<s>
A	O
software	B-Application
license	I-Application
server	I-Application
is	O
a	O
centralized	O
computer	B-Application
software	I-Application
system	O
which	O
provides	O
access	O
tokens	O
,	O
or	O
keys	O
,	O
to	O
client	B-Operating_System
computers	I-Operating_System
in	O
order	O
to	O
enable	O
licensed	B-License
software	I-License
to	O
run	O
on	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1989	O
,	O
Sassafras	O
Software	O
Inc	O
developed	O
their	O
trademarked	O
KeyServer	O
software	B-License
license	I-License
management	O
tool	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
that	O
time	O
,	O
other	O
computing	O
technology	O
firms	B-General_Concept
have	O
adopted	O
the	O
phrase	O
"	O
key	B-Application
server	I-Application
"	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
interchangeably	O
with	O
"	O
software	O
license	O
server.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
job	O
of	O
a	O
software	B-Application
license	I-Application
server	I-Application
to	O
determine	O
and	O
control	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
copies	O
of	O
a	O
program	O
permitted	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
license	B-License
entitlements	I-License
that	O
an	O
organization	O
owns	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Typically	O
,	O
an	O
end-user	O
customer	O
organization	O
will	O
install	O
a	O
software	B-Application
license	I-Application
server	I-Application
on	O
a	O
host	B-Device
computer	I-Device
to	O
provide	O
licensing	O
services	O
to	O
an	O
enterprise	O
computing	O
environment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Publisher-specific	O
license	B-Application
servers	I-Application
are	O
commonly	O
provided	O
by	O
software	B-Application
publishers	I-Application
,	O
or	O
through	O
third	O
party	O
providers	O
,	O
to	O
manage	O
software	B-License
licensing	I-License
for	O
a	O
specific	O
software	B-Application
publisher	I-Application
's	O
products	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Publisher-specific	O
license	B-Application
servers	I-Application
are	O
more	O
commonly	O
used	O
for	O
industry	O
specialized	O
software	B-Application
products	I-Application
than	O
for	O
common	O
software	B-Application
products	I-Application
due	O
to	O
the	O
high	O
value	O
of	O
the	O
managed	O
software	B-Application
products	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
server	O
component	O
of	O
a	O
client	B-Operating_System
–	I-Operating_System
server	I-Operating_System
application	O
may	O
also	O
contain	O
an	O
internal	O
license	B-Application
server	I-Application
.	O
</s>
