Many people do not consider taking the odd pen or pad of paper home from the office to be theft. They usually look at copying the computer programs they use in the office in the same way.

In both cases, it is theft and in both cases, you, the business owner, are the one who pays.

You, as business owner, are responsible for the software that is installed on the computers in your organization. When an organization such as the Business Software Alliance raids your offices looking for pirated software, it is you who will be held responsible for any found, not the person who installed it.

So businesses conduct periodic software audits themselves to try to keep on top of the problem. Two approaches are commonly taken:

1. Hire an external software auditor.

2. Put together a team of staff members to audit all PCs in the organization.

There are a number of problems with both approaches. These include:

1. Both expensive. You are either paying through the nose for the external auditor or you are taking away your staff from their core job.

2. The results from the audit is usually a report detailing everything that is installed on all machines in your organization. A few months later you do it all again producing the same reports - maybe with some changes hidden somewhere within them.

3. Ideally, the report should be telling you what has changed - i.e. what software has been installed or deleted since the last audit was carried out. The vast majority don't. They leave you with reams of paper to figure it all out for yourself.

On behalf of the copyright owner, Rob Harmer Consulting Services Pty Ltd, Secrett Systems has developed a program that takes a radically different approach.

We now have a unique Software Asset Control tool that allows you to identify what was installed, when it was installed and automatically loads the results to a database with ESSENTIAL "Proof Of Purchase" detail needed to protect yourself in the event of an anti-piracy raid!

Our program detects "1st time use only" for any kind of software application that has been installed, regardless of the answers given by the user at the first time use of the software.

Software Asset Control DRAMATICALLY REDUCES the need to regularly audit every PC or update product recognition databases, product database libraries, or send expensive teams of personnel to remote sites to audit PC's.

Software Asset Control collects Proof Of Purchase information. Proof of Purchase is a critical part of Software Compliance. The ONLY way to effectively do this is to gather all the data in ONE database and allows you to recognise the software installed IS AN ASSET.

Software Asset Control does not force the user to enter the Proof of Purchase information. Where the user chooses NOT to enter the Proof Of Purchase details requested at first-time execution of the software, Software Asset Control still IDENTIFIES what was installed! This allows you the opportunity to challenge the installation and validate its legality.

Software Asset Control is available for notebook or stand-alone PC's - where your BIGGEST threat exists for illegal and unauthorised installation. This is IRRESPECTIVE of whether the PC is connected via the corporate network or as a standalone.

Software Asset Control runs on Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT 4 SP5, 6 and 6a. It does not work with other operating systems.

Software Asset Control is sold only via the Internet as a low priced packaged version in packs of 10, 25, 50, 100, 250 and an unlimited licensed version.

A client-server version currently under development

A free demonstration can be downloaded by clicking here. This is a Microsoft PowerPoint ® presentation. If you do not have PowerPoint, a free PowerPoint viewer is available by clicking here.

Software Compliance Audits for many businesses and organisations are so low down the priority chain (despite the knowledge of the impact of the Anti-Piracy Police agencies [BSA, SIIA, CAST, FAST, BSAA etc] that the software audit is continually put off, thus increasing the risk to senior management and stakeholders.

The MOST significant issue (and the most common reason for the low priority activity) is that software compliance is NOT the core business activity of the entity and the money spent (as an overhead cost) on traditional auditing techniques is ALMOST TOTALLY WASTED.

This is no way to run your business entity, when the money could be far better spent on core business activities such as customer service, marketing, product development etc!

Tell us how many Notebook PC's you have "at risk" so that you can TAKE CONTROL NOW!

We Offer Cost Effective Scalar Pricing

To combat and overcome both illegal and unauthorised software in organisations you need more than a technology based solution to a PEOPLE based problem!”

Software Asset Control combines technology with a MANAGEMENT mandate for end-user attention and focus!

Software Asset Control is copyright 2003, Rob Harmer Consulting Services Pty Ltd.