Archive 2006 : Software compliance denial set to cost UK plc...

Software compliance denial set to cost UK plc millions

- 71 per cent of companies turn a blind eye to
software licensing standards -

UK, 26th October 2006:  The majority of UK companies have no idea if their business software is compliant with international standards, research from IT governance firm Centennial Software has revealed. This is despite the risk of criminal charges and large financial penalties faced by firms who do not audit and monitor their installed software.

71 per cent of IT managers from companies in the logistics, healthcare, retail and finance sectors claim they either know their software isn't compliant, or admit they don't know either way.  These firms are also exposed to greater software costs due to over-licensing, higher costs per unit from decentralised purchasing and unused maintenance agreements.

The research was carried out at an event hosted by Centennial for professionals involved in software asset management (SAM). It also revealed that this compliance knowledge gap exists despite the fact that 85 per cent of companies are aware of SAM targets, such as the international standard ISO 19770.
 
"It's worrying that companies are continuing to ignore the risk of non-compliance with software standards, even when they know they could be facing a fine and potentially serious implications for their reputation," said Alex Hilton, vice-president, UK sales at Centennial. "Microsoft's piracy audits are very active, and it seems every day we read more horror stories about companies being caught out. There's really no excuse for this kind of apathy any more."

The research also revealed that despite the high proportion of people being aware of standards such as ISO 19770, 69 per cent of respondents have yet to act in order to achieve compliance.  Hilton continued: "The benefits of compliance with this standard can be positive for everyone."

- Ends -

About Centennial Software / FrontRange Solutions

Centennial Software was acquired by FrontRange Solutions (www.frontrange.com) in April 2008. FrontRange Solutions develops Service Management, IT Infrastructure and Customer Relationship Management solutions that scale with the needs of mid-sized and distributed enterprises. The company – through its FrontRange, HEAT, GoldMine, Enteo and Centennial brands – offers a unique portfolio that has been chosen by more than 150,000 organizations worldwide to help improve the effectiveness and reduce the cost of interacting with external and internal customers.

Part of the FrontRange Solutions Infrastructure Management Group, Centennial Software develops IT Audit & Network inventory, Software Asset Management (SAM) and Endpoint Security Tools Centennial Discovery, License Manager and DeviceWall enable more than 6,000 organizations worldwide to manage their IT assets, license compliance and network security. Learn how full network audit, complete control of software licenses and effective USB security solutions can help drive cost, risk and complexity out of IT operations.

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