Most companies have a wait and see approach when a new operating system is launched. Where Windows 7 is concerned, we are not surprised to hear CIOs doing just that – with many of them saying clearly that they are going to wait 12 to 24 months before looking at an upgrade. They want to let the early adopters be the guinea pigs, so to speak. But, Microsoft is putting an end to support for XP – which many companies are holding on to for dear life because of its superior performance and stability. If Windows 7 lives up to its promise, an improved version of Vista without its bugs, companies will likely jump on board, especially if support for XP will no longer exist. But, if Windows 7 turns out to be as disappointing as Vista, Microsoft may be feeling some pressure to extend its support for XP.

Are you going to upgrade? We would love to hear about those of you who have and what your opinions of Windows 7 are…

Software asset management (SAM) doesn’t have to be a daunting process. It can be very simple and rewarding if implemented properly. Here are six necessary steps to a successful SAM program (tongue twister eh?):

1.     Know and understand your SLAs for all your software vendors (not all licensing agreements are created  equal), the terms and conditions, and if you have questions, ask your rep or a consultant to explain them to you. Now this seems basic and it should be, but I would be remiss not to mention it here as the first step.

2.     Take an inventory of all of your IT assets – software and hardware. With Oracle entering the hardware business, companies need to be aware that this may be of significance to future ITAM. Keep track of what is currently in use, who has access to it and where it is being used. Is it being access remotely? How many employees are using it at the same time? While this sounds simple enough, take step 2 and tie it back into step 1.

3.    Compare and Contrast your inventory to the most up-to-date software purchasing records to determine whether or not you have assets that are out of compliance. This should also be checked against employee usage – perhaps more than one employee is using the same licensing which does not comply with your SLA on that program.

4.     Fix the problems  once you know what the problem is, uninstall software that is not compliant,  buy additional licenses and re-negotiate your contract(s). You must plan for the needs of the business over the next 12-18 months to determine whether or not additional licenses will be needed in the near term.

5.     Further planning is needed now that you have a clean slate and have fixed compliance issues. Now is the time to implement a plan for the future, which may include developing a repository for assets, purchasing SAM software with an automated discovery tool, or bringing in outside help. It is always a good idea to assign a group of internal managers to oversee the process and of course, get buy-in from the management team (which can be done by showcasing cost savings associated with a proper SAM program). You will also need to develop and market a new set of policies and procedures across your organization that will keep employees from misusing licenses.

6.    Keep it up! After a plan is in place; policies and procedures have been created and communicated; and licensing is up to date, the last step is maintaining the SAM program. Remember to:

This time the poor saps were XMCO Inc., based in Michigan. They paid out $70,000 in a settlement for unlicensed copies of Adobe, Corel and Microsoft products. On top of the 70K, they agreed to delete all unlicensed copies of software on theircomputers, purchase any licenses necessary to become compliant, and commit to implementing stronger software license management practices.

A more extreme case includes jail time. In Austin, Texas, a 24 year old was sentenced to three years in federal prison, three years of supervised release following jail time and a $10,000 fine for selling pirated software on the internet. In addition to time in federal prison, he lost his Porsche, TV and computer equipment! Between early 2006 and September 2007, he and his partners sold an estimated retail value of $2,500,000 in illegal software.

Don’t mess with the BSA! The BSA has also claimed that they expect more cost cutting due to the economic downturn and are looking at a busy year for vendor audits. Just another reason to get your assets in order and be sure you are in 100% compliance.

Microsoft is certainly seen as one of the top 3 software companies (right up there with Adobe, Oracle and SAP).  But, unlike most other software, they have a monopoly on the market with products that perform “good enough” for most users to get by.  Now, I know that the department of justice said that Microsoft doesn’t have a monopoly, but then how do you explain how Microsoft Office is deployed in nearly every PC and laptop sold in the U.S.?