UK universities and colleges convene to secure Oracle Java agreement through Jisc

Jisc, a provider of digital solutions for UK education and research, has negotiated a national agreement for programming and development platform Oracle Java SE.

The agreement provides institutions with licensing tailored to UK education and research that saves up to £45m compared to published single license list pricing.

While Oracle Java is free for third-party training in institutions, the running of internal business systems and subsequent requirement for long-term support versions led to cost and compliance challenges for the organisations.

The agreement was developed in collaboration with Oracle and representative bodies including UCISA and the AoC Technology Reference Group over a period of 18 months. It replaces reactive and individual licensing conversations between institutions and Oracle, with a single, negotiated model that reflects the education sector’s challenging operational and financial reality.

The agreement, available through Jisc’s Chest service, enables institutions to license Java on transparent, simplified licensing terms - offering long-term pricing stability and greater clarity in managing usage across multiple campuses.

Estimated savings are projected at £45 million over five years, based on the collective staff numbers of participating institutions compared to Oracle’s published list pricing for up to 49,999 employees. The agreement introduces:

• Significant discounts compared to list pricing, delivering real value at scale
• Waivers for potential historical licensing discrepancies, helping institutions move forward with confidence
• A clear definition of a full-time employee, aligned with data provided by the Higher Education Statistical Agency (HESA), also part of Jisc
• Simplified, clear licensing terms that reduce administrative burden and reflect UK education and research
• Ongoing access to critical Java updates and Oracle support, essential to the operations of UK universities and further education providers

This national pricing model provides consistency and assurance at a time when institutions are navigating financial constraints, complex vendor environments, and legacy licensing challenges.

Caren Milloy, director of licensing, Jisc, says:

"This agreement is representative of what can be achieved when institutions collaborate to tackle challenges and leverage their collective scale through Jisc’s negotiations and licensing. As our members navigate significant financial pressures, this agreement not only reduces costs and drives efficiency, but also helps develop a constructive strategic relationship with Oracle, one of the sector’s major vendors."

Oracle has also acknowledged the significance of this collaboration. Georges Saab, senior vice president, Oracle Java Platform and chair, OpenJDK governing board, comments:

"Oracle has always supported third-party training for many Oracle products, including Oracle Java, in a free and transparent manner. Educators and students alike enjoy free access and support of Oracle Java. However, institutions that use Java to run their organizations enterprise systems still need commercial licensing for long-term support. This agreement provides tremendous value to institutions by helping assure that their licensing requirements are covered, and we are pleased to collaborate with Jisc to help enable the stability, performance, and security of these institutions’ operations."

Institutions can find out more about this and other agreements at www.chest.ac.uk.