Effective Asset Management Saves Billions

BSA Audit Campaigns Increase Pressure on IT Leaders to Implement Comprehensive IT Asset Management Programs

According to the global software piracy study conducted by International Data Corporation (IDC), in 2003, 36 percent of installed software worldwide was pirated, which accounts to $29 billion in lost revenue . In the U.S. alone, 22 percent of the nation's software is unlicensed, resulting in piracy losses of more than $6.5 billion . Such findings have the BSA aggressively tracking down unlicensed software and instigating audits. Gartner Research says that 40 percent of mid to large size businesses can expect compliance audits through the year 2006 . Agreeably, most businesses are ethical, but many do not understand the importance of implementing an effective system of checks and balances to ensure operations throughout the enterprise are both ethical and legal.

According to a survey by Ipsos Public Affairs, while 9 in 10 professionals believe software piracy is a risk no business can afford, 23 percent admitted to having unlicensed software . Unfortunately, many companies do not realize how employees compromise their corporate ethics and computer security by pirating software and thereby put the company at risk.

"Aggressive BSA audit campaigns and harsh penalties have instilled a sense of urgency among organizations to implement a comprehensive IT asset management program if one is not already in place." says Robert MacFarlane, CEO at Micro2000. "Implementing a comprehensive IT asset management program is essential in today's economic and regulatory environment"

Remote network management tools like RemoteScope, LANDesk, TrackIT! and ZenWorks help organizations clearly define their computing environment and transform the way they deploy and manage IT assets. Inventorying installed hardware and software across the network from a remote location eliminates the need for physical access to the system. A network administrator can instantly see the operating system, installed hardware and software, and various other data, depending on the product. Organizations using remote admin software have lowered their total cost of ownership and reduced the foot fatigue for network administrators, which allows them to focus on more strategic IT projects.

Additionally, IT professionals will have the continued responsibility to improve efficiencies and lower costs. But today's IT departments already have tight budgets with less time and manpower in which to achieve more. Gartner Research says that in 2007, of all new workstations purchased, 60 percent of them will be laptops or notebooks , which will greatly increase the difficulty of asset management.

Rather than simply spending less, the focus will be on spending smarter. The various asset management tools available incorporate many of the same features with small variations among them. Pricing will no doubt be the driving force behind IT purchases when selecting a remote admin tool.