a guide to software asset management -...

A Guide toSoftware AssetManagement

“Software is an essential business Asset and Software Asset Management is essential to good business practice”.

This guide has been developed to help businesses

understand the fundamentals of Software Asset

Management, to equip your organisation with the essential

information, tools and tips to ensure that your company,

however complex, has a robust Software Asset Management

system in place.

In it you will find valuable information about how Software

Asset Management can benefit your business and

importantly how you can protect your organisation from the

‘risks’ associated with poorly managed software.

With its help you will be able to perform a quick assessment

of your organisation’s current Software Asset Management

needs, and where appropriate, develop a whole range of best

practices for your business, to optimise the return on your

software investment.

We have designed this guide purposely with practicality and

portability in mind, to be viewed as a working document that

you can carry with you, refer to frequently and store safely.

You may want to make notes or add additional information to

the guide. So we have included a personal/notes section at

the back, accompanied by a handy ‘hole punch’ mechanism,

that will enable you to personalise and customise this guide,

if you wish.

About this Guide

Follow our step-by-step approach

Using the Index pages and Table of Contents opposite,

the following Software Asset Management topics are explored

in more detail: -

How can Software Asset Management benefit your

business and what are the risks of failing to manage

software correctly?

Are you curious as to whether your business could

be at risk? Complete our 10 question assessment

to find out.

Committed about putting a Software Asset

Management programme in place? Follow our

4 step implementation plan (Policies, Procedures,

Records, Review).

Want more help and information? Turn to the Tools

and Resources section.

Looking for the right licensing solution for your

company and how to protect your business from

Software Piracy? Turn to the Licensing and

Anti-Piracy Section.

Are you at Risk?Could your business be at risk? 14Quick 10 question assesment 15Performing a self-audit 16

Personal Information & Notes 79

A Guide to Licensing and Anti-PiracyMicrosoft Licensing - What to look for 63

Anti-Piracy Guide 73

Microsoft Product Indentification 76

Tools and ResourcesSoftware Management Tools 49

Microsoft Software Inventory Analizer 50

Quick reference guide 59

Software Asset ManagementPrinciples of Software Asset Management 21Establishing Corporate Policies 24Designing & Implementing Procedures 30Managing & Maintaining Records 38Ongoing Management & Review 44

Benefits and Risks Page No:

How can your business benefit from 7Software Asset Management? A software policy can protect you from risk 9Legal basics 11

Protect your businessfrom risk and learn aboutthe benefits of SoftwareAsset Management

“Poor Software Asset Managementcan be very costly.”

How can your businessbenefit from SoftwareAsset Management?Improved software planning and cost control - Software acquisition

can represent a significant proportion of the IT budget. So it makes

good fiscal sense to control these costs effectively. Good Software

Asset Management can help you determine which software

programs you need and which you don’t. It can also help you take

advantage of volume license discounts offered by many software

publishers and determine how to deploy software most efficiently

across your organisation.

Manage technological change - Software Asset Management can

help your company identify its software needs, avoid obsolescence,

and ensure proper technology to help meet business goals to stay

ahead of the competition.

Alleviate communication and data transfer problems -

In organisations where technology has proliferated without controls,

many different software platforms and versions may exist,

contributing to communication problems. Managing software can

help address and resolve these issues, improving workflow and

efficiencies.

Justify investments in technology - Managing software can help

organisations understand the value they receive from their software

investment as well as identify parts of the organisation that may be

in need of software upgrades or new software programs.

Benefits 7

Computer software is a central part of

many businesses’ operations but its

increased importance brings new risks.

An effective Software Asset

Management policy can help protect

you against these risks.

A Software policy canprotect you from risk

Non-Compliance Risks

Legal costs and penalties - Abuse of software licenses can result in

financial penalties and legal costs. Additionally, company executives

can be held individually liable both criminally and civilly, for any

copyright infringement that occurs within the organisation.

Damaged reputation - Abusing software licenses can damage your

company’s reputation.

Viruses that can harm computers and networks - Unauthorised

copies of software can contain viruses with the potential to damage

both individual computers and entire networks. Viruses can and do

cause irretrievable data loss, which would be devastating to

most companies.

Ineligibility for technical support or product upgrades - When

using unlicensed software, you are not eligible for technical support

from the software publisher. If you have a technical issue in need of

resolution, often at times a work-stopping issue, you are on your own.

In-addition, product upgrades (less expensive upgrades of existing

products) are not available to you.

Legal costs and penalties - Legal costs and fines, damaged

reputation, computer viruses, ineligibility for technical support and

software compatibility issues all equate to lost time, which means

lost opportunities to your business.

Risks 9

Setting up a software policy may not

seem like a pressing concern, but

without one, your business will be

exposed to a range of risks – some

of which could be highly damaging.

Legal BasicsWhat is a software licence?

When you ‘buy’ software you are buying a licence. A software

licence grants you the legal right to run a software program.

For each software program you use, you need a licence

granted to you and documented in the licence agreement.

Breaching the terms of the licence agreement is software

piracy. Typical breaches include:

● Using legally acquired software on more computers than

the licence allows.

● Allowing employees, or contractors to make unlicensed

copies of software.

● Making or selling illegal copies of software.

● Using illegal copies of software, even unknowingly. (The law

does not require you to know that your activity is illegal. The

mere act of using an illegal copy of the software makes you

liable).

● Allowing or asking a consultant (for example) to install

software on your system when you do not have a licence

for it.

Legal Basics 11

Software LicensingMicrosoft offers many licensing

programmes designed to meet the

needs of differing customers.

The software licence that accompanies

these programmes will vary. A summary

of the licensing programmes in place

can be found in the ‘Guide to

Licensing and Anti-Piracy’ section of

this folder on page 63.

