Fast Corporate Services considers its primary task as providing educational and consulting services to end-user organisations struggling to manage their software lcences.
Although the organisation’s operation is kept separate from associated body the Federation Against Software Theft (Fast), they both share a common interest in combatting the use of illegal code. Where they differ is in their approach to the problem. While Fast’s main role is to sniff out and punish under-licensing, Fast Corporate Services aims to work with firms, helping them to manage resources and solve any licensing problems that come to light. It is an arrangement reminiscent of the good-cop/bad-cop scenarios that writers of television crime drama love so much.
Gerard Tilley, Fast Corporate Services’ managing director, said that in his experience most businesses have some sort of licensing issues that need resolving. Licensing problems can sometimes be just simple mistakes, he explained, mistakes that come about as a result of the complexities involved.
“IT staff are not trained to read complicated software licences, so they are very difficult to manage in-house,” Tilley said, adding that although consultants do a good job, as soon as their time is up and they leave the firm, their work becomes out of date. “Any changes that happen to systems after they go will have been missed,” he added.
To help firms improve their licence management processes, Fast Corporate Services has developed a standard for best practice. “We spent a lot of time developing a standard with the BSI to help people understand the risks of not properly managing licences,” Tilley said.
Where an organisation has been caught in possession of illegal software, these risks can take the form of legal penalties ranging from fines to prison sentences.
“There is the possibility of a criminal action being taken against you,” said Tilley. “You need to be able to explain that you have taken all reasonable steps, and that is about adhering to standards and carrying out best practices. The ultimate cost of non-compliance is a prison term.”
Associated body Fast has often been accused of heavy-handedness in policing end-user organisations, not least of all by IT Week and many of its readers, but Tilley was keen to stress that the road to a compliant software landscape is not just littered with threats about jail terms, there are also many benefits for firms.
“Following an audit, many organisations find that they are both over- and under-licensed.” Indeed, a recent survey carried out by Fast Corporate Services found that approximately 41 per cent of firms were over-licensing their software, wasting thousands of pounds every year.
The pressure for companies to comply with regulations regarding intellectual property is increasing, according to Tilley.
“Recently we have seen the government tighten up controls around the theft of intellectual property. Trading Standards has more power, and penalties have been increased,” he said. “Firms must tighten up compliance processes. Publishers are taking more steps to take software asset management seriously, and to ensure compliance. If they act then firms can be embarrassed.”
To avoid problems, controls should be tightened up across the company. Tilley suggested that staff are informed of the rules at their induction, and then reminded often. “People are not always aware of what is allowed in offices; you need policies in place.”
