Nearly 70% of IT Executives Believe They Would Fail a Software Audit

Sixty-nine percent of IT executives believe that they would fail a software audit, according to King Research, a California-based marketing research company.

Nearly 3 out of 4 surveyed believe they are not prepared for a software audit and 60% believe they have unlicensed software deployed. Over half (56%) track their licenses manually or not at all with less than 10% using a fully automated system. Not keeping track of licensing or poorly doing so is only asking for trouble, especially in larger enterprises where the fees add up quickly.

The lack of software license compliance can bring hundreds of thousands to millions of unexpected expenses. It’s not that anyone is deliberately breaking the law. The fact is they lack the expertise and resources – from people to systems – to keep up with enterprise software licensing and compliance.

7 Simple Steps to compliance nirvana. Software licensing and compliance are extremely complex. Having a good software asset management program has prevented millions of dollars during surprise audits and during licensing re-negotiations.

Here are some quick, basic tips to remember:

1. Set goals for your SAM program

2. Take inventory

3. Match software with licensing (you cannot believe how many companies don’t do this)

4. Create a repository (Organize licensing documentation – everything from the receipt to the manuals)

5. Plan for the long-term, but be flexible to your company’s changing business

6. Develop a set of rules and procedures

7. Create a SAM plan to keep licensing in- line moving forward

These are simple, but often overlooked measures.