FAST Ltd Launches SOS Survival Guide for Software Audits

Published 3rd March 2010

•New online SOS Survival Guide offers guidance to organisations on tackling software compliance and software audits


Maidenhead, UK, 1st March 2010: FAST Ltd, a leading UK authority on Software Asset Management and IT Compliance, providing software, education, consulting and managed services, has just launched an SOS Survival Guide for Software Audits which in a series of easy-to-follow steps, offers a concise ‘how-to’ approach to tackling software compliance.

The Guide outlines the necessary steps for firms struggling to manage their software assets and who are at risk of – or are already facing – a software audit. It summarises what to do when you receive an audit letter, the importance of maintaining a paper trail, the effect of a merger or acquisition, how you should take the proactive route to managing your software assets, and it also provides some top tips for dealing with a software audit.

Matt Barnes, Operations Director at FAST Ltd said that in difficult times what organisations must get from their IT estate is predictability and reassurance, not unexpected, unbudgeted costs.

“Effective software asset management (SAM) and compliance become more pertinent as organisations attempt to get their costs in check in a recession. Research shows that around 60% of UK organisations are under-licensed and 40% are over-licensed - so whichever side of that equation you are on, when organisations are demanding certainty in expense control and want no nasty licensing surprises, effective SAM is the solution.

“With a 35 percent increase in vendor audits and one in four checks triggered by finger-pointing employees, companies’ finances, and their reputations are at risk. We developed the FAST SOS Survival Guide for Software Audits so companies can use it as a survival kit, by adopting its conclusions and keeping it handy, as they never know when they may need it.”

Julian Swan, Director of Compliance Marketing EMEA, at the Business Software Alliance added:
“We encourage all software users to implement software asset management (SAM) programs. A well implemented SAM program will let organisations of all sizes know what they have on their systems and can ensure they only install what they have licenses for.

“Auditing software assets should not be an activity that businesses only undertake when required. By managing their software on an ongoing basis, companies can not only make sure that they do not transgress the terms of their licenses, but also manage their software estate more efficiently and do not pay for licenses they do not need.”
To download a copy of the FAST SAM SOS Survival Guide for Software Audits visit FAST’s website: www.fast-compliance.co.uk
To find out more about FAST Ltd’s professional consultancy and managed services, visit FAST’s website: www.fast-compliance.co.uk or call 0844 815 5741.
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Notes to editors

About FAST Ltd:

FAST Ltd, part of IRIS, is the UK’s leading authority on Software Asset Management and IT Compliance, providing software, education, consulting and managed services. For over 24 years FAST Ltd has helped over 8,000 organisations control their IT costs, mitigate risk and deploy best practice IT using expert impartial and independent advice.

The FAST Compliance Programme focuses on helping organisations achieve ‘best practice’ in IT and software compliance. The business supports its 2,700 customers to reach and maintain The FAST Standard for Software Compliance (FSSC–1:2007), a private Standard which was developed in collaboration with BSi. The FAST Standard also addresses a significant proportion of the requirements of ISO/IEC 19770-1, the International Standard for Software Asset Management. The Federation Against Software Theft Investors in Software (FAST IiS), which aims to combat software piracy, endorses the Standard.

FAST IiS, which is a not for profit organisation limited by guarantee is owned and funded by its members – software publishers, solicitors, IT resellers etc. FAST Ltd has a mandate from FAST IiS to advise and help UK organisations on the issue of software compliance and promote the legal use of software and it is the only organisation that meets the FAST IiS’ mandate.



For further information:
Paula Elliott
C8 Consulting Ltd for FAST Ltd
+ 44 (0) 118 9001132
paula@c8consulting.co.uk