For companies and ISV’s often software is looked at as cost necessary to do business. Unfortunately this model of thinking has led to the idea that software piracy can be a quick way to cut costs. Software should be treated as an asset, not as an expense. And since it is intangible, it cannot be managed the same way that we manage physical assets. Software Asset Management is the idea that you treat software as you would a physical asset, securing it from theft and making sure that it is properly updated. Tune into the next few posts where we will go more in-depth into the idea of Software Asset Management

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The best definition that we have found comes from a Microsoft forum. Here is their definition of Software Asset Management.

“Software Asset Management can be defined as the treatment and management of software as though it were a physical asset. As such, the following needs to be in place: (a) a means to record software purchases; (b) a means to record software installations and removals; and (c) a periodic reconciliation of recorded values against real values.

Does this mean that we have to go from PC to PC to check out installed software? All people who have done so can attest that manual software inventory processes can be a very tedious endeavor. It can take as much as 5 minutes per machine to gather the software installed on the machine from the Control Panel, multiply this by the number of machines in the corporate network. Of course, their users are not really keen on allowing a 5-minute stoppage from their work to inventory software. Not to mention since a manual inventory most probably is an announced one, chances are illegitimate software are uninstalled prior to the inventory and reinstalled again afterwards, if users have the capability and knowledge to do these.

There is a big difference between physical assets and software assets. It is much easier to manage software assets compared to physical assets, since software lends itself to be inventoried, unlike physical assets that require physically being able to detect and tag the said asset. It is because Microsoft Windows contains a repository of all settings, called the registry. All software that is installed in Windows leave their mark in the registry. Therefore, being able to gather the required information from the registry, it is possible to glean information on software that’s installed on a machine. Current software asset management utilities use this to gather software inventory information.”

The full post can be read at http://msforums.ph/blogs/jpaloma/archive/2006/02/19/112686.aspx

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Many think that the expression “software asset management” is tantamount to anti-piracy and raids from law enforcement. We would like to dissuade this kind of thinking. Correctly managing your software assets does not just ensure that you comply with legal requirements on software usage; it also ensures that you purchase only the software that you need, when you need them. By appropriately managing the company’s software license acquisitions, we can keep away from purchasing software that is in fact already purchased but not really utilized.

Software asset management can also be part of a sound ICT infrastructure security framework. Knowing what software is installed, limiting software installation rights to qualified personnel and preventing the usage of pirated software can help us in ensuring that our software is free from malware like viruses and spyware. As of the moment, Microsoft implemented the Windows Genuine Advantage, where only genuine software is allowed downloads for some Windows XP freebies like Windows MovieMaker or Windows Defender. Plain common sense dictates that it Microsoft may enforce the same on critical patches and security updates.

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Important for both ISV’s and corporation is the fact that over 90% of commercial and nonprofit organizations use Instant Messaging software to communicate and transfer files. IM software is vulnerable to spying and viruses if not properly secured. If you are producing new anticipated software, open communications can help the pirates circumvent any security measures put in place to stopping illegal copying.

Here is a podcast by Tom Buoniello, VP of Product Management at Sybari talking about this issue.

Podcast at http://www.net-security.org/article.php?id=736

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In-house software development organizations provide customized, mission-critical software for enterprise corporations worldwide. No less than ISVs, these programmers are in need of protection and control for their products - especially as they become more service-oriented, playing a more vital role in overall enterprise business.

Enterprise solutions are often a crucial part of doing business - containing IP that is crucial to corporate business continuity and often to national security, or sensitive personal data whose exposure would entail serious liability. Thus, internal development organizations require solid protection from internal hacking, reverse engineering, and IP theft.

One solution that enterprise corporations can turn to is SecureLM’s dynamic licensing solution.

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Paul Duvall, co-author of a new book on continuous integration, discusses how continuous integration has evolved and how it can improve software quality. He also offers some tips for development teams on how to do continuous integration. Read the full interview here http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/qna/0,289202,sid92_gci1261901,00.html  

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The DREAD system is a checklist to assure that code is secure before it is released.  By checking each item on the list ISV’s can better produce secure software.  DREAD * Damage Potential* Reproduce-ability* Exploitability* Affect on users* Discoverability  

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It looks like Microsoft is catching the Software as a Service (SaaS) bug. A week ago it unveiled the pending delivery of CRM Live, and this week at the HostingCon 2006 conference, the software giant launched a new release of Windows Hosting, its software package that allows third-party hosting companies to run Windows for their clients. Microsoft also reported growth across its hosting segments.

Full Article HERE

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Software companies need to continuously improve their Software Agility Services and increase efficiency and revenue. It is becoming common practice for software companies to offer prospective clients “free trial” application versions. However, turning “try and buy” downloads into actual revenues has proven to be a challenge.

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Is it possible to customize software online using Dynamic licensing?

The answer is: most definitely! Today, companies offering Dynamic Software Management must provide online solutions for their customers. This can be done via a customer portal to which each customer receives a log in code. The customer then simply logs in to the customer portal and can upgrade/downgrade his software package, or recharge certain functionality.

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