AUDIT
BaselineV4 FAST server based auditing - NOW there is NO EXCUSE for not
auditing your PCs
Check Your Post Box!
Microsoft is sending out mail.............
When you open it up, surprise, surprise, ......... it's from their SOFTWARE COMPLIANCE department!
In Australia, they are now sending out letters to all businesses asking them to conduct an audit of licences vs what is installed of Microsoft products and to "fess up" and buy the correct numbers of licences.
Signed statements verifying evidence of compliance are required as well the names of the managing director of the business.
OK. So you know about this already, have done your audit and are legal. If so, then don't bother reading on..........
IMAGINE what would happen if?
BUT if by now after reading this and the panic has started to set in and left you wondering how many licences you have vs what is installed, and you are also wondering HOW you are going to establish the software inventory, and then how are you going to stay legal after the first audit, then you need to keep reading and followjng the links below. Firstly, If you need to conduct a software audit that allows you to identify without any inherent database built-in to the audit software you need to see what we offer with;
If you wish to conduct Software Audits By Exception read on;
If you are about to conduct any form of software inventory on desktops and notebook computer systems you know that the task is daunting. Why? Well, as soon as you have conducted the audit the "local user" adds more software, deletes software, or just changes the directory structures around. The result is, that when you come back later to do second and third audits you have to go over the "same old ground" again! They might even try and "hide" files on you to "beat the audit".
AUDIT-Baseline (now Software Asset Control) located at http://www.pcprofile.com/baseline.htm is designed to SAVE MONEY on the costs of doing repetitive software compliance audits and lower the cost of auditing across the life of the asset. The software makes it easier to conduct audits ON DEMAND using EXCEPTION reporting techniques which is the way that managers work, focusing on variations to a known (legally compliant) state!
KEY ISSUES YOU SHOULD CONSIDER WHEN DOING YOUR SOFTWARE COMPLIANCE AUDIT ARE:
IMAGINE what would happen if?
Microsoft are asking for the following formatted report to be delivered to them signed as evidence of ownership and proof of purchase. Click here http://www.pcprofile.com/ms3.jpg
If you cant generate this sort of detail quickly, on demand, then you may need to consider the features offered by the range of software audit toolkits located at http://www.pcprofile.com
What will happen when the other software vendors start asking the same sort of Software Compliance questions of You? They are entitled to do so, after all the software is only ever licensed for use on one computer at a time and if yo have only one licence and the software is installed many times, then you are in direct breach of their software licence rules and subject to legal action under Copyright Law. In Australia this amounts to fines of up to $60,500 per individual and $302,500 per organisation. There are rewards offered for tipoffs that lead to successful prosecution so beware! Further details about software copyright and rewards and reporting piracy in Australia are available at the BSAA web site at; http://www.bsaa.com.au
Other information you can use to verify that this is a serious anti-piracy campaign being run by Microsoft can be located at;
Sharing software can seriously damage
your business health.
http://www.microsoft.com/australia/business/sme/compliance/biz/sharing.htm
Steps you need to take now
http://www.microsoft.com/australia/business/sme/compliance/biz/steps.htm
Is your business at risk?
http://www.microsoft.com/australia/business/sme/compliance/biz/forms.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/australia/business/sme/compliance/biz/SASform.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/australia/training/getstarted.htm
