From Non-Compliance to Control: Reducing Oracle Audit Claims from $1.5M to $70K with in4mates

Client

A telecommunications company with a complex system architecture where Oracle databases, Middleware, and applications form the backbone of many business-critical services. Due to the scale of the environment and frequent configuration changes, the organization needed assurance that its license usage remained compliant with vendor requirements.

What challenges did the client face?

The organization was preparing for a potential Oracle audit and required a thorough evaluation of license usage for databases, Middleware, and applications. A pre-audit had already helped streamline much of the environment, but the scope and type of changes had to account for current operational constraints.

The official Oracle audit was initiated 18 months later. The audit findings were highly unfavorable — non-compliance claims reached a value of $1.5 million. A prompt and accurate review of license usage and the auditor’s findings was urgently needed, along with a strong defense of the client’s position.

Key project challenges:

Assessing the accuracy of Oracle’s analysis and calculations
Identifying discrepancies between actual license usage and the vendor’s interpretation
Optimally assigning purchased license models within a complex architecture (including virtual environments and Hard Partitioning)
Verifying which paid features were actually used versus merely enabled
Preparing arguments for areas where Oracle relied on U.S. legal interpretations
Developing technical and formal recommendations to reduce potential claims

What was required to complete the project?

To thoroughly evaluate the auditor’s findings and prepare a fact-based response to Oracle’s claims, the organization needed a partner with combined technical, licensing, and legal expertise. It was essential to match audit measurements with actual usage in a complex IT environment, clarify licensing models, and propose architectural changes necessary to achieve compliance.

The company again turned to in4mates, entrusting the team with analyzing the audit results and preparing a complete defense report.

Scope of in4mates’ involvement:

Detailed comparison of Oracle’s calculations

with actual product usage in physical and virtual environments, based on data submitted to Oracle

Analysis of 12 areas flagged as non-compliant

including technical and licensing evaluation of all items listed in the auditor’s documentation

License model adjustment

optimal assignment of purchased licenses and licensing models based on the specifics of the client’s environment

Verification of Hard Partitioning requirements

identifying necessary configuration changes to align with Oracle’s policies

Evaluation of paid DB options

differentiating between actual use and system configurations mistakenly classified as usage

Assessment of TERM licensing options

which enabled the client to extend the timeline for implementing architectural changes needed for full compliance

Preparation of legal arguments based on Polish law

disputing certain claims where Oracle had applied interpretations based on U.S. legal standards

What did the client gain from working with in4mates?

Full license visibility and control

Thanks to in4mates’ in-depth analysis of audit data and the 12 non-compliance areas, the client regained clarity over its licensing position. It became clear which issues required remediation and which claims were misclassified.

Significant reduction in Oracle’s claims

The arguments presented — grounded in licensing policy, technical analysis, and Polish legal interpretation — enabled the client to reduce claims from $1.5 million to $70,000. This not only protected the organization’s budget but also significantly reduced its financial risk.

Clear compliance roadmap

The client received recommendations for proper license assignment, necessary environment reconfigurations, and steps to achieve full compliance in the coming months. The option to temporarily use TERM licenses also gave the organization an additional year to implement changes.

Improved predictability and operational security

The project not only reduced costs and claims but also provided long-term stability by clarifying key licensing areas and eliminating ambiguities that could lead to future risk.

The Oracle audit results — with potential claims exceeding $1.5 million — were a major wake-up call. The extent of the alleged non-compliance raised serious concerns about our budget and project stability. Working with in4mates proved that even the most complex cases can be thoroughly analyzed and defended with facts. Their support helped us reduce claims to just $70,000 and regain a sense of clarity and direction. That’s why we’ve now decided to perform periodic Oracle license pre-audits with in4mates every 24–30 months.
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Project in numbers

$1.5M

initial value of Oracle claims

$70K

final settlement amount

12 Oracle products

subject to detailed verification

18 months

between the pre-audit and official Oracle audit

3 license areas

database, middleware,
and applications

This was one of those projects where both technical analysis and an understanding of licensing principles and local law played a crucial role. Breaking down the Oracle audit into its core components — license assignment, environment configuration, and paid feature interpretation — allowed the client to not only reduce the claims but also gain long-term predictability and a foundation for compliant planning.

said Andrzej Orłowski, Senior SAM Manager, in4mates

Older $600,000 savings and full control over Oracle licenses with in4mates