Why this guide exists
Oracle License Management Services intensified Java audits in 2026. The claims are built on the per employee metric, which counts every full time and part time employee, every contractor, and every temporary worker regardless of who uses Java, and they reach back three years into your deployment history. The opening number is almost always far larger than what you owe. This guide is the buyer side response, written so a CIO, a procurement lead, and a general counsel can all act on it.
What is inside
The guide covers the audit end to end. It explains the data Oracle requests and what you can withhold, how to scope the audit down to what matters, the evidence that rebuilds a defensible employee population, the claim formula of employees times rate times discount, and a settlement strategy that protects your number. It includes a worked exposure calculation and a checklist you can act on the day a letter arrives.
For the surrounding context, the Oracle Java Licensing Guide for 2026 sets out the full landscape, and our Java Audit Defense service describes how we run the defense with you.
How we are paid. Fixed Fee from $18,000, or Gainshare, a share of verified savings or avoided exposure with zero retainer and no risk to the customer. Both are backed by our guarantee.