Audit microsoft software licenses

If youre anticipating a software license audit and, lets face it, you should be youre most likely concerned with noncompliance. In a straw poll we conducted at license dashboard, we found that 67% of organisation had received a software audit within the last 12 months, and that 16% had received three or more audit requests in the last 12 months. Microsoft s license verification is poorly executed and hurts their reputation for businesses. We had kpmg lead a software audit for microsoft products. Actively identifying newly installed software across your network adds an additional layer of complexity, an it audit is almost impossible without an automated solution. Microsoft license verification also, software asset management sam request. As unpleasant as software audits are, if you have licenses with heavy hitting vendors like microsoft, ibm, and oracle, its likely that software audits are just an. Because larger companies typically have strict software guidelines in place, microsoft put an emphasis on smaller businesses since these types or organizations are more likely to be lax with their software licensing. A sam audit is microsofts way of saying, lets take a look to make sure youre in compliance. Looking for a simple way to inventory your software. If a company knowingly or unknowingly defies the terms of their software licenses and the threat of an audit by microsoft isnt enough to motivate them to implement appropriate sam discipline, perhaps the business software alliance bsa will convince them.

Knowing which software is installed on your network and how many times a specific piece of software is deployed can be a big challenge for any business. How to comply with a microsoft software licensing audit. Microsoft customers with an enterprise agreement ea or other microsoft volume licensing contract are considered to be compliant, as long as the company has met the annual trueup requirements. Only question then would be if they cost more than what they saved you. I had quoted a site license for sql but my admin never executed, we. Microsofts license audit process is destroying their. That microsoft eula end user license agreement that you agree to every time you install microsoft software means that you accept the terms of its use and you agree to allow microsoft to audit the use of any microsoft software licenses installed on your network.

Auditing your software licenses as an it manager, you should know that you can be subject, at any time, to a microsoft audit request. It requires companies to verify whether they are compliant with microsofts licenses. Select, open, and enterprise agreement customers should expect an audit at least every three years. Whether a microsoft audit is imminent or just a possibility in the future, you can save yourself some headaches by getting all of your ducks in a row when it comes to license tracking. How to survive a software licensing audit informationweek. Most audits are issued to customers under open or selection licensing agreements, which are used primarily by small and midsized companies. Going through a software audit can be equally stressful and costly. Since 20, microsoft has ramped up efforts to audit more of its customers. Once usage is confirmed, it is necessary to compare those deployment counts against the kinds and quantities of software licenses held by a company. Computer software must be treated as a tangible asset. Microsoft sam programs are voluntary and not the equivalent of an audit in a blog post from may 22 nd 2017, patama chantaruck, microsofts new general manager of worldwide software asset management and compliance tries to mythbust the connection between microsofts sam engagements and compliance audits. Microsoft software audit with network inventory advisor.

A microsoft license compliance verification is a routine process of checking customers compliance with microsoft licensing agreements. Software license compliance audit fort worth, texas. This policy applies to all cbs departments, faculty, and staff. Searching for product licenses is a 3 step process. We speak to martin callinan from express metrix who offers top tips for reducing risk as microsoft ramps up software licensing audits. Among organizations with 10,000 or more employees, ibm took the numberfour spot, bumping oracle to. No, its not an audit says customers wrongly equate asset management with a licensing audit. Microsoft to audit your companys software licenses. Microsoft will request that the target allow a third party to audit its software installations and report the results directly to them. As an it manager, you should know that you can be subject, at any time, to a microsoft audit request. This will identify most microsoft products, and a large number of other manufacturers products as well. If your company is facing a software audit, you need experienced counsel to protect your business.

After you run the program, you will be presented with the welcome screen. Get ready for another microsoft audit enterprise apps. Microsofts sam engagement has been extensively used in lieu of traditional software. In a sam request, microsoft assigns a third party to reach out to a customer to confirm. All software installed or run on cbs equipment must be licensed with a proof of purchase available for audit verification. So how do you fend off or improve the outcome of an audit with microsoft. Tips for handling a microsoft software audit storagecraft. License compliance verification faq microsoft volume. How to perform your annual microsoft software license audit december 8th, 2015. How high tech plays hardball truing up licenses amounts to billions of dollars in revenue for the major software makers. The microsoft audit team will periodically focus on particular industries and regions and run widespread audit requests. This is the second in a series of four articles addressing microsoft software licensing audits. We request the it managerrepresentative to respond to software licenses assessment to identify areas of audit risk, the presence of internal controls to mitigate the occurrence of risks, fraud awareness, management oversight, and assess the strength of your units overall internal software licenses control structure.

