Former employees fingering businesses over unlicenced apps

Whistle-blowers driving more software audits

Organisations are increasingly being hit by vendor audits after former employees have become whistle-blowers about their use of unlicensed software.

Latest research has shown there has been a 35% increase in activity from software vendors auditing licences, with one in four checks being triggered by finger-pointing employees.

In a sample of 100 senior IT managers, CIOs and IT directors at organisations with at least 250 employees, almost all believe aspects of their software asset management process could be improved. 

A quarter of respondents to a survey carried out for software reseller and license management services provider Trustmarque Solutions say fewer online software purchases should be made within their organisation.

Some 62% suggested a need for more consultation between the IT department and procurement head before software licences are purchased.

As many as 50% of IT professionals polled believe their organisations should take greater steps to re-harvest their licences when employees leave or a PC is retired. 

On the whole only 17% of organisations are completely sure that if a software vendor were to audit them, they would have the correct amount of licences.

Commenting on the research results, Scott Haddow, CEO for Trustmarque Solutions said, “With funds scarce in the face of the recession, there is a risk for many companies that they may not be able to match up to vendor scrutiny.” 

Earlier research by IDC in October 2008 cited that 52% of all companies had been subject to a vendor audit or review in the past 12 months and that 23% had three or more audits or reviews during that timeframe, indicating that software audits are on the increase as the recession bites.  

• Share:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•