Press Release

Software Mis-management Set to Cost UK Business Millions

Despite an increasing number of high-profile news stories involving pirated or unlicensed software, research unveiled today by Centennial Software reveals that only 8% of organisations can prove they have the right to the software within their own business.

The research, carried out in October at a software asset management conference, revealed that whilst the majority of those questioned (88%) understood the components of license compliance, less than one in ten could actually prove they were using the correct licenses if put on the spot. This has clear legal and financial implications.

These findings come just a month after the British Software Alliance (BSA) claimed to be receiving an average of one call every day, from individuals reporting their employers for failing to have the correct software licences - a rise of 23 per cent from last year.

According to Matt Fisher, Vice President at Centennial, the combination of an unmonitored network and a disgruntled employee could have serious consequences. "Software piracy is rarely committed knowingly in UK firms. It is more often a case of employers simply not being able to see clearly what software is in use on the network." he said. "The majority of piracy cases reported to the BSA [63%] came from employees who felt mistreated or faced redundancy, they saw software compliance as a company weakness and an easy way to get back at their employers."

But the effective auditing of networks is not just about staying on the right side of the law. In an era of job cuts and ever-increasing pressure on the IT department to become a cost centre of its own, Fisher believes the right systems must be used to make life easier for the IT manager, and give disgruntled staff nowhere to go.

"Organisations need complete and current information about the software assets on their network at the touch of a button," continued Fisher.

Centennial's Discovery software can automatically find, audit and track all the hardware and software on a network, giving instant information on assets at the touch of a button. This helps to ensure IT is meeting the business requirements, at any point, and without having to wait for the next audit cycle. In turn, this helps companies manage their infrastructure, by cutting unnecessary IT spend, reducing risk and increasing the efficiency of the network - as well as providing users with peace of mind.

Press Release from Centennial Software