If a company has unlicensed software running in its system, a software trade association may force it to undergo a software audit–a time-consuming and costly process (read “Program Pirates“). Robert Weiss, a partner at Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg who specializes in information technology law, has some tips for creating a coherent software asset management program, so companies can avoid the frustrating experience:
“It’s easy to misunderstand the whole concept and think that you can achieve a good software asset management program just by installing some kind of tool that monitors software use in a company. But really, it’s more of a process and procedure than just a tool. A good one should involve a number of departments in a company.
