How to master the art of software licensing

"One reason SAM is not undertaken is it is seen as a huge monster of a project and it can be, if you don't scope it," cautions Matthew Fisher, chairman of the Sofware Industry Research Board.

"We suggest limiting the scope of an audit to certain types of software or vendors, or certain geographical sites, to break the SAM requirement into bite-sized chunks," he said. "There is also an argument for bringing in SAM consultants, as one of the barriers is a lack of skills [in many IT organisations]." But, he added, the cost of not acting will be greater than taking steps to bring licensing in order.