How to audit your microsoft software licenses step 1. Total network inventory makes maintaining large software inventories easier and more transparent. It is the policy of cbs to respect and adhere to all computer software s and to adhere to the terms of all software licenses to. Many major software vendors are now exercising their rights to request customer cooperation in an audit of installations and licensing, with a view to ensuring software license compliance. The anatomy of a microsoft software license audit npi. How it departments can prepare for a software license audit as revenue for new software licenses is down, software vendors are focusing more on licensing audits to recover some of that lost income. How to handle a software license audit license dashboard. A software licensing audit or software compliance audit is an important subset of software asset management and component of corporate risk management. To complete the audit, you will need to record what microsoft products your company is using, how many licenses you have purchased, and whether or not youre in compliance with your microsoft licenses.

Microsoft s license audit process is destroying their reputation and any good will i had for them summary. The bsa aka the software alliance is a consortium of many of the worlds. Make it easy to ensure you are always prepared for a potential microsoft audit. Six steps to completing a software audit and ensuring. Microsoft verifies its customers compliance using several methods. Microsoft does provide a planning toolkit that can help with the. Microsoft uses different audit types to verify if their customers are licensed correctly. Microsoft to audit your companys software licenses cnet. In a straw poll we conducted at license dashboard, we found that 67% of organisation had received a software audit within the last 12 months. The microsoft software inventory analyzer will scan a network and give you a report of which microsoft products are currently installed on each computer. How to perform your annual microsoft software license audit. Software license audit or software compliance audit is an important subset of software asset management, and an important component of corporate risk management. Some sources claim that microsoft software asset management sam and license compliance verification commonly known as audit are the same.

Register, assign permissions or access your licenses during registration, provide the same business or organization email address that was referenced in the access notification email you received. In the first article we discussed the importance of being prepared for an audit and steps that may be taken to ensure your organization is ready if you receive notification that an. According to a 2014 flexera software study, microsoft audited its customers nearly twice as frequently as adobe, ibm, and oracle. Microsoft offers its assistance to customers for determining their license position, typically through an informal software asset management sam engagement conducted by an audit partner. Avoid microsoft software license compliance audit what.

It requires companies to verify whether they are compliant with microsofts licenses, which is usually done by sending microsoft the software keys for each license. The terms of vl agreements gives microsoft the right to perform an audit once every year, with a thirty days notice. Six steps to completing a software audit and ensuring compliancewhile saving money. This may either be a selfassessment or an onsite audit. Audit software licenses kaseya support knowledgebase. With that said, being seen to be proactively managing your microsoft licenses will go a long way in ensuring that you minimize your compliance and financial risks and that you optimize your investment in microsoft software. Find out how to audit your microsoft software licenses and prevent. You may be tempted to install or access software on more systems than you. Microsoft certifies third parties to conduct audits, including national accounting firms and boutique auditors. When a company is unaware of what software is installed and being used on its machines, it can result in multiple layers of exposure.

A guide to assessing vulnerabilities and ensuring ongoing software license compliance. Avoid microsoft software license compliance audit what to expect. Nor is it likely to lessen the penalty in case of an audit or prosecution. License compliance verification faq microsoft volume licensing. Types of microsoft audits be prepared for a microsoft audit blay. Executing a microsoft audit can be difficult and is always time consuming. In the first article we discussed the importance of being prepared for an audit and steps that may be taken to ensure your organization is ready if you receive notification that an audit is forthcoming. Articles related to microsoft licensing and microsoft software audits. The elp compares licenses owned against licenses deployed, and quantifies purported noncompliance that would require payment of additional fees to microsoft. The objectives of this audit were to determine whether. Sam is often referred to as a selfaudit because youll be asked to fill out forms detailing the microsoft software youre using and compare it to what youve. If you have been audited by microsoft, you need experienced counsel to protect. If not, well work together to help bring you into compliance.

Microsoft licensing what do auditors look for during a. If the audit notification suggests the audit will be. It starts with a clear understanding of how microsofts auditing process works and. Some publishers, like microsoft, provide relatively convenient options for obtaining comprehensive lists of all license products ordered under volumelicensing programs. In a sam request, microsoft assigns a third party to reach out to. Mcmanus microsoft license audit was more than three years ago now, but he said he remembers his staff spending weeks gathering the information microsoft required.

