenses anywhere?

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To be honest I am not really sure.

I have cloud licenses for 29, but we are not using them yet, so I am not sure what information the Graphisoft ID site shows.

I certainly can't see anywhere for a history of license usage.

Barry.