"Citrix has announced that it will completely phase out its traditional file-based licensing model. From April 15, 2026, the new cloud-based License Activation Service (LAS) will be the only way to activate and license on-premises Citrix products. The company presents the move as a necessary modernization that will accelerate innovation, simplify the user experience, and increase operational efficiency. With LAS, the management of separate license files will disappear."
"However, the switch also has disadvantages and concerns. It is a mandatory transition: file-based licenses will cease to function entirely after the April 2026 deadline. For organizations that do not migrate in time, this means a loss of functionality and a direct impact on end users. Citrix emphasizes that this is solely a technological change and not a commercial or contractual change, but in practice, the transition will require effort, planning, and possibly costs."
"Another issue is the dependence on Citrix Cloud. Whereas the old licensing model functioned entirely locally, LAS requires the license server or NetScaler Console to connect to the LAS endpoint in Citrix Cloud on a daily basis. If that connection is lost, the activation remains valid for 30 days. If the connection is not restored after that, the license expires and functionality ceases."
Citrix will phase out file-based licensing and require the cloud-based License Activation Service (LAS) for on-premises product activation starting April 15, 2026. LAS removes manual license file management, automates contract renewals, and aims to reduce disruptions and support cases while improving stability by eliminating the license server as a single point of failure. The cloud connection enables telemetry and metadata collection to speed issue resolution and tailor products. The change is mandatory; expired or un-migrated file licenses will stop functioning, requiring planning, effort, and potential costs. Daily cloud connectivity is required, with a 30-day offline grace period, raising compliance and availability concerns for sensitive environments.
#cloud-based-licensing #license-activation-service #telemetry-and-data-collection #compliance-and-availability-risks
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