Plus, your chances of going through one are a lot higher than they are for a tax audit, especially when it comes to microsoft. We have conducted a countywide software licenses audit. Will mcmanus has been hit twice with software audits. Microsoft, like other software publishers, routinely audits customers to help ensure that it is protecting the value of its intellectual property.

Tips for handling a microsoft software audit storagecraft blog. Microsoft thinks enterprise customers have the wrong idea about the asset. How it departments can prepare for a software license audit. Customers who take licensing compliance seriously and have a robust internal software asset management sam process are likely to be better prepared for license compliance verifications. Software licenses assessment of microsofts products usage. This is how easy it is to gather all software license information with network inventory advisor to prepare for a microsoft audit. Avoid microsoft software license compliance audit what to. Attached is the city of west palm beachs internal audit ors office report on the software license audit. The combination of its unrivaled simplicity with its efficiency and extensive capabilities is what makes network inventory advisor the best microsoft software audit tool on the market. Among organizations with 10,000 or more employees, ibm took the numberfour spot, bumping oracle to number five, and moving sap off the topfive list. Microsoft software licensing audit technology attorneys. When a company is unaware of what software is installed and being used on its machines, it can result in.

Microsoft products and services agreement mpsa customers should use the business center. Jan 01, 2016 i only see value if software company tries to bill you for punitive damages or something, then lawyer might be able to help. The department of internal auditconcluded that its conducts annual enterprise software audits to ensure software license compliance, and has an action plan in place to remove illegal software from city it assets. This is the most common and friendly audit type organizations have been subject to.

Jan 28, 2014 the five vendors mostly likely to audit corporate software licenses are microsoft, adobe, autodesk, oracle, and sap, in that order. The scope of the audit was the entire population of software that is on city devices. The five vendors mostly likely to audit corporate software licenses are microsoft, adobe, autodesk, oracle, and sap, in that order. Software inventory license audit lansweeper it discovery. We thank the management and staff of the information technology department for their time, information, and cooperation during this audit. The terms of the vl agreements grant ms the right to perform an audit once each year with thirty days notice. Types of microsoft audits be prepared for a microsoft audit. During the discovery process, we found we had implemented our production sharepoint environment on a sql server which was only single user license, not a site license.

In this article we will explain the different types of a microsoft audit. No one is immune to microsofts software audits cio. Microsoft licensing what do auditors look for during a microsoft. Learn about the different types of audit letters microsoft sent and what to do if youve received one. Hardly surprising when you understand that its a means of generating revenue for software vendors. Whether you need a list of everything installed on a device, or a comprehensive inventory of every application on your network spiceworks has got your back. Audits can be useful, especially as confusing as licensing can be. If the company cooperates and agrees to pay for licenses to become compliant, thats usually where the process ends. Tools for coping with a microsoft audit spiceworks. Software audit painful and costly for the noncompliant. Scan each of the computers on your network and tell you what software is installed track microsoft office and operating system licenses server and client across all of your computers discover unlicensed software running on the network.

While almost all companies, large and small, use software in order to conduct their business operations, many of those companies lack mature or even nascent software asset management practices. January 25, 2016 toni preckwinkle the honorable toni. Responding to an audit can be easy enough as long as you have an effective network inventory tool. Microsoft tends to dominate the conversation when it comes to software audits given their breadth of products and various licensing models. The scope and objectives of the audit were to verify. A recent survey found that 69% of it leaders are not confident they are in compliance with software license agreements. In a formal audit situation, the price for licenses is typically retail price and can include penalties. Microsoft approach customers via email to conduct a self audit, but we also see the more invasive, thirdparty types of audit.

Microsoft software audit and license compliance reports. Microsoft licensing what do auditors look for during a microsoft audit. How to handle a software license audit november 22nd, 2017. Spiceworks inventory management and audit tool helps you inventory and report on your software and licenses. The office of the cook county auditor has conducted an audit in regards to software licenses. If youre received a microsoft software license audit notice, dont panic. Dear president preckwinkle and board of commissioners. You can then use this report to figure out how many licenses you will need to purchase or how many extra licenses you have. Software license and audit policy columbia business school. Software audit control with selfaudits is a key component to managing software assets.