What is software compliance?
All companies make use of software in their information systems. Whether it is the operating system your workstation and servers are running on, to business applications and graphic design programs, you are using software. Every time a software application is installed on a computer, you agree to abide by the license and purposes of that software outlined in their terms and conditions. Software compliance is being able to demonstrate that you have the correct number of licenses paid for and accounted for on your systems compare and matched to what you have installed. In addition to licensing, part of being compliant is ensuring that your organization’s use of software is also in accordance with the software company’s terms and conditions.
Why is software compliance important?
One of the hottest trends in the IT Sector today is among software companies using the legal system to ensure that users of their software are legally using it. Copyright infringement and illegal use of software are the focus of investigations launched by companies such as Adobe, Microsoft and Autodesk into many organizations, regardless of the size of the business. As such, it is important that your company is protected. Oversight or ignorance can often lead to sticky situations down the road if a business doesn’t know where they stand in regards to software compliance.
How can CAID Consulting can help your company ensure compliance?
One of CAID Consulting’s IT Auditing Services is performing a software compliance audit, whether as part of a regular service contract or as a specially contracted service. Using proprietary software, developed for the sole use of CAID Consulting Auditing, CAID auditors can examine the software installed on the computers in your organisation with the purpose of ensuring everything is up to legal and industry standards. This can benefit your company in a variety of ways, most importantly providing the following:
- Greater control and understanding over the software being used within your organization
- Preventative measures to avoid copyright infringement prosecution by software companies
- Coast savings as old, obsolete, or redundant applications are identified
- Corporate reputation management through ensuring your company is operating within legal and ethical guidelines.
Questions regarding software compliance or interested in discussing compliance audit? Feel free to contact us.
The Business Software Alliance (BSA) actively works to help identify software misuse within businesses and enforce legal ramifications. Click to watch a short video from the BSA.