audit | Miro Consulting

BSA gets 4 more…

August 7, 2008August 7, 2008 Scott D. RosenbergUncategorizedLeave a Comment

The BSA has gotten four more companies in the UK – so called “pirates” – and reached out of court settlements with them. Blitz Corporation, Genetics of Ludlow, Sheffield-based MTL Group and Modular UK all reached settlements described by the BSA as “running into tens of thousands of pounds”. Blitz was operating approximately 15 PCs containing unlicensed copies of Adobe, Microsoft and Quark software, as well as illegally using OEM editions of Microsoft Windows XP and Vista, and unlicensed student […]

Quick Byte: Microsoft Licensing # 10

August 5, 2008August 24, 2009 Scott D. RosenbergUncategorizedLeave a Comment

Validation? Some may not be aware, but your Microsoft software may occasionally need to be validated – meaning you will have to download the validation feature of your software so Microsoft can be sure that you have activated and licensed your copy properly. Ouch! Yet another reason why licensing and activation are an important part of implementing any software application. During the process, the product keys are checked along with the IP address of the device it’s being used on. […]

Oracle Launched New Version of Oracle Audit Vault

August 4, 2008September 8, 2008 Scott D. RosenbergUncategorizedLeave a Comment

Oracle has released a new version of Oracle Audit Vault which now allows you to collect audit data from Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and 2005 in addition to Oracle databases. Both the Oracle and Microsoft database audit data can be consolidated into a centralized repository and unauthorized activities can be detected. In addition to the Microsoft capabilities, the reporting in the new version if much more customizable, allowing you to address specific compliance guidelines such as SOX or regulations specific […]

Microsoft – Licensing Help?

August 2, 2008September 8, 2008 Scott D. RosenbergUncategorizedLeave a Comment

Microsoft is now offering a software asset management (SAM) optimization framework that will help its customers align their software licensing with business requirements. By evaluating your software assets and past spending habits, the system will then assign you a rating – from basic to dynamic – and then teaches you how to match up the appropriate license with the right software assets- at the right time. The program will also point you in the direction of more appropriate licensing packages […]

2 out of 3 IT Executives Believe they Would Fail a software audit

June 13, 2008June 18, 2008 Scott D. RosenbergUncategorizedLeave a Comment

A new study from the management appliance company reveals nearly two thirds of IT executives believe their companies have not taken the right steps to assure that their licensing is in compliance and are unprepared for a software audit. They surveyed 350 respondents about software licensing compliance and software audits and over half revealed that they tracked their licensed manual or not at all. Not keeping track of licensing or poorly doing so is only asking for trouble, especially in larger enterprises where the fees […]

BSA and IDC confirm increase in piracy in 2007…

May 23, 2008May 24, 2008 Scott D. RosenbergUncategorizedLeave a Comment

The BSA, together with IDC, put out their annual piracy survey this week concluding that some software piracy has fallen across the globe but the worldwide rate has risen three points to 38%. According to John Gantz at IDC “By the end of 2007, there were more than 1 billion PCs installed around the world, and close to half had pirated, unlicensed software on them.” Losses jumped from $8 billion to $48 billion for software companies – the BSA is […]

Licensing Profit Margins to Implode?

April 22, 2008April 28, 2008 Scott D. RosenbergUncategorizedLeave a Comment

Gartner analyst William Snyder addressed software licensing at the Gartner Emerging Technologies Conference a little over a week ago, highlighting that software profit margins will erode, pricing will increase, all due to the fact that only a few big players exist in the market creating a oligopoly. Software budgets are continually under pressure from CEOs hoping to use a large portion to invest in new technology, when in reality they end up blowing their whole budgets on maintenance and licensing fees. […]

Redmond’s Reader Survey finds Microsoft Licensing Confusing to Most

April 9, 2008April 9, 2008 Scott D. RosenbergUncategorizedLeave a Comment

Interesting study from Redmond Magazine’s current issue – they put together a reader’s survey on initial feelings towards Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 and most importantly, Microsoft software licensing. Most interesting to us at Miro, a majority of readers said they planned to migrate to the new Windows Server in the near-term which means – keep an eye out for your Microsoft licensing, make sure everything is in order for the migration – avoid an audit at all costs! Another […]

Tag: audit