Comments on: An end to the software police?

ISO publishes a standard for software asset management to protect companies from legal and financial threats over licensing issues.

[jazzcat]

If only you use Open Sorurce exclusively,

...we wouldn't need things like this. Does anyone know of an all-open-source company?

[hadaso]

Free open source software is licensed

Free open source software is licensed, and organizations need to make sure they comply with those licenses just as they need to make sure they comply with any other kind of software license.

Free software is copyrighted. If you use Gnu/Linux and do not 100% comply with the GPL you are infringing the rights on the copyright holder, and the copyright owner/s can sue you (e.g. the free software foundation can sue you for using Gnu sotware and not complying with the GPL.

[hadaso]

Free open source software is licensed

Free open source software is licensed, and organizations need to make sure they comply with those licenses just as they need to make sure they comply with any other kind of software license.

Free software is copyrighted. If you use Gnu/Linux and do not 100% comply with the GPL you are infringing the rights on the copyright holder, and the copyright owner/s can sue you (e.g. the free software foundation can sue you for using Gnu sotware and not complying with the GPL.

CNet misprint: It's ISO/IEC 19770-1:2006

Information technology -- Software asset management -- Part 1: Processes is ISO/IEC 19770-1:2006, not 17990-1 as stated in the article. More info at http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=33908&ICS1=35&ICS2=80&ICS3=#top

[KarenSaid]

Thanks for the catch

Sorry for the typo that caused this confusion, and many thanks for pointing out the error.

[BizTechNet]

Piracy=Symptom. Standards=Great BUT, recognize & treat the disease first.

While I believe that ISO standards are a great step toward more effective compliance, the core message we should pick up is not that someone is setting standards for technology asset management processes but that too few companies will actually perform those processes.

You see, processes for effectively managing the entire life cycle of IT assets have existed for quite some time. Those processes, most of which we within The Business Technology Consumer Network have been teaching for six to eight years, are already here and pretty well broken out. The problem isn?t in the processes: The problem is that, in a majority of cases, IT asset management has yet to be interpreted into language that is compatible with executive management goals & initiatives. As a result, effective management of technology assets remains on the back burner of corporate priorities?even when folks?re offering $200,000 rewards for reporting your company for piracy.

Essentially, this means that, until ownership and management get on board--no, I mean, REALLY get on board--?it? simply isn?t going to happen. Codifying standards through the ISO might bring a few more companies closer to managing tech--but no more so than all of those punitive copyright laws and enforcement confrontations have managed.

We need to convince management that controlling the IT portfolio is the only cure for nearly all of the ITAM disease symptoms?from piracy, to copyright violations, to poorly negotiated agreements, to heightened patch management expenses, to near zero ROI, to unfavorable support & maintenance agreements, even to many failed implementations. The money we are collectively throwing away when we fail to control the life cycles of technology assets is massive compared to the peanuts we lose in non compliance or piracy litigation events.

It is great that ISO has begun formalizing and communicating its own process guidelines. However, guidelines are virtually useless if the individuals being guided refuse to reach out and grab onto the guideline. Obviously there is much more to all this than I could possibly place in this brief comment. The bottom lines are this:

1.) Only executive management can establish and enforce the expectation that standards or standard processes will be adopted and followed, (and)?
2.) Only when companies of all sizes fully realize how much scarce revenue they are literally throwing away by not managing their tech assets?
--- Only then will we even begin to gain momentum in our efforts to cut costs, improve services, enhance tech ROI, and avoid non compliance.

You are welcome to contact me with questions.

With Respect,
Al Plastow
Founder,
The Business Technology Consumer Network
[e-mail]