Software licensing - Named vs Concurrent / Floating

Busy helpdesks and service desks often have a range of personnel that work different hours, different shifts, and have differing roles and responsibilities.

A good ITSM tool will cater for all situations by offering flexible software licensing that makes sense for both use-cases and cost.

HelpMaster offers two licensing models for staff members / agents / helpdesk personnel / technicians (end-users are not licensed in HelpMaster).

Named Licenses

A named license is assigned to a specific user account. That user always has access to the system, regardless of who else is logged in.

Named licenses are ideal for:

• Helpdesk and Team managers
• System administrators
• Team leaders
• Power users
• Staff who need guaranteed access throughout the day

Concurrent Licenses

A concurrent (floating) license can be used by any authorised user, but only while they are actively logged in, and only if there is a concurrent license that is available (ie. not being used by someone else).

Concurrent licenses are ideal for:

• Shift workers
• Occasional users
• Part-time staff
• Teams where not everyone is using HelpMaster at the same time

This often allows organisations to support more users with fewer licenses.

License Example Use Cases

Example 1: Small IT Team

Team Size: 5 staff

• 1 Helpdesk Manager
• 4 Technicians (Usually only 2–3 technicians use HelpMaster at the same time)

Recommendation:

• 1 Named License (Manager)
• 3 Concurrent Licenses (Technicians)

The manager always has access, while technicians share the available concurrent licenses.

Example 2: Growing Service Desk

Team Size: 15 staff

• 2 Managers
• 10 Support Technicians
• 3 Occasional Supervisors

Recommendation:

• 2 Named Licenses (Managers)
• 10 Concurrent Licenses (Technicians)
• Supervisors use available concurrent licenses as required

Total users: 15 Total licenses required: 12

Example 3: Multi-Shift Support Centre

Team Size: 24 staff

• 8 staff per shift
• 3 shifts per day

Only one shift is active at a time.

Recommendation:

• 8 Concurrent Licenses

Although 24 people are authorised to use the system, only 8 are working simultaneously.

Total users: 24 Total licenses required: 8

Example 4: IT Department with Occasional Users

Team Size: 40 staff

• 5 dedicated helpdesk agents
• 5 IT managers and administrators
• 30 staff who occasionally update tickets or review reports

Recommendation:

• 5 Named Licenses (Managers/Administrators)
• 8 Concurrent Licenses

The occasional users share the concurrent pool while key staff retain guaranteed access.

Total users: 40 Total licenses required: 13

Example 5: Enterprise Environment

Team Size: 100 authorised users

Usage analysis shows:

• Around 20 users logged in during peak periods
• 5 administrators require guaranteed access

Recommendation:

• 5 Named Licenses
• 20 Concurrent Licenses

Rather than purchasing 100 named licenses, licensing is aligned with actual usage.

A Common Approach

Many organisations choose a combination of both license types:

• Named licenses for managers, administrators and power users.
• Concurrent licenses for everyone else.

This provides guaranteed access where needed while keeping licensing costs under control.

Need help with licensing?

Contact PRD Software to discuss HelpMaster licensing. We can help you determine what you may need for your service-desk environment.