BSA Sri Lanka urges Lankan firms to go for SAM

Business Software Alliance (BSA) Sri Lanka encourages corporates to implement Software Asset Management (SAM) as a tool to streamline processes, reduce costs, and enhance reliability, efficiency, accuracy and security of operations.

In order to realise the objective of encouraging the use of SAM, BSA Sri Lanka has launched a campaign to create awareness of the benefits, advantages and efficiencies of implementing SAM.

The  fast increasing  reliance  of  businesses  on software has introduced a new dimension  of  critical  importance  –  Software Asset Management or SAM.  It is through prudent management of software as an ‘asset’ that companies can maximise on their software and ensure reliability, efficiency, accuracy and compliancy of their operations. While software inventory and tracking are integral parts of SAM, so are the policies, procedures, technologies, procurement, delivery, deployment, and support of a company’s software assets.

Today, software is in place to power every aspect of business – from communications, accounting to people management – and businesses large and small are finding software an integral part of their resources and an asset which is indispensable in running day to day operations. By implementing SAM, corporates will automatically be in compliance with software licensing which is now a legal requirement in Sri Lanka.

Software licence non-compliance can take place when companies do not manage their software resources, thereby allowing under-licensing – where one copy of software is installed on multiple PCs – or unauthorised installation of illegal software by staff takes place.

This much-overlooked aspect is of key importance to companies. To get the most of software, it has to be managed well, just as any other valuable company asset. Poor software management can easily mask software piracy, an illegal activity that can impose very costly consequences to the business and criminal liability to senior management.

SAM is also about saving time and money as well as increasing employee productivity and efficiency. Since software can represent some 25 per cent of the budget for information technology, cost control is the most significant reward corporates can reap from proper software management.

By standardising software versions, file-sharing issues are reduced and communication is easier. Users can work together seamlessly, which can lead to increased productivity — and productive workers are happy workers. “Implementing SAM in your company means creating a system to manage the entire software life cycle, commencing from acquisition through use to retirement. This process is unique to your particular business needs and helps you streamline your technology investment and has a direct impact on your bottom line” said Kanchana Silva, Director/General Manager ZILLIONe Technologies, ZILLIONe Technologies, one of the first certified SAM Consultants in Sri Lanka.

“An effective SAM strategy will track software assets throughout their life cycle, match them to licences and, importantly, establish needs for future upgrades and purchases. Compliance is a by-product” he added.

Today, corporate ethics and good governance are held in high esteem in the corporate sector and protection of IP rights and the need to avoid piracy and counterfeit getting its deserved recognition.

Sri Lanka is to enter an unprecedented phase of growth and economic development which spurs on fast pace business activities — within a global context.

As corporates elevate to reach the next level of development, a well thought out software licensing strategy would no doubt help to achieve higher levels of productivity and efficiency.

The Business Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) is the world’s foremost advocate for the software industry, working in 80 countries to expand software markets and create conditions for innovation and growth. Governments and industry partners look to BSA for thoughtful approaches to key policy and legal issues, recognising that software plays a critical role in driving economic and social progress in all nations. BSA’s member companies invest billions of dollars a year in local economies, good jobs, and next-generation solutions that will help people around the world be more productive, connected, and secure. BSA members include Adobe, Agilent Technologies, Altium, Apple, Aquafold, ARM, Arphic Technology, Autodesk, Autoform, AVEVA, Bentley Systems, CNC/Mastercam, Corel, Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation, Microsoft, Minitab, NedGraphics, Orbotech, PTC, Progress Software, Quest Software, Scalable Software, Siemens, Sybase, Symantec, Tekla, and The MathWorks.