Licensing
Licensing
Access to different features of TrueConf Server collaboration platform is determined in two ways:
- The presence of extensions.
| Title | Terms of Provision |
|---|---|
| LDAP/Active Directory | Free |
| SIP / H.323 / RTSP gateway | Purchase the required number of gateway connections (1 connection is available for TrueConf Server Free). |
| Public conferences (webinars) | Guest connections are purchased guest connections (1 guest connection is available for TrueConf Server Free) |
| Simultaneous interpretation | Free |
| Integration with a corporate calendar | The solution TrueConf Calendar Connector is licensed separately (a free version is available) |
| Integration with AI server | Licenses are required for both the integration module and TrueConf AI Server itself (for more details, see the integration description). |
| Federation | Purchase of any paid license |
| Ability to set a watermark for the conference video layout | Purchase of any paid license |
| Live streaming | Purchase of a extended or full technical support package |
| UDP Multicast conferences | Purchase of any paid license |
| Integration with DLP | Included in TrueConf Enterprise |
| TrueConf Directory | Included in TrueConf Enterprise |
| TrueConf License Manager | Included in TrueConf Enterprise |
| TrueConf Border Controller (border controller) | Included in TrueConf Enterprise |
| Support for SDK applications | Available upon request |
You can learn more about the levels of technical support TrueConf by following this link.
2. Licenses that set the number of connections for each of these types:
| License Type | Who can use it | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Online users | Authorized users on TrueConf Server | All capabilities of the video conferencing server, except for participation in group conferences |
| PRO users | Authorized users on TrueConf Server | Participation in group conferences |
| Guest users | Users without an account on TrueConf Server | Participation in public conferences (webinars) |
| SIP/H.323/RTSP connections | Connections using SIP, H.323, RTSP protocols (terminals, PBX users, IP cameras) | Participation in conferences via SIP, H.323, RTSP protocols |
In TrueConf Enterprise, there is no difference between PRO and online users which means that all authorized accounts can participate in conferences.
The server administrator can track the number of available connections for each of the listed types in the Summary → License info tab.
The free version of TrueConf Server Free has limitations on the number of connections for each type. For details, please refer to the product solution page.
Additionally, TrueConf Server Free requires a constant connection to the TrueConf Server Free registration server via the TCP port 4310. This connection is necessary for continuous license verification, which involves frequent transmission of small data packets; this is a normal behavior.
Comparison of features available to PRO users, online users, and guests (assuming that all of them connect via client applications):
| PRO user | Online user | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Point-to-point video calls | V | V | X |
| Using collaboration tools (screen sharing, local recording, etc.) during point-to-point video calls. | V | V | X |
| Messenger features include personal and group chats, file sharing, and more. | V | V | X |
| Access to the conference chat after it ends | V | V | X |
| Using the address book and personal area | V | V | X |
| Creating scheduled conferences and virtual rooms in the scheduler | V | V | X |
| Preparing slides for presentations before a conference or call | V | V | X |
| Participation in a public group conference (webinar) | V | X | V |
| Using the chat during a public conference (webinar) | V | X | V |
| Collaboration tools in a public conference (webinar) include content sharing, local recording, and more. | V | X | V |
| Ability to be a moderator in a public conference | V | X | V |
| Using the internal group conference chat during the meeting | V | X | X |
| Participation in an internal group conference | V | X | X |
| Opportunity to be a moderator for an internal conference | V | X | X |
| Collaboration tools in internal conferences: content sharing, local recording, and more. | V | X | X |
| Starting an instant conference from the application menu, as well as from the chat and address book. | V | X | X |
Below we will closely discuss the licensing of each connection type.
Online users
Online users are the users who are authenticated under their account on your TrueConf Server. An online license is linked to the device, but not to the TrueConf ID of a user. So, if a person is signed in on a smartphone and PC at the same time, 2 online licenses will be taken.
If the OS run on a user`s device puts TrueConf client application to sleep mode or closes it (e.g., if the PC was put to sleep mode), TrueConf Server will not count such connections as online users. For example, if a user is authenticated on a mobile device and has the status 
(recently active), no online licenses will be taken. Such a person is technically offline, even though he/she can receive push notifications.
