ISO standard keeps tabs on software

Experts welcomed the launch last month of a new international standard for software asset management – and some predicted that software vendors could soon offer financial incentives to companies that adopt the best-practice guidelines.

Published by the International Organisation for Standards (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), ISO/IEC 19770-1:2006, Information technology – software asset management – Part 1, details processes and resources required to give managers information and control over their various software assets. It includes guidance on how to develop a software inventory, assess suppliers’ service-level agreements and control software throughout its lifecycle.

Part 2 of the new standard, which is not yet available, is expected to provide guidelines on how to identify software during the inventory process.

The ISO said the new guidelines were developed “to enable an organisation to prove that it is performing software asset management to a standard sufficient to satisfy corporate governance requirements and ensure effective support for IT service management overall”.

The standard was welcomed by Mark Sarbiewski, senior director of product marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at IT governance software vendor Mercury. He predicted that the standard could help companies to reduce the amount they spend on licences for software.

“If you understand how many software licences are used you are in a much better position to understand if they are being underused and rationalise them,” said Sarbiewski.

The guidelines are also expected to make it easier for firms to ensure they are not using illegal or unlicensed software. Julie Strawson, marketing director at font design and technology specialist Monotype, said the standard represented a big step forward in the fight against pirated software as it would help firms keep track of less obvious software assets, such as fonts, that they often forget to license. Around 40 percent of people are estimated to use fonts without the correct licences.

“Most organisations want to do the right thing and don’t want to act illegally, but they do find software difficult to audit and manage,” Strawson said. “There is a tendency to go for the most obvious assets and miss out the more obscure software, so having a comprehensive standard for IT directors to follow will really help them carry out audits properly.”

However, Strawson warned that for the standard to be successful it will need widespread industry backing. “We’d like to see IT consultancies and auditors in particular start to use the standard,” she said.

Shaun Frohlich, chairman of Investors in Software (IiS), a professional association for promoting software asset management best practice, said IiS was talking to leading software vendors, including Microsoft, IBM, HP and Symantec, about ways to encourage adoption.

“We could see vendors offer rewards to firms that adhere to the standard and can prove they have a clean bill of health,” said Frohlich.