Licence Management
The purpose of licence management
A software licence is a contract between a software publisher and an end-user of software. Organisations have a whole host of software programs that are on networked pc, servers, laptops, wireless devices etc. Most of these will be properly licensed. However, there is the possibility of illegal, unlicensed or unauthorised software being used which could potentially open the door for expensive litigation.
Not only must software be monitored to ensure it is licenced but attention must also be given for compliance with specific licensing terms such as such as limiting to a registered server or number of simultaneous users to specifying whether the software can be transferred to another machine.
Software licencing is also an important part of IT asset management. This can create additional administration and maintenance problems that can quickly become a challenge. This is especially true, if a business does not have a dedicated IT department or systems administrator.
A recent survey reveals that the number of companies in the UK using illegal software rose by 25% in 2005. The Business Software Alliance has revealed that it opened 420 investigations into UK businesses reported to be using software illegally
The risks of licence management
There are a number of areas of risk relating to illegal software. Firstly inadequately licensed software could invalidate support contracts with the software vendor. Also, pirated software can and does often have viruses attached to it, which can crash systems and lead to expensive downtime not mention open security holes in systems.
In another survey of more than 400 finance professionals involved in IT decision-making found that although two-thirds had processes in place to manage their software assets, 69% of checks were undertaken manually by staff with no auditing software or third-party support, and only 4% undertook monthly checks.
A report by XOU Solutions found that 36% of IT directors believed only a quarter of their business' IT assets had been recorded, with items most likely to be missing off registers including mobile phones, PCs and laptops.
Providing Support
MailSure IT has been supporting business for many years. Our technical staff and solutions are available to:
- Conduct surveys
- Identify and locate unlicenced software
- Create databases of licenced software for your business
- Secure systems against installation of unauthorised software programs
Contact us today to find how we can benefit your business.