When purchasing a license, 3 online users are provided for every 2 PRO users to ensure they can connect to the system from different devices. It is also possible to buy additional online licenses as packages for 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 users at the price which is much lower than the price for PRO licenses.
Thus, the competitive advantage of separate licensing for online users on TrueConf Server is that it allows company employees to stay connected via messenger and occasionally make video calls. In other words, authorized users have access to all features of the TrueConf system, except for participation in group conferences.
PRO Users and Conference Participation
The rules described in this section apply to the registered users of your video conferencing server. They can connect from:
client applications TrueConf for desktops (Windows, macOS, Linux);
client applications TrueConf for mobile devices on Android, iOS/iPadOS;
client applications TrueConf for Android TV;
software terminal TrueConf Room;
hardware endpoint TrueConf Videobar;
software solution for kiosks and self-service terminals TrueConf Kiosk;
Browser (via WebRTC), in other words, the user joins a conference with a link (this does not include guests who are licensed separately).
PRO users (can also be called PRO licenses) are the users, who are authenticated on your TrueConf Server, and are allowed to participate in group conferences. The user, who is authenticated on the server from a single device, takes only one online license without taking a PRO license until he/she starts to participate in a group conference.
The number of available PRO licenses for participating in conferences is regulated by the PRO users parameter, which the server administrator can view in the control panel under the Summary section, on the License info tab:
Features of using PRO connections
The administrator of TrueConf Server can distribute the common pool of PRO licenses which can be of two types: permanent and temporary.
Permanent licenses are given without any time restrictions to the users from the groups selected by the administrator. The users with permanent PRO licenses can join conferences at any moment without waiting for licenses to be released into the common pool. Distribution of permanent licenses is not available in the free version of the video conferencing server.
Temporary licenses are taken from the remaining pool of available PRO licenses and are given to other users based on the common rules described below:
If a user, who is not included in the group with permanent PRO licenses, tries to join a group conference, the application will check if PRO licenses are available. If there are available licenses, the user will automatically receive a temporary PRO status. This status will be reserved for this user for 24 hours. If the user joins the same group conference or any other during this period, the countdown will be reset to zero. While a user is staying in a conference, the PRO status is automatically renewed.
An administrator of TrueConf Server can instantly revoke a temporary PRO status from an existing (non-deleted) user by clicking the
button next to their name (see the description in section PRO licenses of the control panel).A PRO status of an account deleted from the server will be released 24 hours after deletion, and it cannot be manually revoked from such a user.
The server administrator can allow users to request a PRO license manually before participating in a conference (this status will also be active for 24 hours after reception).
The number of devices used by a person for participating in conferences does not affect the number of PRO licenses available on the server since the PRO status is linked to a specific user account (TrueConf ID). It is not tied to the device on which the user is authenticated. So, if the user, who is simultaneously signed in on two devices, joins two conferences from these devices, two online licenses and one PRO license will be taken.
When the number of PRO licenses available on the server becomes equal to 0 and a user tries to join a group conference, his/her status will be checked:
If this person has a permanent PRO status, he/she will be allowed to participate in the conference.
If this user previously received a temporary PRO status, and this status is still valid (check Step 1), he/she will be able to participate in the conference.
In other cases, the user will be unable to participate in a conference. At the same time, this person will still be able to participate in one-on-one calls and chats or make use of other features.
Permanent PRO licenses will be redistributed right after the manual restart of TrueConf Server. They can also be redistributed automatically every 24 hours (the countdown starts from the latest launch of the main server service):
If the pool of available PRO licenses is not sufficient for the users with permanent licenses, the licenses will be taken away from the users with temporary licenses (starting from the users whose temporary PRO status has the shortest expiry period).
If a user is removed from the group with permanent PRO licenses after the redistribution, this person will be given a temporary PRO license (if it is available). This step will be performed after Step 5.1.
If there are ongoing conferences, only the participants, whose PRO licenses were taken away after the automatic redistribution (Steps 5.1 and 5.2) will be removed from meetings.
