Software audits are big business. Publishing giant Oracle is estimated to make $3 billion yearly from audits, six percent of its total revenue. Everyone gets audited. But there are ways you can be prepared and avoid paying more – protecting your revenue, reputation, and resources.

It’s Always Audit Season

With the challenges and stressors you face today as an IT leader, the status of your software licenses is likely not top of mind. However, license compliance is a critical part of your IT and business success as audits can cost enterprises significant time, money, and resources.

Successful enterprises are increasingly reliant on software for smooth operations. To be in compliance, users of licensed software are required to adhere to the terms and conditions outlined by the copyright holder. Software non-compliance stems from a number of different issues. This can include anything from activating features outside the original contract to non-compliance due to changing product use rights.

We have observed that audits tend to rise for software vendors during their fiscal Q4s. VMWare ends their fiscal year in January, while Adobe has its Q4 in November, for example. Since it’s nearly always Q4 for one of the major publishers, you need to be prepared for audits year-round.

Why is Compliance So Important?

It’s essential that your IT infrastructure is compliant with current licensing requirements to minimize risk of fees, litigation, and impacts to employee productivity. Not only does compliance protect your revenue streams and reputation — it’s a fundamental pillar of your IT Asset Management (ITAM).

Non-compliance can get incredibly expensive. A 2022 study by Unisphere Research found that 64% of recently audited enterprises faced additional charges. More than a third had to pay more than $100,000 while the top end incurred more than $1 million in fees. Additionally, many enterprises incur additional costs by choosing to over-license to prevent audits.

Audits also take a lot of time and resources to handle. Software audits can take up to three months, with more complex situations lasting over a year. These are labor-intensive undertakings, often involving multiple employees, with 40% of audited companies requiring the CIO’s involvement, found the same Unisphere study.

How to Prepare for and Handle Software Audits

Here’s how we recommend that you get and stay ready for audits.

Get Clear on Your Current State

Gaining control of your IT environment is key to setting yourself up for success. Implement a software asset management (SAM) tool as the single source of truth for your organization to stay audit prepared. A SAM platform, such as Block 64, gives you full visibility and control of your software environment, allowing for proper discovery and inventory.

It’s also good to know what red flags may trigger an audit from a vendor, which can include:

• Having a complex or international IT infrastructure
• Significant decreases in spend on a specific application
• Software use or spend that doesn’t match company growth
• Complex profiles or multiple licenses from one vendor
• Frequent mergers and acquisitions

Be Proactive and Take Action

Preparing for audits requires you to be proactive and take action when needed. Define a software licensing policy to guide how software is used in your organization and educate employees on compliance. Make sure to record and track all licenses purchased by the organization, including assigning licenses to specific users.

Regularly audit software to make sure use matches license records. The complexity of your environment will determine how often you should conduct internal SAM reviews. In doing so, identify gaps and remove unneeded licenses.

Stay Friendly – But Be Smart

If you receive an email or call from a software vendor about an audit, don’t panic. But don’t respond before first reaching out to your SAM partner, if you have one.

According to Gartner research, enterprises may receive letters alluding to a mandatory software audit, but their enforceability can be lacking, with businesses unnecessarily complying with undertaking an audit. There have also been inaccuracies seen in data records, with issues such as incorrect deployment and access data seen by Gartner.

Many audits start informally, but communicating directly with the vendor can increase the risk of triggering a full audit and proposed settlement costs.

Leverage Negotiating Power of Partners

ITAM partners have relationships with software publishers which includes negotiation power. Work with partners to ensure that all licenses are compliant and up to date. And use a SAM expert to speak on your behalf when negotiating audit and settlements terms.

Staying Compliant with Block 64

It’s no longer an option to stay in the dark about your ITAM and software compliance. With Block 64, you get clear visibility into your IT environments with a centralized database and automated inventory assessments. Our platform allows you to accurately assess software usage and ensure compliance with license terms.

Contact Block 64 for a free consultation or demonstration to understand how we can effectively manage compliance for you.

The post It’s always software audit season… Here’s what you need to know first appeared on Block 64.

What is Block 64’s API

The Block 64 API exports IT inventory and usage data to your existing CMDBs or IT management tools, such as ServiceNow. This integration creates a seamless workflow and eliminates the need to manage insights across different platforms.

Block 64’s API addresses common challenges many of our clients face. In particular, it puts an end to the siloing of critical data and the obstacles to taking action on the insights we help you surface with our ITAM reporting platform.