Please see

http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/licenseguide/default.asp

for further information on these licensing

programmes, including the documentation you’ll need

to retain to verify licence compliance.

Software Piracy can be a criminal offence

You (or your directors – if you are a limited liability company)

risk up to two years in jail, or an unlimited fine.

The civil courts have the power to grant injunctions to stop

the continued use of unlicensed software and make you

deliver up all infringing copies of the software, and they will

also make awards for compensation to be paid to the owner

of the intellectual property rights in the software.

Software publishers may sue you for piracy

You can be sued for any improper use of their intellectual

property. Compensation can run to tens of thousands of

pounds. It is usually calculated by reference to the amount of

money that the copyright owner has lost. That in turn

depends on the number of illegal copies and the length of

time those illegal copies have been in use.

You also face the expense and disruption of legal action,

regardless of whether you go to court.

It can be easier than you think to be found out

The software publishers trade association, the Business

Software Alliance (BSA), offers a reward of up to £10,000 for

information on the illegal use of software.

See the BSA website for more details:

http://www.nopiracy.co.uk

12

“Your reputation could suffer if it ismade public that your business hasbeen using illegal software”

Are you at risk?

“If your business was atrisk are you certain youwould know.”

Are you at risk?

Step 1

Curious about whether your company is at risk for using unlicensed or

pirated software? Answer the following questions to help assess your risk.

If you answered no to any of these questions, or if you are unsureabout any of the answers, you need to evaluate your organisation’ssoftware situation in greater detail.

Are you at risk? 15

1. Do you know how many PC’s, laptops, and serversyou company currently has in use?

2. Do you have a software licence for all softwareprograms installed on your PC’s, laptops, andservers?

3. Are you confident that no company employeeshave made unauthorised copies of software?

4. Did you acquire all the software installed on yourPC’s, laptops and servers from reputable sources?

5. Does your company have a written policy forcopying software and/or purchasing softwarelicenses?

6. Does your business have a clear written softwaremanagement policy approved and sponsored bysenior management?

7. Does your business maintain an accurate inventoryof software, hardware and licence ownership?

8. Are licence confirmations reconciled with yourorganisation’s orders?

9. Does the person who is responsible for softwarelicence compliance have specialist knowledgeabout software licensing issues?

10. Do you operate regular checks of installedsoftware against software licences held?

QUESTIONS YES NO UNSURE

A fragmented or poorly managed Software

Asset Management system can lead to

the use of unlicensed software, thus

putting your company at technological

and legal risk.

Your business could be at risk, if any of these scenarios

sound familiar:

● Your company has grown, expanding rapidly in recent years

● Your organisation has undergone a merger, de-merger

or acquisition

● Your business is geographically diverse, with many

subsidiaries

● You are operating with a de-centralised purchasing/

procurement policy

● Your company has witnessed a high turn-over of IT staff

over recent years

We understand that maintaining

control of and managing your valuable

software assets in any of these very

common circumstances can be

extremely challenging!

Step 2

If you have identified that your organisation may be at risk

then there are a number of things you can do, e.g. you can

undertake a self-audit or ask an appropriate company for

assistance in doing one.

Step 3

Undertaking a self-audit

Should you elect to undertake a Software Asset Management

audit internally, you will need to ensure the following:

● That overall responsibility for development and

implementation is assigned to a single individual.

● That the assigned individual has the ability to delegate

specific tasks to appropriate personnel within your

organisation.

The next stage is to perform an initial software inventory.

16 Performing a software inventory 17

Step 4

Perform a software inventory by doing the

following:

● Establish the number of PC’s, laptops and servers your

company has in use and the type of software installed on

each machine.

● Compare this information against the number of legal

software licenses your company owns.

● Account for any licence deficiencies and purchase

sufficient additional licenses to bring your organisation into

compliance.

Depending on the size of your organisation, and the condition

or your records, this may be quite simple, or it can take a bit

of effort. In either case, establishing this initial inventory is

critical to effective Software Asset Management.

There is a free Microsoft software inventory tool contained

within the CD that accompanies this guide. Refer to the Tools

and Resources section on page 49 for further assistance. Or

visit http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/msia

For a listing of other available tools, please visit

http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/samguide/tools/sit.asp

18

Step 5

Establishing software policies and procedures

While the number of policies and procedures your

organisation needs will vary depending on the company size,

scope and culture, at a minimum they should cover the

following:

Software use and copyright policy - Your company should

have a clear and enforceable policy on copyrighted software,

which addresses your companies adherence to software

license agreements, and employees’ responsibilities to follow

the software procedures set by management.

Procurement policies and procedures - Your company

should have written policies covering how employee’s request

software, responsibility for software acquisitions, approved

software vendors, software installation procedures, personal

software policies and disposition of software assets.

For more detailed information, please refer to the Software

Asset Management section of this guide on page 21, which

covers the Principles of Software Asset Management in

greater detail.

Software AssetManagement

“Proper Software Asset Managementtakes time and effort. But the payback is well worth it.”

The Principles ofSoftware AssetManagementOnce you have identified that you need to implement a

Software Asset Management Programme then we

recommend you follow these guidelines.

CORPORATE POLICIES

Evidence that a company is committedto Software Asset Management

REVIEW

To ensure that processes areworking and being

implemented, so that recordsalways remain accurate

RECORDS

● Software Inventory● Hardware Inventory● Licence Inventory

PROCEDURES

To ensure theimplementation of

the policies

Software Asset Management 21

How to keep your businesscompliant

Managing your software assets can lead to improved

performance. As businesses invest more in technology,

Software Asset Management plays an increasingly critical

role in promoting efficiency, productivity and performance.

Here we guide you through some of the principles of

Software Asset Management:

Establishing Corporate Policies

Designing and Implementing Procedures

Managing and Maintaining Records

Ongoing Management and Review

EstablishingCorporatePolicies

There is no universally correct solution

to Software Asset Management or

Software License Compliance, and there

can be no guarantee that by following

any set of guidelines that all problems

will be avoided.