Licenses are redistributed automatically so that one does not have to restart TrueConf Server manually to apply changes in the lists of user groups for which permanent PRO licenses are reserved. Besides, when licenses are redistributed automatically, ongoing meetings are not ended as it is the case when the server is restarted manually.
The administrator TrueConf Server can view the duration of temporary PRO connections and allocate permanent ones in the section of the PRO Licenses control panel.
Using PRO connections in federation
If external participants connected via federation are joining a conference on your TrueConf Server, they do not use up PRO connections from your server's license.
Alternatively, if your users participate in conferences hosted on a federated server, only your PRO licenses will be taken.
Examples of PRO connections
Let us discuss some examples to get a better idea of this question.
Case 1
There are 10 PRO licenses on the server.
No permanent licenses were given to users which means that 10 PRO licenses are available.
In total, four users are authorized on the server (each one is authorized on a single device).
A user (this person`s login will be user) takes part in a single group conference.
In the PRO Licenses control panel, the administrator can see that 1 PRO license (assigned to user) and 4 licenses for online users were taken.
The PRO license will be released by the user in 24 hours after he/she leaves the conference.
Case 2
There are 10 PRO licenses on the server.
Permanent PRO statuses are given to the IT group which includes 3 users.
In total, there are 2 users authorized on the server and they do not belong to the IT group.
One of the users from part 3 is taking part in a conference.
In section PRO Licenses of the TrueConf Server control panel, the administrator can see that 4 PRO licenses and 2 online user licenses have been used. This occurs because permanent connections are always reserved (allocated to three users from the IT group), and one temporary license is granted to the actual conference participant mentioned in item 3.
In this case, 6 PRO licenses will be available to other users. These licenses will be given automatically as it was described above.
Case 3
There are 10 PRO licenses on the server.
Permanent PRO licenses were not given to users which means that 10 PRO licenses are available.
In total, 4 different users are authorized on the server with 3 of them being authorized from one device each.
A user (this person's login will be user) is authenticated on 2 different devices, and is participating in two group conferences from these devices.
In the PRO Licenses section of the TrueConf Server dashboard, it shows that the following have been used: 1 PRO license (by user user, due to the PRO license binding rule to TrueConf ID rather than to devices) and 5 online user licenses (2 by user user, and 3 by other authorized users mentioned in item 3.).
The PRO license will be released in 24 hours by the user after he/she leaves the last conference on any of the applications.
SIP/H.323/RTSP connections
The number of participants who can join your conferences via SIP/H.323/RTSP is regulated by the licenses needed for connections via the built-in gateway. TrueConf Server Free provides 1 connection via the SIP/H.323/RTSP gateway.
Connections via SIP/H.323/RTSP do not require PRO licenses. If the endpoint is authenticated with the user account, an additional online license is used. SIP/H.323/RTSP devices are always allowed to connect to a conference.
Case 1
150 online licenses, 100 PRO licenses, and 5 SIP/H.323/RTSP licenses are activated on the server.
A server user invites 2 SIP endpoints (none of them is authorized on TrueConf Server) and 1 RTSP surveillance camera to a conference.
In the TrueConf Server control panel, the administrator will see that 1 online license and 3 SIP/H.323/RTSP licenses are used.
Case 2
There are 150 licenses for online users, 100 PRO licenses and 5 SIP/H.323/RTSP licenses.
A server user invites 2 SIP endpoints to a conference. One of the endpoints is authorized on TrueConf Server.
In the TrueConf Server control panel, the administrator will see that 2 online licenses and 2 SIP/H.323/RTSP licenses are taken.
Guest connections
Public conferences (webinars) can be joined by guests or the users who are not registered on your server. The number of such participants is determined by the number of guest connections supported by your license. TrueConf Server Free supports 1 guest connection.
Guest connections do not require PRO or online licenses. Guests are always allowed to join conferences. However, you need to keep in mind that one cannot send a text message to a guest user outside a conference or make a one-on-one call.
Example
There are 150 online licenses, 100 PRO licenses and 5 guest licenses on the server.
A server user invites 3 guests to a public conference.
In the TrueConf Server control panel, the administrator will see that 1 online license, 1 PRO license, and 3 licenses for guest connections are being used.