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23 May 2008
Comments:1
The Federation Against Software Theft (The Federation) has created a new research board aimed at simplifying the field of software asset management (SAM) and software licensing management (SLM).
Further reading
The Software Industry Research Board (SIRB) will be supported by research from analyst IDC. The research will analyse businesses’ current understanding of licensing practices, their attitudes to software acquisition and where they will make changes for a more cost effective and risk free environment in the future.
John Lovelock, chief executive of The Federation, said: “The SIRB is about promoting best practice for businesses. IDC will conduct research amongst 500 businesses in the private and public sectors by collecting information on subjects such as licensing, technologies used, problems they have and their likes and dislikes.”
Andy Burton, chief executive of vendor and Federation member Centennial Software, said: “Software vendors will be the voice of SIRB, however it is there to help The Federation’s channel partners. By giving resellers a collective understanding of SAM they can ensure their customers get the best value and service.”
Burton stressed that SIRB has been created to aid companies when managing their software licenses and should not be seen as a threat.
He added: “There is a gap between the SAM standards and the reality of running a business. The Federation is not there with a stick ready to punish those that do not comply, but to create a clearer understanding.”
Amanda Sleight, head of licensing at Microsoft, said Microsoft fully supports The Federation in bringing clarity on software licensing through the encouragement of best practice in the end user community.
Michael McCloskey, chief executive of vendor FrontRange, said: “FrontRange is really excited about being part of this initiative and look forward to working with the group to help clear up some of the misconceptions that exist today.
“Helping our customers to keep on top of their software needs through the most efficient licensing models and the adoption of solutions and best practices can ultimately only benefit the industry as a whole.”
The research is due to conclude in July this year.
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Do you agree?
SAM research an asset to businesses
UK businesses certainly do need wake-up call regarding software asset management, as this research is sure to show.
From the powers accorded to the Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) to the importance of ISO 19770 software asset management standards, the stakes have recently been raised extremely high. Yet many organisations still fail to recognise that poor software licensing policies within the IT department could result in up to a 10 year jail term for company directors - not the IT team supposedly in charge of the software asset.
Organisations cannot afford to rely on piecemeal policies and inadequate asset information. It is only by instigating rigorous asset acquisition and disposal policies and recording detailed information about the software loaded onto every machine, including its serial number, that any company can attain real control over the software asset.
With this information to hand, organisations can immediately check for unlicensed software and manage user numbers against agreed licenses. If a machine is scrapped, rigorously updating the asset register will ensure that software can be reloaded on another machine, if the license allows. Furthermore, using alerts, an IT manager can be warned if user levels are reaching the license limit.
Inaccurate software asset registers are becoming a corporate liability. And, given the growing penalties facing senior managers across the UK, inaccurate software asset information is a board level issue.
Yours sincerely
Karen Conneely
Group Commercial Manager
Real Asset Management
Posted by Karen Conneely | 27 May 2008
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