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K2 is an integrated software asset management suite for automated IT asset auditing and software license management. K2 will show what’s installed on your network and report details about its usage. It can also control access to licensed software and run detailed deployment and usage reports for your entire organization or for specific departments. Sassafras Software has provided K2’s license management technology since 1990 to some of the largest corporate, government, and educational enterprise networks throughout the world.

Enterprise-wide Audits
K2 integrates enterprise-wide software and essential hardware auditing with the award winning KeyServer’s full featured license management services. The KeyAuditor service automatically keeps audit information current for desktop and portable computers using a transparent, incremental, auto-discovery protocol.

Deployment & Usage Reports
An extensive collection of built-in and customizable reports provides an integrated view of software and hardware asset allocation, software usage patterns, and license compliance for all of your computers - Windows, Macintosh, and Thin Client.

The built-in, dedicated report server, lets you schedule management reports for periodic execution. Reports are then readable in any web browser with either public or authenticated access.

Flexible License Policy Management
For each program or application suite, K2 lets you specify a licensing policy and then track deployment and usage. An enforcement option lets you automate license compliance for each floating license, node locked “per-device” license, or custom license policy. K2 gives you both the information and the automated control that is necessary to make efficient use of IT assets and your software budget.

Unique Enterprise Scalability
K2’s unique architecture is based on a dedicated network server process using its own highly optimized network protocol. By avoiding the inefficiencies inherent when using a general purpose file server or database back-end, a single K2 KeyServer process is scalable to support tens of thousands of client computers.

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K2 is distributed as a downloadable archive from the Sassafras web site. It includes documentation and installers for server, admin, and client components on all platforms. The complete image archive is updated as needed with bug fixes and the updated component installers are also available for download individually.

Unlike some software management products, K2 is always purchased as a single integrated product, programmed to include software license management, asset auditing, and reporting functions - there are no add on modules to purchase separately. K2 does not require a dedicated host computer, there is no file server requirement, nor any special hardware or software dependencies - it can be hosted on standard equipment and does not use any back-end services.

Tech support and bug fixes are free for K2 version 6.2, the current K2 version. Minor revision and bug fix releases for this version will be numbered 6.2.x.x - the first two digits are considered a major version and the last two digits refer to minor revisions.

Upgrades to a newer version (e.g. 6.2 to 6.3) are provided under an Upgrade Subscription Plan or purchased at a price based on the age and size of the older version. After a new major version is released, we attempt to support prior versions when feasible, but this does not include bug fix releases, or revisions to support operating system changes.

Standard Configuration
The standard K2 license certificate will enable software license management, asset auditing, and reporting functions (including web reporting) for a specified maximum number of “computer records”. K2 is typically deployed on behalf of all the desktop and laptop computers managed at a site. To determine the K2 license size that you will need, first count each desktop and portable computer* that will use K2’s auditing or license management services. Then estimate any additional resources needed to support “virtual computers" or “thin client devices” as follows:

If the K2 client component is installed on a “virtual computer”, there will be a corresponding computer record created in K2's computers database and this will increase the size requirement for your K2 license. K2 can also be configured to support license management of thin client sessions hosted from a Microsoft Windows Terminal Server (WTS) or a Citrix server. With a single shared copy of the KeyAccess client software installed on a terminal server, a new “computer record” will be created in the management database for each distinct “thin client device” that connects to the thin client server. These thin client computer records appear in the management console just like the records for each desktop, portable, or virtual computer where KeyAccess is installed locally (instead of as a shared server asset) – all the same license tracking and management functions are available. After counting desktop, laptop, and virtual computers, add an estimate for thin client records that you wish to manage.

Standard Pricing
The complete K2 toolkit including all components - license server, web reports server, database engine, multi-platform support, multiple admin consoles, report modules, etc. - are included in a single price based on specific feature options and support for a specific number of clients.

Upgrade Subscription Plan
Most customers purchase an Upgrade Subscription Plan (USP) at an annual cost of 18% of the cost of the original K2 license. This is the most economical way to keep the K2 product up to date - support for major version upgrades will be shipped automatically as they become available. Without an upgrade subscription, the cost to upgrade to a new version or add clients is higher. It is computed based on purchase date, the license size, and the feature set of your version.

Custom Configuration, License, & Pricing
Some customers have particular requirements that are not well satisfied by the standard configuration described above. These special requirements can often be satisfied through customization of specific parameters in a license certificate. Please inquire about special licensing, configuration, or purchasing options that may better suit your organization.