Do You Feel Lucky?

---

Perhaps it is not absolutely necessary for organizations to put a software management system in place, and some may never experience a problem. But, with hackers and the BSA on the prowl, it is a little like answering "Yes" to Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry when he asks, "Do you feel lucky?" Ignoring the problem, then, will not make it go away. Most organizations have unlicensed software lurking somewhere, as well as desktops galore without the latest vital updates. The choice is simple: Take care of the problem quickly or risk hackers bringing the network down and the BSA paying an unexpected visit. If you already have a management framework in place, adding the inventory and deployment modules is possibly the best option, but those without an existing large-scale system would probably prefer to avoid the investment in time and expense typically associated with their implementation. SMS offers a simpler alternative to a traditional framework, but again it is not specifically tailored to software management. If an enterprise is already using SMS as a management tool, it should be a simple matter of activating its software management features or upgrading to a more current version of SMS that contains these functions. Although less complex than frameworks, SMS has a definite learning curve and should only be deployed in organizations with skilled and available IT staff.

If, on the other hand, you are interested in an immediate solution to software inventorying, compliance, and distribution without spending nearly as much, it is probably best to purchase a dedicated application designed for ease of use. With such products, quick downloads and installations take care of software upgrades, updates, and license tracking. And, maybe best of all, you will never have to worry about a recently fired employee or competitor giving the BSA a ring on your behalf.

---