More and more companies are starting to outsource the auditing of their software use to an outside assessor.
According to George Smalberger, executive director at Vesta Technologies, it is necessary for companies to build a comprehensive IT inventory that includes information on the location, configuration and changes to network devices - such as PCs, servers, laptops, routers, switches and printers - enabling them to track the location of and amendments to these devices over time."
This is especially important since illegal software use has of late become more than a gentle tug at the average user`s conscience. Since the beginning of the year, software piracy scams totalling more than R15 million have been uncovered by the Commercial Crime Unit of the SA Police Service.
The Business Software Association (BSA) further reports that the theft rate of desktop application software is sitting at 48% locally. The annual retail value of these stolen copies is about R500 million, resulting in a daily R1.4 million loss to the IT industry, while it costs the government about R150 million a year in taxes.
Two big names in the IT field have also taken a strong stance against software piracy. Microsoft SA has announced that it is seeking signed declarations from businesses attesting to a "clean bill of health" regarding the use of Microsoft software. Accounting and payroll software developer, Pastel Software SA, has also started cracking down on the piracy of its products.
Smalberger says organisations have no choice but to uncover unauthorised software, such as games, and prohibited sound and image files. "Companies should also monitor employees` software usage," he says.
However, despite the best intentions of enterprises to come clean, both time and money considerations often prevent them from doing so.
"IT professionals may be able to roughly determine what software is set up on a PC with only a few minutes of work, for example most Microsoft Windows applications will have icons with explanatory text," says Smalberger. "But, how do you tell exactly what version of an application is installed?" he asks. "To find out, the program needs to be run or investigated - for a PC with 10 or more applications, this is no longer a simple task."
It is here that outsourcing becomes an attractive option. Smalberger maintains that a software audit will save both time and money for South African organisations. "An audit costs far less than being prosecuted for illegal usage of software," he explains. "Additionally, this process enables management to keep tighter control of desktop software, while making staff accountable at the desktop level for software compliance.
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