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andybevan
Level 6

Bulk Entitlements

We have a customer that wants to include our software in their product and resell licences for said software.

They do not want us to collect information on their end users.

Is this possible with FlexNet Operations?

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(3) Replies
wmarek1
Revenera Moderator Revenera Moderator
Revenera Moderator

Hi Andy,

If your "customer" is reselling your product, then they are really a Reseller (channel partner).

A common approach to addressing this use case that we call "make to stock"...

In FlexNet Operations, you can create Bulk Entitlements that will provide you a list of Web Registration Keys.

Provide the WebRegKeys to your partner for resell. They or their customer can use the WebRegKey as an activation code. Typically software producers want to collect end customer registration info, but if your agreement with your partner doesn't allow that, you can limit the reg info you collect. You have the option to bill your partner based on the number of activations over the last month, quarter, etc. if you can't get them to pre-pay for the WebRegKeys.

If the use case is more of a "make to order", then you can just create regular entitlements for your partner with activationIDs that they can re-distribute. All activations will look as if they belong to the partner.

 

Bulk entitlements and Web Registration Keys are covered in the documentation and online help.

FlexNet Operations, FlexNet Embedded, FlexNet Publisher, FlexNet Connect, FlexLM

Thanks wmarek1.

We have looked into the use of Bulk Entitlements and their Web Reg Keys, but it seems that activating the Web Reg Key results in an Entitlement being created in our installation of FNO.

Since our customer does not want us to collect any information on the end customer, then this will not be a suitable solution.

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

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wmarek1
Revenera Moderator Revenera Moderator
Revenera Moderator

Hi Andy,

 

End users do NOT have to provide their identifiable information in order to use the web reg key. The reseller could do the registration.

You should make your resellers a partner account type. This will allow you to grant them a bulk entitlement and register it to an anonymous (to you, but not to them) end customer account. The partner or the end customer can then activate without providing details. The device will be owned by whatever account name the partner provides when registering with the web reg key. The end customer, just gets an activation code and activates, they would have not ability to view entitlements or licenses.

 

You could do a similar process without web reg keys, but requires the partner account to use the Transfer Entitlement Line Item function in the  FNO customer portal.

 
 

See the attached screenshot of a partner owned entitlement in the customer portal prior to Transfer.

While your original question seems simple, there are many subtleties to it, like does the end customer need ESD? Would some resellers share end customer info? Do reseller's end customers turn into or are at the same time direct customers? Who owns the device? Who is providing support?

It is very typical for a software producer that is providing product support to an end customer to REQUIRE the partner to provide end customer information. Just because a partner/reseller doesn't want to provide end customer info, doesn't mean they can't be convinced that it is to their benefit to provide it.

Let me reiterate, that if your "customer" wants to resell your software products, they aren't a customer but a partner.

 

FlexNet Operations, FlexNet Embedded, FlexNet Publisher, FlexNet Connect, FlexLM