However, by following the guidance in

this section many of the most common

problems should be avoided and the

major underlying issues clarified. So your

organisation can more easily find a

unique solution, tailored to your own

business specific needs and

circumstances.

Developing a Policy

Making it work

Company culture

Before anything else, your company culture must be one in

which all your employees understand the value of software,

learn the difference between legal and illegal use, and pledge

their commitment to the proper use of software. To do this,

you must have a clear statement of policy on the legal use of

software. The statement should express the company's goals

to manage software for maximum benefit, use only legally

licensed software, and spell out the company's procedure for

acquiring legal software.

Establish policies

If your business has no written policies or procedures, now is

a good time to write them. While the number of policies and

procedures your business needs will vary according to

company size, scope, and culture, at a minimum they should

cover the following:

Software use & copyright policy

● Is there a clear and enforceable policy on software copyright?

(creating and communicating a policy on software use and

copyright enforcement is an important step in reducing the

business's liability for copyright infringement).

Personal software

● Do you permit personally owned software to be installed on

PC's? If so, under what conditions? We recommend that if

a user needs access to software at home, the company

purchases a separate licence and records it as an asset on

the software register.

Communicate the policy to all employees● Tell them that the company will not allow or tolerate the

use of illegal or pirated software.

● Consider referring to the policy in your statement of

employment terms. Alternatively, ask employees to sign

a statement saying they understand and accept the policy.

● Regularly remind employees of the policy, particularly when

breaches are suspected.

● Encourage employees to tell you if they think they may have

dubious software, or if they have any other concerns.

Rigorously enforce the policy

Make sure that following the implementation of your software policy,

all employees understand the consequences of not adhering to it.

The more effort you put into enforcing your policy and making sure

that employees know that use of illegal software is not acceptable

within your organisation, the less vulnerable your organisation will

be. Showing that you made all reasonable efforts to prevent

unauthorised use of software could also help you with the

defence of a claim against your organisation, should an employee

breach the policy.

24 Establishing Corporate Policies 25

The policy should:

● State what you consider to be acceptable and

unacceptable use of your IT system.

● Set out who is responsible for administering and repairing

systems and enforcing your policy.

● Regulate how the Internet and e-mail are used.

● Protect your own intellectual property rights.

Employees can use the Internet and e-mail to copy and

pass on your intellectual property or other confidential

material, perhaps unwittingly.

“Implementing an effective policy and

a good document management system

is essential”

Corporate policy regarding the use ofpersonal computer software

1. (Name of Business) licences the use of computer software from a variety

of software vendors. (Name of Business) does not own the rights to this

software or its related documentation and unless authorised by the software

developer, (Name of Business) does not have the right to reproduce it, other

than expressly allowed by the software developer (eg for back-up purposes).

2. With regard to Client/Server and network applications, (Name of Business)

employees shall use the software only in accordance with the terms of the

relevant licence agreements for that software.

3. (Name of Business) employees shall not download or up-load

unauthorised software over the Internet.

4. (Name of Business) employees learning of any misuse of software or

related documentation within the company shall notify his/her department

manager or relevant personnel.

5. According to English Copyright law, persons involved in the illegal

reproduction of software can be subject to civil and criminal penalties

including payment of compensation (for a civil claim) or fines and

imprisonment (following a criminal prosecution).

6. (Name of Business) does not condone the illegal duplication of software.

(Name of Business) employees who make, acquire, or use unauthorised

copies of computer software shall be disciplined as appropriate under the

circumstances. Such discipline may include or lead to the termination of the

individual’s contract of employment.

7. Any doubts concerning whether any employee may copy or use a given

software program should be raised with a responsible manager before

proceeding.

I confirm that I have read and understood the software use policy of (Name

of Business) and I agree to abide by and uphold that policy.

Employee signature Date

26

Whatever your policy, make sure it is included in the packet of

information given to new employees and visible to all, so that

everyone can abide by it

Make your software policy part of a wider IT policy designed to

safeguard the security of your systems and data and protect you

against a range of legal risks

Establishing Corporate Policies 27

Manage organisational change

A common requirement for most organisations is to manage

mergers and de-mergers, or other radical organisational

change, effectively. This should include reviewing and

transferring licenses.

Due Diligence - if your organisation is acquiring or merging

with another, you should ensure that it is legally licensed for

all of its software usage. If not, you will acquire its legal

exposure as well, irrespective of whether or not you are aware

that you are doing so.

28

Designing &ImplementingProcedures

Centralise purchasing

● Require all software purchase requests to be in writing with

department manager approval.

● Don't permit employees to buy software directly or charge it

to their expense accounts.

● Ensure that employees without special approval cannot

download software from the Internet.

Keep proof of purchase

Always keep the original documentation – including the

Certificate of Authenticity (COA), End User Licence

Agreements (EULA) and purchase invoices – they are your

proof of purchase. Keep a formal inventory of what these

documents relate to and where the software has been

deployed in a safe place.

More information can be found in the Managing &

Maintaining Records section on page 38.

Implementing Procedures 3130

Designing &ImplementingProcedures

Appoint a software asset manager

Clearly identify a Software Asset Manager who is responsible

for ensuring that your companies Software Asset

Management policy is understood, implemented and

adhered to.

Purchasing software

Be careful about how you buy and install software. This is

essential if you want to be sure that the software you buy

is legitimate.

Only buy software from reputable sources. Typically, this will

be an authorised distributor in Europe or a partner outlet

recognised by the software publisher. If in doubt, make

further checks (e.g. through the Microsoft Product

Identification Service) or buy the software elsewhere.

