Vendor Software Licensing Audits on the Increase.
No-one enjoys an audit – except maybe the auditors. But it the world of software 
licensing it looks as though audits are on the increase.
A recent Gartner survey reports a huge increase in vendor led software license audits.
The survey, based on research carried out in 2009 reports that 56% of organisations questioned had been the subject of at least one software license vendor audit in the past 12 months.
This is a rise of more than 50% on the previous year’s figure of 30%.
Any on-site audit is a hugely disruptive and expensive process. Preparation for audit frequently pulls staff away from other work and in an ill-prepared organization much time can be lost to “headless chicken syndrome” as senior people run round trying to find answers to unanticipated questions.
The increase in the software licensing audit trend makes it all the more important for organizations to have effective IT asset management systems in place. Such systems can not only save on the work and stress incurred during and prior to a software licensing audit, but can also help to ensure that the organisation is operating within the terms of its software licensing agreements – thus avoiding hefty fines and penalties.
According to the report the increase in software licensing audits is not due to increased activity from software vendors who were previously auditing, such as Microsoft, Adobe, Oracle and IBM. It seems that the increase in software licensing audits is due to the fact that more software vendors are now using audits as a means of ensuring compliance. New vendors reported as having undertaken software licensing audits last year included HP, SAP and Symantec.
Software Licensing audits are a costly and uncomfortable process for both vendors and purchasers. They do nothing to improve vendor/client relationships. Although the threat of audit, within the terms of a software license agreement, is a useful tool for “keeping the honest man honest” it is to be hoped that increasingly powerful and flexible software licensing solutions will begin to reduce the need for audits to actually be carried out.
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