Lotus Notes Client Access Licensee (CAL)

1.1 Lotus Notes Client Authentication

When budgeting for a Web site, we factor in licensing costs. Lotus requires that you purchase a Client Access License (CAL) for each authenticated customer who has an entry in the Domino Directory. Charging by Directory entry as well as by Notes client seat has unfortunately become necessary to make up for the increasing number of customers who are abandoning the Notes client for a Web browser but who still want the power of Domino on the back end. Client access licenses have many differing themes, as many other vendors, including Microsoft, have similar strategies. The confusing gray area between who is or isn’t considered authenticated is also common throughout the industry.

1.2 Lotus Notes Client Access License (CAL) Definitions

Types of Licensing Definitions (for reference only)

Lotus Notes, Lotus Domino and Related Products:

Lotus Domino Client Access Licenses ("CALs") Information
A Domino CAL is required for each user with Authenticated Access to one or more applications on a Domino Server. "Authenticated Access" is the secure validation of a user's identity from Domino or other authentication source. In order to use a Domino CAL, you must first acquire a copy of any Domino Server. A Domino Per User CAL is included in each license of Lotus Notes for Collaboration, Lotus Notes for Messaging, Lotus iNotes and Domino Designer.

Domino Per User CAL
A Domino Per User CAL gives a user Authenticated Access to one or more applications on any Domino Server. You must acquire a Domino Per User CAL for each employee or independent contractor in your Enterprise who has Authenticated Access to one or more applications on a Domino server. For individuals who are not employees or independent contractors of your Enterprise, you must acquire either a Domino Per User CAL for each individual or a Domino Per Server CAL.

Domino Per Server CAL
A Domino Per Server CAL gives you the right to allow Authenticated Access to one or more Domino applications on a specific Domino Server by individuals who are not employees or independent contractors of your Enterprise.

CAL Term and Renewal
The Domino CAL is valid until you upgrade your Domino server (feature release upgrade), at which point you must either a) be current on Software Subscription for the associated Program (Notes for Collaboration, Notes for Messaging, iNotes or Domino Designer) or b) acquire a an associated Program upgrade for each CAL. The license for CAL-associated programs (Notes for Collaboration, Notes for Messaging, iNotes, or Domino Designer) is valid as long as you are current on Software Subscription for the Program or until you upgrade the Program.

Other CAL Terms
If you are using Domino in an academic environment, then a CAL must be purchased for any individual enrolled in a course or participating in an application which requires Authenticated Access according to the terms described above.

1.2.1.1 When do you have to pay for Client Access Licenses (CALs)?

This is a really confusing topic, even if you try to look up what it means to Microsoft IIS or Netscape or GroupWise. Always have lawyer review Lotus' CAL documentation, and confirm.

For Internet users who are logging in to participate in discussion forums on your site, there is no charge because they are not directly related to your company.

Note that most people think IIS is free. IIS itself is free, but usually you need a back end database since IIS does not have a built-in DB; this is where Microsoft gets you to pay more for buying and using SQL Server. For RDBMS CALs, the only way to get around them is to use one RDBMS login for everything and then use appropriate SELECT statements to mask data for each user. Once you start adding real DB username/passwords, you are also subject to CALs for the RDBMS. Note that you will be able to use this same technique in Notes R5 since it supports sessions.

Note: apparently, the CAL policy was changed sometime in March, 1999. The above description applies to CALs from last year. The current CAL policy as written seems to say that you need a CAL for any authenticated user (even if not an employee or distributor) unless you want to spend $25K on a Server Access License (old price, not really sure what the current price structure would be).

The new name of the Server Access License is called the Domino Utility Licensee.

This licensee is based on the server, and the number of processors that each server has. By buying the Utility Licensee for a domino server, that server can have as many users connect to that particular server, as you wish.

Of course, you need a licensee for each server, and the cost of the licensee increases with the number of processors used by that server.

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