In today’s fast-paced environment, having immediate access to comprehensive data within your existing ecosystem is not just an advantage; it’s a necessity. The Block 64 API helps bridge this gap, offering a direct line of communication between our IT inventory and reporting resources and your day-to-day management tools.

Integrate Block 64 data with your existing applications

The API lets you use Block 64 as your single source of asset data. Our open and well documented API makes it easy to connect to your existing CMDB, or to any other system or business processes that would benefit from quality IT asset data.

For example, with our API, data regarding necessary patches can automatically populate in your patch management tool, streamlining the process and ensuring that your systems are always up to date with the latest security measures. This not only saves valuable time but also enhances your system’s security posture by ensuring that vulnerabilities are addressed promptly.

We invite you to explore the benefits of integrating the Block 64 API into your workflow. For more information and to get started. Request a demo, or visit our API support page. Embrace the future of data management and take the first step towards a more integrated, efficient, and secure system today.

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But that popularity is now waning, as the demands of IT organizations evolve. Unsupported tools such as MAP Toolkit are not able to provide the insights and dependability needed to migrate to the cloud or drive IT modernization.

What is MAP Toolkit?

The MAP Toolkit is a free utility that allows IT professionals to inventory devices, software, users, and infrastructure without the need for installed agents. It is an agentless, automated, multi-product planning and assessment tool for desktop, server and cloud migrations. MAP provides readiness assessment reports with detailed hardware and software information, and recommendations to help organizations accelerate their IT infrastructure planning process, and gather more detail on assets that reside within their current environment.

Set up is straight forward. A server isn’t required, and the wizard-based install means that potentially any end-user with the right credentials to scan their network could have it up and running in less than an hour.

The end of MAP Toolkit support and development

In July 2019, Microsoft announced to their Partner Network that MAP will receive no further updates. At the time, they recommended that partners and end users use alternatives to conduct the following assessments and services:

• Server assessment and migration from on-premises to Azure
• Database assessment and migration from on-premises to Azure
• Web application migration from on-premises to Azure
• Migration of on-premises Windows VDI estates to Windows Virtual Desktop in Azure

As time goes on, the Toolkit is becoming less useful, even for legacy use cases. For example, it cannot recognize newer versions of SQL Server. Add to that the fact that there is no support line to call for help, and it’s easy to see why partners are looking for an alternative.

Block 64: A MAP Toolkit Alternative with Enhanced Features

Block 64’s Insights & Analytics platform is a cutting edge MAP toolkit alternative, trusted by a number of the world’s largest IT consultants and Value Added Resellers. As with MAP, Block 64 also offers best-in-class agentless discovery tools and wizard-based set up in just a few minutes. But it’s what happens next and our commitments to constant innovation and support that set us apart.

A feature-by-feature comparison illustrates Block 64’s clear edge over the MAP Toolkit:

• Deployment & Support: Block 64 reduces deployment bottlenecks with its fast deployment process and provides hands-on global support, unlike the now unsupported MAP Toolkit.
• Data Collection & Analysis: With capabilities extending to ITAM, cloud resource consumption, SaaS, and security insights, Block 64 surpasses the basic ITAM information collected by the MAP Toolkit.
• Partner Features: Block 64 empowers IT solutions providers and consultants with customizable templates and branded portals for enhanced customer interactions, a feature the MAP Toolkit does not provide.
• Updates & Scalability: Block 64 promises regular updates, new features and fixes — a clear advantage over the MAP Toolkit which no longer receives updates. We are also deployed in environments of all sizes, from 100 endpoints to tens of thousands.
• Reporting & Recommendations: Block 64 offers customizable templates and executive summaries, enabling tailored reporting and strategic decision-making. With MAP Toolkit, you are on your own when it comes to packaging and presenting your findings in a tangible, action-oriented way.

The added value of Block 64

Block 64 not only matches the capabilities of MAP Toolkit but goes above and beyond, providing comprehensive features and support that streamline the IT assessment process.

Instead of manual reports and disparate third-party tools, Block 64 customers use automated reports and comprehensive insights to centralize data collection, enhancing their ITAM, cybersecurity, and Microsoft 365 solutions practices. This not only reduces workload but also results in faster engagements, increased field margins, and a substantial uptick in vendor diversity.

For organizations looking to future-proof their IT assessments in the wake of the MAP Toolkit’s dwindling support, Block 64 stands out as a robust and innovative alternative. To witness first-hand how Block 64 can transform your IT infrastructure assessment and planning, reach out to our team for a demo.

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