Five steps to compliance: Avoiding the pitfalls of software licensing

Software maintenance in the United States will reach US$137 billion by 2010, a compound annual growth rate of nearly 10 percent, according to IDC. Today, many vendors including Adobe, Oracle, Microsoft and IBM, among others, are stepping up their efforts to identify noncompliance, making an audit a real possibility.

Aligning a company's IT needs with its business objectives is the first step to efficiently maintaining costs associated with software purchases and asset management. Even the most resourceful IT managers often lack the knowledge - or bandwidth - necessary to manage software licensing and compliance. However, many common mistakes when purchasing enterprise software can be avoided, which can lead to potential savings of up to 30 percent.

Read the full article