Be particularly wary of software sold through e-auction

houses, much of it is illegal and you also risk paying for

software that you will never actually receive.

N.B. Turn to page 76 to find out about Microsoft’s Product

Identification Service.

Procurement policies and procedures

How do employees request copies of software or upgrades of

existing software programs? Specifically:

● Who makes the acquisition decisions and on what

criteria is this based?

● From which vendors is the software acquired?

● What effort does your business make to find the best

pricing?

We recommend that all software be purchased through the IT

department and that users must obtain approval from their

manager to do so. It is recommended that software is not

paid for by cash, credit cards or on general expenses. That

way, if all software is purchased centrally, detailed purchasing

records can be maintained.

Software installation procedures

Who is responsible for the software when it first arrives?

Who records serial numbers, sends in the registration, and

records this information?

We recommend that the Software Asset Manager (or

someone authorised by him/her) is the only person

authorised to install software. We also recommend that

manuals (if supplied), along with other materials (eg

Certificate Of Authenticity (COA), End User Licence Agreement

(EULA) and CD roms with the software program), should

permanently reside in the IT department. Once installed on

the hard drive, the original software CDs should be locked in

a secure storage facility with a tracking number – to help

identify who the supplier was and when the supply was

made, (should that ever be necessary) which the Software

Asset Manager will be responsible for maintaining.

Carry out basic checks to make sure the

software is legitimate

● Software packages should typically contain a licence document

with a serial number, a registration card and a manual.

● If you are buying multiple copies of software for use on

a number of computers, (e.g. through a Volume Licensing

Programme such as Open or Select) you will only receive

one licence document.

● Pre-installed software supplied with computers may only

have an electronic manual.

Check the packaging

● Poor quality labels, photocopied manuals and the like

are often signs of pirated software.

NB. Please see information on Microsoft Product

Identification Service in the Anti-Piracy section on page 73.

● Obtain original licences and receipts for each purchase.

32 Implementing Procedures 33

Disposal of software

What happens to the old copies of software that have been

upgraded or are no longer used?

Retire obsolete workstations

The software inventory process will let you identify and retire

workstations and the accompanying software that are no

longer in use. You should note that Microsoft software

acquired with the purchase of a new machine (also known as

"OEM software") is not transferable to new or other

workstations and must be retired along with the PC.

However software purchased through Microsoft retail (full

package product) and Volume Licence programmes can be

re-deployed to other PCs, which can provide your business

with additional savings.

Transfer of licences

If an organisation being acquired or divested has been part

of a larger organisation, it is possible that its software

licenses have been ordered and are owned by an affiliate,

which is not part of the divesture. In this situation, licences

do not transfer automatically, but must be formally

transferred. You must read your own agreement for details,

but the following are general principles:

● Physical licences

Physical evidence of licences must be transferred where

this exists (refer to the Licensing Section on page 63 for

more details).

● Electronic licences

Where licences are electronic only (eg Microsoft Open or

Select) then a notification procedure should be followed,

in accordance with the terms of your relevant licence

agreement.

● Change of ownership

Change of ownership and responsibilities must be

evidenced in writing. Where licences have been registered

to a specific named organisation, we recommend that the

change of ownership document is stored safely.

Technical

Ensure the software being requested is on the company's list

of supported software.

Standardise software

If you discover that employees are using out of date or

various versions of software programs, this may be a good

time to look at standardising the software usage through

upgrading existing licences. This can often lead to greater

productivity, as all employees are standardised on the same

version of software, thus reducing file share or transfer

issues promoting greater employee efficiency.

34 Implementing Procedures 35

Managing &MaintainingRecords

36

Review procedures

It is usual to find that software acquisition is not co-ordinated

well between one department and the next. In such a case,

centralising the software acquisition function could lower

costs by allowing you to take advantage of Volume Licensing

options. Further, those businesses who centralise their

software acquisition tend to:

1. exhibit greater compliance with licence terms and

conditions.

2. generate cost savings by purchasing the correct type of

licence - as it is generally known what existing licences

are on hand and whether these licences can be upgraded

or not.

3. more readily align the software IT budget with actual

spending against that budget, which can lead to more

efficient resource allocation.

All of the above points in this section should be addressed in

your companies procedure for Software Asset Management to

ensure consistency, to aid in the record keeping process and

to generate cost savings for your business.

The software register

A software register is the simplest way of keeping tabs on the

software you are using, helping you to control purchases and

upgrades and pre-empt potential licence problems.

Create an inventory of all the software

you use

● Record the product name, version number and serial

number for every software program loaded on every

computer.

● Note down the same details for software you have not yet

installed.

● If you own licences which allow you to use multiple copies

of a piece of software, record how many copies are

installed, and on which computers.

Records

Principal Inventory Databases

InstalledSoftwareInventory

HardwareInventory

LicenseInventory

● Include details of any software pre-installed on computers

you have bought.

Keep all the information in a secure software register.

You may want to design your own software register or consider

using an off-the-shelf product. Many solutions are available

with a range of functionalities from simple inventories which

must be updated manually to more sophisticated inventories

which are updated automatically by software scanning tools.

A list of some of today’s most popular Software Inventory and

Asset Management Tools can be found at


N.B. This is not a Microsoft endorsement of any particular tool.

If you are in the process of selecting a tool, we recommend you

extend your search beyond what is listed on this website.

Store original software and documentation

securely

● This should include original software CDs or floppy disks,

and any manuals, Certificates Of Authenticity (COA), licence

documents and invoice details. If you cannot find all the

relevant information, you may want to contact the software

publisher to check that your software is legitimate.

● File manuals and documentation properly so you can find

them easily.

38 Maintaining Records 39

Hardware register

● Locate the exact number of workstations deployed in your

organisation.

● Know the quality, type and function of hardware.

● Create a Hardware Asset Register where all stations and

servers are logged.

As with the software register you may wish to consider off-

the-shelf solutions. The more complex solutions will combine

software and hardware registers with automated software

scanning capabilities. Such tools can often deliver benefits

outside of Software Asset Management, such as the ability to

remotely take control of PCs for helpdesk support.




N.B. This is not a Microsoft endorsement of any particular

tool. If you are in the process of selecting a tool, we

recommend you extend your search beyond what is listed on

this website.

40

Licence register

Locate licences or other proof of purchase documentation and

summarise the number of total licences owned. Proof of licence

purchase may exist in a number of forms depending on the type of

licence you have acquired.

Please refer to the Guide to Licensing section on page 63 for

information and examples of Microsoft licence proof of purchase.

Good Software Asset Management provides good Software Licence

Management as an inexpensive by-product. It provides benefits

which are greater than the associated costs. For example, Software

Asset Management addresses the areas of help-desk support,

version control, and deployment planning which allows an

organisation to respond quickly to changing business requirements

and opportunities.

With Volume Licensing programmes, e.g. Open or Select, licence

confirmations from Microsoft, either hard copy or electronic, are the

only legal evidence that a licence is owned. The certificate sent by

some re-sellers as a ‘proof of purchase’ is not proof a licence is

owned. It is the responsibility of the end-user organisation to check

that they have received the appropriate Microsoft License

Confirmations.

Microsoft Enterprise Agreements do not eliminate the need for

Software Licence Management. They just simplify the process and

reduce the volume of work required for the software products

covered. Proper systems and procedures are still required for these

reduced requirements. Furthermore, standard Software Licence

Management requirements will continue to exist for all software

not covered by Enterprise Agreements.

Maintaining Records 41

OngoingManagementand Review

ReviewOngoing management

Effective Software Asset Management is a continual process.

You need to monitor adherence to your organisations

software policy, and perform periodic reviews of the software,

hardware and license registers to ensure they remain

accurate. It makes sense to have someone within your

company responsible for these review processes.

Review of procedures

The procedures you have designed for good Software Asset

Management are there to protect against the risks mentioned

earlier in this guide. It is therefore a good idea to review the

procedures from time to time to ensure that they still address

the risks appropriately. For example, a company may wish to

change its Software Asset Management procedures if there

has been a development in technology which will help in

reducing the administrative effort for a particular process.

It is also appropriate to perform reviews to ensure that

the processes which have been defined are actually

being followed.

Review of registers

Unfortunately, it is a fact of life that records become

inaccurate over time. It is therefore important to perform

periodic checks on sample workstations to ensure that

unapproved software has not been installed. As with

hardware and software, license registers should periodically

be reviewed to ensure all purchases have been included and

all important license documentation can still be found.

If your organisation has an audit function, this is probably

the best group to perform the review of procedures and

determine the accuracy of the registers.

We recommend that you carry out such a review once a year

at the very minimum.

44 Ongoing Management and Review 45

Tools and Resources

“Many Software AssetManagement resources andsupport services are available.”

Software ManagementTools

Software Inventory and Asset

Management Tools

There are many Software Inventory and Asset Management

Tools available on the market. Software Inventory Tools

primarily inventory the software installed on PCs, while

Software Asset Management Tools are designed to help

you manage your network of computers and the associated

software.




This information can also be found on the enclosed Software

Asset Management CD.

N.B. This is not a Microsoft endorsement of any particular

tool. If you are in the process of selecting a tool, we

recommend you extend your search beyond what is listed on

this website.

However there is a Software Asset Management CD enclosed,

which enables you to conduct a review of the Microsoft

software that is installed in your business.

This CD carries out its review remotely on your systems and servers and does

not transmit any information outside your business.

Tools and Resources 49

This folder is just one element of

Microsoft’s campaign to help customers

understand how to manage software

in their business and to ensure their

licensing is fully compliant.

50

Microsoft Software Inventory Analyzer

The Microsoft Software Inventory Analyzer (MSIA)* is a free

tool designed to help businesses conduct an inventory of

their key Microsoft software programs.

It's easy to use, lets you perform the inventory yourself, and

works whether you have a single computer or are part of a

networked environment. After running the tool, a summary

report of Microsoft Product Installations will be generated

which will allow you to enter corresponding license purchase

information for a complete analysis of your companies license

compliance status. It takes only a few minutes, it's easy to do

and totally confidential.

*Internet connection required.

Reports

MSIA generates a summary report of the core Microsoft

software products it discovers on your machines and provides

a table for you to add licence information so you can quickly

and easily determine if your software is correctly licensed.

Language Support

The MSIA tool and interface are both written in English,

however, MSIA does identify international language products.

Systems Requirements

You can run the Microsoft Software Inventory Analyzer on any

computer with the following characteristics:

● An Intel 486 or greater processor, 25 MHz or faster

● At least 2 MB of free hard-disk space to run Setup

● Microsoft Windows® 95 or higher operating system

Note that if you are attempting to inventory a network of PCs

which utilize Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows

Millennium operating systems, there are a few initial

procedures necessary for the scan to work.

Feedback and Support

We want to hear from you! To submit questions or feedback

about the Microsoft Software Inventory Analyzer, send us an

email to: [email protected]


52

Microsoft Software Inventory Analyzer

Step-by-Step Guide

Each step of the MSIA program has been documented here

to help answer any questions you may have as you run

through the MSIA Wizard. The MSIA is enclosed on the CD at

the back of this folder.

1. The Welcome Screen

The welcome screen

briefly states the purpose

of the tool.

2. Local or Network Scan

MSIA provides the option of

scanning either the local

machine or the Microsoft

Windows Network. Sample

screen is shown.

If you select "Network" as

the mode of scan; the screen

will appear as shown.

If you chose "Network" scan mode, you must have

administration rights over the network you chose to scan.

MSIA will use the “user name” and “password” used to log on

to the current machine as the default setting. If you do not

have such rights and

would like to log in under

a different name click

"Login As" button which

appears as follows:

3. Machine Selection

This screen displays the

entire network in a tree

view, and appears only if

the "Network scan" mode

option was selected.

Selecting a domain will select all the machines in the domain

along with child domain's machines, if any.

Please note that you need to select a minimum of one

machine for scanning.


54

4. Download Updated

Data Files

Using this screen, you can

download the latest version

of data files from Microsoft's

Web site.

This step is necessary only if you are running the product

from a CD or disk, as the database of Microsoft Products may

have been updated since the CD or disk was produced.

If you are downloading MSIA from the Web site at

http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/msia the database will

be current and there is no need to download updated files.

To download the latest version of the data files, click the

"Download..." button.

Please note that you need to have Internet connection for this

operation to be successful.

5. Product Selection

Using this screen, you can

specify the products you wish

to scan for.

Please note that you need to

select a minimum of one

product to scan for.

6. Report Formats

Using this screen you can

specify the report formats in

which you wish to view the

results of the scan.

You can have the report

generated in one of the following three formats:

● HTML

● Excel

● Text

You can specify the path for storing the reports in the Select

a directory for reports text box.

Please note that the applications required for generating and

viewing reports need to be present in your machine. For

instance, Microsoft Excel 97 or above should be installed in

the machine to generate and view reports in Excel format.

7. Confirm Settings

Use this screen to verify the

settings for the scan.

Clicking the Scan button will

initiate the scanning process.


56

8. Scanning

This screen displays the

approximate percentage of

progress with regards to the

scanning process.

If "Local Machine" scan

mode was chosen, the progress bar graphically indicates the

amount of progress. The text below the progress bar denotes

the folder being scanned.

If "Network" scan mode was

chosen, the text below the

progress bar indicates the

number of machines

scanned and the total

number of machines yet to

scan. The progress bar will

graphically indicate the same.

9. Completing the MSIA Wizard

This screen appears at the end of the scanning process.

If the View reports now check box is selected, the chosen

reports will be displayed after clicking the Finish button.

At this time you may hit the "license" button which will allow

you to enter information regarding your companies inventory,

which should correspond to the software programs installed.

If there is a discrepancy you need to purchase appropriate

licences to cover the shortfall. Please refer to the Guide to

Licensing Section on page 63.

Please note that the settings

you selected using the wizard

will not be saved if you do

not click the Finish button.

Back and Cancel buttons

are disabled in this screen.


58

Want to know more about Software Asset

Management?

Check out our website on

http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/samguide/default.asp

or alternatively refer to the Software Asset Management CD

at the back of this guide.

Unsure about the legitimacy of the

software you've purchased?

Microsoft's Product Identification Service can tell you within

two working days if the software you have brought is genuine

or not. We do not charge customers for this service. Call our

hotline 0800 013 2222 for more details about this service or

alternatively visit

http://www.microsoft.com/uk/piracy/productid.htm

See the Anti-Piracy section at the back of this folder for more

details on the Microsoft Product Identification Service.

Unsure how to license your business?

Check out the details on all Microsoft licensing programmes

that could provide your business significant volume discounts

on Microsoft software. Visit our web site at

http://www.microsoft.com/uk/licensing or call

0870 60 60 600 for out list of channel partners who can

advise you on all your volume licensing options.

Quick reference guide

For further information on all the topics discussed in this

folder check out these reference points.

Websites

Software Asset Management Guidehttp://www.microsoft.com/piracy/samguide/default.asp

Product Identification Servicehttp://www.microsoft.com/uk/piracy/productid.htm

Anti piracyhttp://www.microsoft.com/uk/piracy

Licensinghttp://www.microsoft.com/uk/licensing

Microsoft Help Lines

Licensing 0870 60 60 600Product Identification Service 0800 013 2222Anti-Piracy helpline 0800 013 2222


A Guide to Licensingand Anti-Piracy

“Many people are unaware that 1 in 4 software packages is usedillegally by UK businesses – thatis without a proper licence.”

A Guide to Licensing 63

Microsoft LicensingWhat to look forThe information on this and the following pages changes from

time to time. Please check

http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/htt/ for the most

up-to-date information.

Pre-installed Software On new PCs

(OEM Software)

When you purchase a new PC,

it should be pre-installed with

an operating system, such as Microsoft® Windows®.

To ensure you are getting genuine Microsoft software with your

PC purchase, you should first look for the Certificate of

Authenticity (COA) label affixed to your new PC.

The COA assists you in determining whether your Microsoft

software and components are genuine. The COA has a

holographic strip that reveals the words “Microsoft” and

“Genuine”. The product name and a unique product key are in

the centre of the label and the “How to Tell” URL appears at the

bottom of the label. COA labels are not designed to be removed.

In addition to the COA label, you may also receive an OEM

Product CD. The CD or DVD will be clearly marked with either

the PC manufacturer ’s brand or an edge-to-edge CD hologram.

(Please refer to the “Retail Product” Section of this guide for

more information on the edge-to-edge CD).

Microsoft has many licensing

programmes to meet the differing needs

of customers.

The programme and product specifics can

vary greatly. The information contained in

this section will help you determine the

right licensing programme for your needs.

Additionally, you will learn what anti-

counterfeiting features you should look

for when purchasing specific products as

well as the documentation you need to

retain to verify licence compliance.

See Microsoft ’s “How to Tell” website at:

http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/htt/ for detailed

information on Windows operating system security features.

In order to establish license ownership, you should retain the

end user license agreement (EULA), which is the agreement

between the PC manufacturer and the end user, the

Certificate of Authenticity, media, manuals (if applicable) and

your purchase invoice and receipt.

