Licencing laws

According to Anne, individual users will be able to export their individual files to the network. Exporting files seems to suggest they are stored on individual workstations until ready to be exported to the file server. This effectively means that during the drafting process, the live file is stored on the workstation. It also suggests that if a user amends the file (stored on the workstation), the file on the server will be out of date until the user decides to export the revised version.

Data files (draft or final) should never be stored on a workstation; ask any IT expert.

A file server will normally offer at the very least daily backups and an uninterrupted power supply (in the event of a power failure). It’s clear to me why my IT staff are always banging on about the dangers of storing data on workstations.

Secondly, are licences fixed to individual workstations? The old JCT on Disk software allows users to obtain valid licences from the server. This means that in a two-user system in an office of, say, 15 QSs, the first two people to login get access. A fixed licence on a workstation is not practical.

As I said in my previous letter, I want to be given the choice to use the licences anywhere on the network and not be restricted to using them on individual workstations.

Can I get clarification on the above?

Colin Kingshott, via email