Softline Solutions' expert input on software audits article by CRN UK
Software audits in an interesting topic where (international) media are writing about and doing research on. Softline Solutions likes to share an article with you that was published on CRN UK whereby Dennis Montanje was asked to share his thoughts on this topic.
Software licensing audits now take average of nearly 200 work-hours to resolve, according to Campaign for Clear Licensing research
The Campaign for Clear Licensing (CCL) has hit out at the "anti-competitive" tactics of software vendors after its research found licensing audits take an average of nearly 200 work-hours to resolve.
Talking to CRN, CCL founder Martin Thompson argued that the big vendors are using audits to block competition and restrict innovation.
"This is anti-competitive because for all the time these customers spend talking with the big vendors about audits, they are not looking at alternatives. They are locking them in," he said.
"This is really taking up a lot of time and people could be doing stuff that's more useful. Surely customers have better things to do than fiddle about with audits. There is so much pressure on IT departments; this is just a waste of time."
"This is anti-competitive because for all the time these customers spend talking with the big vendors about audits, they are not looking at alternatives. They are locking them in," he said.
Dennis Montanje, managing director of SAM consultancy Softline Solutions, agreed that customers can avoid the pain that often accompanies an audit by bringing in a third party.
"As an independent-from-software-publishers SAM expert, we often come across organisations that are confronted with an audit when either the timing is off or the insight in their compliance is lacking," he said.
"We help our customers to create this transparency in the software license compliance status. Being in control offers organisations the ability to guard themselves against audits. Insight into the software license compliance status also opens up the ability to get into contact with the software publishers beforehand and to open up communication. The outcome of good contact should not be underestimated. Of course some software publishers are more open to this approach than others. One should realise that a software audit is always part of a commercial discussion and can therefore be put to good use, both externally as well as internally."
Source / background information: "Oracle dubbed 'big bad wolf' of software audits" by Doug Woodburn, CRN UK // Campain for clear Clear Licensing // ITAM Review
Related webinar
Before, during & after an audit by a software publisher there are certain steps that need to be taken to minimise the related (financial) risks and to help smoothen the overall process.
Learn more about this topic by attending this webinar:
