First Technology has established a specialist division to help SA corporates navigate the `minefield` of software licensing.
The new division is geared to provide expert information on the wide range of software solutions currently available, and how to license them most effectively.
Helena Ventura, who heads First Technology`s software division in the Cape, says SA has a torrid history of software licensing violations.
"There`s a perception among users that they don`t have to pay for software usage in the first place. But as Business South Africa`s anti-piracy campaign gains momentum, many local end-users and corporates could find themselves on the receiving end of hefty fines.
"The establishment of the new division will help make the transition from illegal to legal software simple and painless," she says.
Ventura believes many organisations shy away from licensing because of the complicated language in which many licensing contracts are couched.
Another issue for many companies, particularly those in the SME (small and medium enterprise) sector, is the cost of comprehensive software solutions - and the way this is often compounded by the additional, sometimes hefty, licensing costs.
"Our job is the assist end-users make the most of their budgets while enabling them to obtain the solution they need - without resorting to illegal business practices," she concludes.
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First Technology is one of SA`s largest independent IT solutions providers, offering customers solutions and services that maximise business productivity, reduce the risk associated with deploying new technologies and minimise the total cost of IT ownership. The company has fully-fledged branches in every major business node across SA and maintains one of the largest teams of highly skilled technical personnel in the country.
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