PCs may also come pre-installed with application software

such as Microsoft Office.

To ensure you are getting genuine Microsoft application

software, look for the Certificate of Authenticity (COA).

The COA is not required to be affixed to the PC chassis and

can be found on the product CD wallet, the product manual

and/or the product jewel case.

Certain pre-installed Microsoft applications such as Microsoft

Office XP incorporate the edge-to-edge CD hologram as

described on the previous page.

In order to establish licence

ownership, you should retain the end

user license agreement (EULA)*,

the Certificate of Authenticity, and

your purchase invoice and receipt.

*N.B. The EULA may be online

within the software product.

Retail Product

Sold in single-unit quantities at retail

outlets and by Microsoft re-sellers,

Retail Product is packaged in boxes as

shown and typically includes media

and documentation. Ideal for low-

volume software needs, such as

companies with fewer than five PCs.

To assist in determining if you have a genuine Microsoft

product, look for the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) label on

the box top. The heat-sensitive green dot changes colour from

green to yellow when lightly rubbed.

The document that serves as your proof of licence is the

End User License Agreement (EULA), which may be enclosed

in hard copy form or online within the software product. To

establish licence ownership you should retain the hard copy

EULA (if enclosed) as well as a copy of your purchase invoice.

Microsoft ’s family of Windows and Office CD-ROM retail

products feature edge-to-edge hologram technology.

64 A Guide to Licensing 65

You should be looking for these special CDs to confirm

that the retail products you’ve purchased are genuine. The

hologram covers the entire surface of the CD and when tilted

in the light, the product name and product-specific graphics

are revealed from the hub to the outer edge of the CD.

The hologram is produced on the CD. It is not a sticker.

Open Licence 6.0

Best for customers needing

as few as five licences,

Open Licence is a great way

to save on genuine Microsoft

products. Under Open Licence, you

determine the number of software products you wish to

licence, place an order with a participating Microsoft reseller,

and obtain the licences you need. You may then install the

software by ordering media directly from Microsoft.

Microsoft Open Licence 6.0 offers you two great ways to save

on Microsoft products:

Open Business allows customers to save on estimated retail

prices by placing an initial order for five or more licences.

With Open Business, customers can combine any set of

Microsoft products to qualify for the five licence minimum.

Open Volume potentially saves you even more if your

organisation is able to make a larger initial up-front order in

one or more product pools (applications, systems, servers).

Your proof of licence is posted on a secure site on the

Internet at https://eopen.microsoft.com

Log on using your Microsoft Passport ID and your unique

Open Licence Authorisation number(s) to verify the number of

licences purchased.

The terms of your licence, such as licence grants, conditions,

etc. are in the Open Licence agreement, which is also

available on the eOpen website. Visit

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/programs/open/

default.asp for more information on Open Licence.

N.B. Full versions of Microsoft Operating Systems are not

available via Microsoft’s Volume Licensing Programs — only

operating system upgrades. You must acquire full version

operating system products via the OEM or retail channel.

Select Licence 6.0

Best for customers with 250

or more PCs and mixed

Microsoft product

requirements, the Microsoft

Select Licence is available through Microsoft authorised

Large Account Re-sellers (LARs).

66

Select


Under the Select Licence, customers receive volume

discounts based on a three-year forecast of products

required. There are three product “pools” (applications,

systems, and servers) available for forecast under Select

Licence, and point values associated with each product

within the pool. Visit

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/programs/sel for

more information on Select Licensing.

After you have signed your Select Agreement, you will receive

a Welcome Kit from Microsoft. This kit will contain Microsoft

software CDs, based on the product pools you have selected.

On a monthly basis, you are required to submit to your Large

Account Reseller (LAR) an order for the number of units of

Microsoft software you have installed during the past month.

Your LAR will invoice you and pass the order on to Microsoft.

Microsoft Volume Licensing Services online offers secure

personalised access to details about your Select Licence,

including order confirmations, which serve as a portion of

your proof of licence. Once your agreement is in place, you

can track purchase information and agreement status at

http://www.licensing.microsoft.com

Please refer to your Select Agreement for further details on

complete proof of licence requirements. Your signed Select

Agreement and Product Use Rights will contain the terms of

use applicable to these products. You should retain these

documents which define your rights and obligations under

the agreement.


available via Microsoft ’s Volume Licensing Programmes —

only operating system upgrades. You must acquire full

version operating system products via the OEM or retail

channel.

Enterprise

Agreement 6.0

The Enterprise Agreement

is designed for customers with 250 or more PCs who want

to standardise on certain Microsoft products and have the

ability to centrally purchase and track software. The

Enterprise Agreement is available through Microsoft

authorised Large Account Re-sellers (LARs), or Enterprise

Software Advisors (ESAs).

Enterprise Agreement customers choose to standardise their

selection of Microsoft products for the three-year term of their

Enterprise Agreement. The price is based upon the number of

qualified desktops within a defined enterprise and is divided

into three equal annual payments. During the term of an

Enterprise Agreement, you are permitted to run the chosen

Microsoft products on all desktops, including those added

after signing the agreement, subject to an annual “True Up”

requirement.

An Enterprise Subscription Agreement gives you the ability

to lease your software licences, while staying current on the

products over the term of the agreement. Under the

68

EnterpriseEEEAgreement


Enterprise Subscription Agreement, you do not own the

product licences, but rather the rights to use the software for

as long as you continue to maintain your Enterprise

Subscription Agreement. If at the time your Agreement

expires, you elect not to renew with either the one or three

year option, then you relinquish your rights to continue

running the software.

After you have signed your agreement, you will receive a

Welcome Kit directly from Microsoft. This kit will contain

Microsoft software CDs, based on the product pools you have

selected.

