Concurrent Vs. Single Use ArcGIS

ArcGIS is used by businesses and colleges.

ArcGIS is a geographic information system that is used to make maps, models, apps, compile and analyze data and manage geo-databases. ArcGIS Desktop is used to make high-quality maps and provide geographic information. The software is used in both professional and educational settings and has two different types of licenses; a single use and a concurrent use license.

Single Use

Single Use ArcGIS is a license that allows one person to use the software, on both her desktop and laptop. Single Use license is dedicated to a single user. It is also called a node-locked license.

Concurrent Use

Concurrent Use ArcGIS is a license that allows the ArcGIS software to be installed on a network so that multiple users can access it. The license server manager administers a "pool" of license keys that are shared with a group on a network. The number of concurrent users (those running the program at the same time) is limited to the number of licenses that have been purchased. If all licenses are in use, a new user has to wait for a current user to finish her session before signing on with her license number. The concurrent use license is also called a floating license as it is not "locked" to a single computer; it can float around to different computers on a network.

Borrowed Concurrent Use

A concurrent use license can be temporarily borrowed, similarly to borrowing a book from the library. A period of time is set by the administrator of the license manager for the borrowed license. At the end of the set time, the borrowed license returns to the network.

Changing License

Before a license is transferred to a new computer, it must be de-authorized with the Software Authorization Wizard, which uninstalls the license data. The new computer can then be authorized to use the license. A single use or one concurrent use license can be moved from one computer to another one four times per year.

Uses

Single Use ArcGIS is used by small businesses and organizations that have one to five users. Each user will have her own licensed copy of the ArcGIS Desktop. If the ArcGIS is to be used in a research lab or educational facility, the Teach and Research Lab Kit can be purchased. The lab kit provides 31 single use or concurrent use licenses and you can purchase an additional 10 licenses to use in a network. Single Use is for individual authorization to use a license, concurrent use is for multiple individuals in a large workplace or school setting. Schools typically employ concurrent use licenses because they can be removed from one computer and added to another with the license manager server, or re-installed after a hard drive has been reimaged. This saves time, as single use licenses require each computer to be authorized upon installation, and the license would need to be de-authorized before the hard drive was wiped.

References

• ESRI: ArcGIS 10 Licensing Concepts and Strategies July 2010.
• ArcGIS: What is ArcGIS Desktop?