Software Audits Increasing
Software auditing is a significant part of IT asset management and in maintaining compliance. As a sub-set of Software Asset Management, it can involve:
- Identification of Software Assets.
- Verifying the Software Assets including licenses, usage, and rights.
- Identifying gaps that may exist between what exists on the installations, and the licenses possessed, and the rights of usage.
- Taking action to close any gaps.
- Recording the results in a centralized location with Proof Of Purchase records.
Software audits involve vendors requiring their customers to prove their licences are correct for the products they use. It can be a compliance headache for IT and can result in hefty fees if licenses are incorrect.
New survey results from Gartner's 2010 IT Financial, Procurement and Asset Management Summit show that software vendor audits are on the rise. A high number of respondents said they experienced a software audit in the past 12 months. IT asset managers should ensure that their organizations are prepared for an audit.
You can purchase the report here. Silicon.com also has some good tips on how to minimize audit headaches.