Microsoft Volume Licensing Services online offers secure,

personalised access to details about your Enterprise

Agreement Licences, including order confirmations, which

serve as part of your proof of licence. Once your agreement is

in place, you can track purchase information and agreement

status at http://www.licensing.microsoft.com. Please refer

to your Enterprise Agreement for further details on complete

proof of licence requirements.

Your signed Enterprise Agreement and Product Use Rights will

contain the terms of use applicable to these products. You

should retain these documents which define your rights and

obligations under the agreement. Visit

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/programs/ent for

more information.


available via Microsoft’s Volume Licensing Programmes —

only operating system upgrades. You must acquire full

version operating system products via the OEM or retail

channel.

Academic and Government Product

Special Academic and Government pricing is available to

qualified entities under numerous Microsoft Licensing

Programmes.

Academic Programs

Retail Academic Product. Sold in single-unit quantities by

Microsoft authorised education re-sellers, Retail Academic

Product is packaged in boxes as shown and may only be

purchased by customers who meet Microsoft’s qualifications

for academic pricing.

70 A Guide to Licensing 71

Academic Volume Licensing Programs. Academic product is

also available via Microsoft’s Volume Licensing Programmes

such as Academic Open Licence, Academic Select Licence

Agreement, Campus Agreement and School Agreement.

Visit http://www.microsoft.com/education/licence for

additional details on Academic licensing options, and

http://www.microsoft.com/education/licence/eligible.asp

for academic eligibility requirements.

Government OpenLicence Programme

Special government pricing

is available via the Government Open Licence Programme.

This volume licensing option is available to eligible small and

medium sized governmental entities and is ideal for those

who need to purchase smaller quantities of licences and

need a simple and flexible model. Visit

http://www.microsoft.com/business/licensing/government

for additional information on the Government Open

Licence Program.

N.B. Proof of licence requirements for academic and

government product are identical to that of commercial

entities; however, you must first ensure you are eligible as

an Academic or Governmental entity.

Anti-PiracyGuide

What is software piracy?

Software piracy is the term for any type of software theft.

It can take many forms and happens for many different

reasons, whether intentional or through lack of awareness:

1. End user copying/Casual copying

Simple, unlicenced software copying by individuals or

businesses. Alternatively, in the case if volume licensees, it

can mean under-reporting the number of installed copies of

software.

2. Hard-disk loading

Practiced by dishonest OEM system builders who sell PCs

with unlicenced software pre-installed. The System Builders

use one copy of a program to install illegal copies on multiple

machines. Original disks and documentation that should

come with the PC are often missing or incomplete and in

many cases, where they are supplied, they are counterfeits.

3. Counterfeiting

This is when software and sometimes its packaging is

illegally reproduced to look like the “real thing” and is then

sold on (often to unsuspecting re-sellers or customers) as

the real thing.

72 A Guide to Anti-Piracy 73

4. Mischanneling

Software distributed under special licences that are then

redistributed to others who do not qualify for these licences.

For example, the sale of academic licences to a small

business.

5. Fake Licensing

Loose EULAs (End User Licence Agreements) sold on their

own as ‘licences’. However these are, in fact, worthless

pieces of paper and illegal when sold on their own.

6. Internet Piracy

During the past few years, the sale of counterfeit software to

unsuspecting consumers through Internet businesses and

auction sites has multiplied and become a challenging

problem for consumers, legitimate Internet businesses and

the software industry. We would strongly recommend that

when buying on-line you check the following:

● a geographical address and phone number

● a clear returns policy

7. Grey Market

This is the sale of genuine software that has been illegally

imported from outside the European Union and EFTA without

the consent of the software producer. The unauthorised

importation and sale of such software is in itself illegal.

However, in the majority of cases of so called “grey imports”

counterfeits have been sold under the guise of “grey market”

product.

Be very clear, the overwhelming majority of this software is

infringing because it is not only supposedly “grey market”

(which is illegal) there is nothing genuine about it – it is

counterfeit.

Quick Reference Guide

For more information regarding software licensing and anti-

counterfeiting features, check out these quick references:

Information on Licensing Options:

http://www.microsoft.com/uk/licensing

Microsoft Anti-Piracy Hotline:

0800 013 2222

Microsoft Anti-Piracy Web Site:

http://www.microsoft.com/uk/piracy

Information on Identification of Genuine Microsoft Software:

http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/htt/

74 A Guide to Anti-Piracy 75

Microsoft ProductIdentification To protect our customers and reduce the negative impact of

piracy Microsoft has launched a free of charge Product

Identification initiative.

How it works

If you have been offered or have just bought software* that

you think may not be legal, send it in to our Product

Identification Team who will examine the product and contact

you to confirm whether it is legal or not within two working

days.

In some cases, the team may have to contact Microsoft

Corporation in the USA for a definitive opinion. In such cases

you will be contacted within two working days to let you know

what is happening.

* This service is not available for assessments of gold or recordable cd-roms

and other very poor quality copies of Microsoft software which have been

purchased at car boot fairs, computer fairs or at auctions (either in person

or over the Internet) and the like.

In order to qualify for this service you

must send us:

1. the product you have been supplied with

2. a signed and fully completed Statement of Witness which

you can either download from

http://www.microsoft.com/uk/piracy/productid.htm

or call the Microsoft Anti-Piracy Hotline 0800 013 2222

(freephone) to have a blank Statement of Witness faxed

or sent to you

3. the original invoice or purchase receipt from your supplier

Sending in your product

We recommend that you send the product, original receipt

and Statement of Witness via Registered Post for added

security.

Mailing address:

Microsoft Product ID Team,

PO Box 4925,

Earley,

RG6 1XG.

76 Product Identification Service 77

©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, the Microsoft logo and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of

Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are held by their respective companies.

Personal Informationand Notes

Software Asset Management

a guide to software asset management -...

Documents