Software audits are on the rise. Recent reports by industry
experts show that software audits by major publishers are reaching
new heights. And to make matters worse, the complexity of software
license arrangements are increasing at the same time.
Businesses that fail to understand their license agreements set
themselves up for a surprise when they find that the company has
been less than compliant. Software audits may not be avoidable, but
the impact on a business can be significantly mitigated.
Understand the License
Smaller companies may be satisfied that their "IT guy"
knows the software rules and will ensure compliance. However, an IT
resource may be more concerned about maintaining a network to keep
the business running. The business may not know the right questions
to ask the IT organization to ensure that license compliance has
been considered. And the IT organization may be more concerned with
whether e-mail works, how a system performs fail-over, and
