Sam as a service, audit defense, spla, microsoft, sam. In degroots experience, microsoft sees an investigating continuum, with sam those that microsoft pays for but a step in the sequence that ultimately leads to an actual audit. Among the numerous software asset management sam tools available, network inventory advisor shines as the best microsoft licensing audit tool thanks to its easytouse user. You can confirm the legitimacy of microsoft sam by asked the sam rep to provide a snapshot of your volume. Sam managed service program continual, governancebased, outsourced services accredited providers in the microsoft sam managed service program are experts in helping organizations gain and maintain control over it costs, risks, and complexity, while providing insights and recommendations for getting the most value from software investments. In the minds of the software vendors, only those with something to hide refuse to be examined. Audit sam windows 10 windows security microsoft docs.
Underlicensing is when companies have not bought enough software licenses for the number of users they are allowing onto the network, which can likely be much more. Is our company legally obligated to agree to a software license audit. Microsoft software audits and sam assessments network. Dell has received reports from different customers that they received email notice from microsoft about a microsoft software asset management sam. Learn about the differences between these two processes and how you should react. Degroot disputed microsofts cleancut separation between sam. We provide automated software asset management solutions, software audit defense, licensing control and datacenter solutions oriented to the best practices of gartner, itil, iaitam and iso. Mythbusting software asset management and compliance. Is our company legally obligated to agree to a software. The microsoft software inventory analyzer will scan a network and give you a report of which microsoft products are currently installed on each computer. Microsoft licensing what do auditors look for during a. Auditing your software licenses as an it manager, you should know that you can be subject. While the sam audit is voluntary, the llc audit is not and often means that youre being accused of software piracy. Going through a software audit can be equally stressful and costly.
Software assessment management sam microsoft pays a software assessment management sam partner to help you assess and reconcile what you have. Microsoft software asset management sam solutions offer the proven processes and software you need to help your customers manage, protect, and optimize it assetsand drive their businesses forward. Avoid microsoft software license compliance audit what. Computer software must be treated as a tangible asset. A sam audit is microsofts way of saying, lets take a look to make sure youre in. Microsoft software audit with network inventory advisor. While software asset management once showed promise for customers, braden warns that the way microsoft. Audit sam, which enables you to audit events that are generated by attempts to access security account manager objects. Tools for coping with a microsoft audit spiceworks.
Microsoft will request that the target allow a third party to audit its software installations and report the results directly to them. License compliance verification faq microsoft volume. If not, well work together to help bring you into compliance. Customers who take licensing compliance seriously and have a robust internal software asset management sam process are likely to be better prepared for license compliance verifications. In recent years, microsoft seems to have been shifting an increasing volume of its licensecompliance resources toward what it calls software asset management sam. Plus, your chances of going through one are a lot higher than they are for a tax audit, especially when it comes to microsoft. Efficiencynext finished its first microsoft sam software asset management engagement this last year, having been contacted by a sam engagement specialist contracted by microsoft.
The security account manager sam is a database that is present. Microsoft software asset management sam solutions offer the. Make it easy to ensure you are always prepared for a potential microsoft audit. Part of our managed it services portfolio includes managing our. Theyve been pushing it so much that weve noticed a lot of businesses have been getting audited by microsoft with regard to their software. A sam audit is microsoft s way of saying, lets take a look to make sure youre in compliance. What happens when you get a microsoft sam audit letter.
Systems audit manager sam for microsoft systems management server sms is an inexpensive auditing tool to aid your company in software auditing. Some individuals or organizations may be using software. Audit defense, microsoft audit, sam audit, software audit. The sam rep should be able to provide you with a sample that includes the details of at least one of your volume license agreements. A sam audit is microsofts way of saying, lets take a look to make sure youre in compliance. What became apparent in these conversations is that there is a misperception around software asset management and compliance audits.
Just like an audit, during the sam process, microsofts. Software assessment management sam and legal contracts and compliance llc. However, no company should be under any delusion regarding what a microsoft sam engagement really is. The core difference is that microsoft sam programs are voluntary. The five vendors mostly likely to audit corporate software licenses are microsoft, adobe, autodesk, oracle, and sap, in that order. Microsoft sam programs are voluntary services designed around industry standards that help customers gain data insights, optimize licensing. Sam stepbystep check list this list will help you keep track of each step of the sam process. If you are not cooperative with the sam audit, microsoft will issue an llc. In a blog post from may 22 nd 2017, patama chantaruck, microsoft s new general manager of worldwide software asset management and compliance tries to mythbust the connection between microsoft s sam engagements and compliance audits in her blog post, patama chantaruck states that. Audit it doesnt have to be a fourletter word that actually contains five letters. Microsoft audits its customers using a variety of strategies.
Accredited providers in the microsoft sam managed service program are experts in helping organizations gain and maintain control over. Some sources claim that microsoft software asset management sam and license compliance verification commonly known as audit are the same. This is usually the first type of audit you will receive. When you get a phone call or letter from microsoft asking you to submit to a sam audit it is important to know your software legal rights. Navigating microsofts map for a microsoft audit or sam. Microsoft offers software asset management for corporations across the globe. As more and more personal devices access company networks, cybersecurity threats continue to increase dramatically. Microsoft software asset management sam notices dell us. Microsoft software audits and sam assessments microsoft has increased the number of software audits and sam assessments tips for being prepared and avoiding common pitfalls. Software asset management engagements are usually conducted by thirdparty auditors or consultants, but there is no obligation that the auditor in a sam. If you have been audited by microsoft, you need experienced counsel to protect. Just like an audit, during the sam process, microsoft s auditors will ask for voluminous information regarding software deployments, will propose phone calls and meetings that are outside the ordinary course of business operations, and will insist that the company meet unreasonable deadlines for delivering information. A microsoft license compliance verification is a routine process of checking customers compliance with microsoft licensing agreements.
Just like an audit, during the sam process, microsofts auditors will ask for voluminous information regarding software deployments, will. Tips for handling a microsoft software audit storagecraft blog. Software asset management engagements are usually conducted by thirdparty auditors or consultants, but there is no obligation that the auditor in a sam engagement be independent. Sam is a process that, if carefully and comprehensively implemented, is able to minimize or even eliminate the. The core difference is that microsoft sam programs are voluntary services designed around industry. Microsoft licensing what do auditors look for during a microsoft audit.