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Microsoft Licensing: Ensuring Compliance and Avoiding Pain Mark Cavaliero CEO [email protected]

Microsoft Licensing Audits

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Page 1: Microsoft Licensing Audits

Microsoft Licensing:Ensuring Compliance and Avoiding Pain

Mark Cavaliero

CEO

[email protected]

Page 2: Microsoft Licensing Audits

Let’s Look At:

•Why, what are my chances and what can happen?

•The types of audits•Planning and executing your strategy when audited

Page 3: Microsoft Licensing Audits

Why and What are My Chances?

• There’s increasing competition therefore a changing profit model for Windows

• Microsoft is increasing efforts to maximize revenue wherever possible

• Microsoft is auditing customers twice as frequently as other vendors.

•58% of executives surveyed said they have been

audited by Microsoft in the last 12 months.

Page 4: Microsoft Licensing Audits

And the “Nail your boss”

program certainly works!”

Page 5: Microsoft Licensing Audits

What Can Happen?

• Criminal Penalties – Fines for both individuals (up to $93,500), and

corporations (up to $467,500) and up to five years imprisonment.

• Civil Penalties – Damages of an unlimited amount

• Costs can also include the recovery of the

software vendor’s attorneys’ fees.

Page 6: Microsoft Licensing Audits

What Else Can Happen? You Incur:• The costs of purchasing current software

• The cost of purchasing for previous years

• Penalties

• Your legal fees

• Recovery of the software vendor’s attorneys’ fees

• Damage to your brand reputation

• Disruption of the normal flow of business efforts

Page 7: Microsoft Licensing Audits

The Two Types of Audits1. The “Microsoft Software Asset Management Review” (aka self-

audit)

• Authorized by the EULA

• Microsoft then evaluates what you report, and investigates anything that appears inaccurate.

• If you have any shortfalls, you must either true-up (purchase licenses) or prove you own the licenses in dispute

Page 8: Microsoft Licensing Audits

The Two Types of Audits

2. Business Software Alliance (BSA) Audit• Some indication of intentional software piracy• Much more formal• Much more dangerous

https://reporting.bsa.org/r/report/add.aspx?src=us&ln=en-us

Page 9: Microsoft Licensing Audits

Planning Your Strategy

• Think of it like an IRS audit

• You can’t opt out

• It must MATCH all the way around!

• Software Asset Management (SAM) is a continual effort

Page 10: Microsoft Licensing Audits

• Pay attention to deadlines, don’t wait until the last minute

• An audit will take many hours of someone’s time

• The data you provide will be examined in detail

• Dell systems now ship with the COA embedded, universal keys used for install don’t work for reporting

• Ask for an extension if you need it

Planning Your Strategy

Page 11: Microsoft Licensing Audits

Best Practices

Establish purchasing standards

Implement some type of Software Asset Management tool

Active and continual allocation, de-allocation, and re-allocation of

software assets

Executive buy-in and enforcement of

asset management policies

Page 12: Microsoft Licensing Audits

Eight Takeaways

• You will get audited

• Don’t use OEM licenses

• Use Volume licensing or Office 365 Licensing

• Formally designate policies and someone to handle licensing

• Conduct regular reviews

• Use an inventory/discovery tool on your network

• SPLA licensing shifts to burden to your service provider

• We can help!

Page 13: Microsoft Licensing Audits

Helpful Links

• Microsoft License Advisor - http://mla.microsoft.com/default.aspx

• Microsoft Software Inventory Analyzer http://www.microsoft.com/sam/en/ca/msia.aspx

• Microsoft Software Asset Management: http://www.microsoft.com/sam

• Free Microsoft “MAP” tool www.microsoft.com/map

• Download the Microsoft Volume Licensing Reference Guide

• How to use the Microsoft Volume Licensing Center

• Microsoft Licensing Blog: http://blogs.technet.com/b/volume-licensing/

• Software Assurance Information

• http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/software-assurance/default.aspx

[email protected]