Recent increase in Microsoft audits?

[joblo37pam]

I have been in IT in the public sector for ~10 years now, and worked in government several years before that. I have always been aware of Microsoft auditing networks for software compliance, but have never dealt with anyone that has been subject to one. Within the last couple months, I have had two customers receive notices from the Microsoft Software Asset Management department asking them to provide information regarding their deployment of Microsoft products. Has anyone else seen a sudden increase in this activity, or is it just coincidence that a couple of my customers have been picked out?

I have no concerns with the audit results. We don't try to bend or break the rules, so both customers should come away from it just fine. It's just a little frustrating that they have to expend time and resources to prove their innocence. Both of these customers have O365 subscriptions. One doesn't even have a server/etc to license, just a bunch of OEM client machines, 80% of which are Macs. It just seems odd.

What happens if the customer just tells them to fly a kite? Is Microsoft really going to pursue legal action against a company of less than 20 employees that barely uses their products to begin with? The first customer ignored the email notices for a month or so thinking it was a scam, but once Microsoft called, they complied and sent in the questionnaire. To my knowledge, they haven't heard anything back yet.

Anyone have any good MS audit stories to share?

 

[/usr/sbin]

I don't have any stories but I'd tell them to pound sand. It's up to them to prove if you have a licensing issue. If I showed up at your home and told you to prove that you owned that bike in your garage you'd tell me to f off, and rightly so.

 

[peanuthead]

I have heard of this once or twice when/if a person (like a prior employee) calls into Microsoft and says that you are running illegal software.

 

[/usr/sbin]

I have heard of this once or twice when/if a person (like a prior employee) calls into Microsoft and says that you are running illegal software.

How is that considered proof? Anyone can call a phone number and claim to be an insider and report piracy. I'm not accusing you or anyone of anything, but its up to the copyright owner to prove your piracy, and you don't need to blow yourself in just because they asked, lol! If your neighbor accuses you of stealing their property you don't owe them a listing of everything in your house and then let them in to double check every nook and cranny in your home. If they approached me I'd tell them to eat a dick.

 

[peanuthead]

I don't disagree because the burden of proof is on them not you. This is just what I heard and nothing more.

 

[QQ~]

LLC: Microsoft will issue an LLC when a customer refuses a SAM. These are not voluntary and could mean that someone has accused your company of intentional software piracy. If you’ve been issued a LLC audit it may be best to consult an attorney.* These audits that are handled by the Business Software Alliance (BSA). The BSA is the largest anti-piracy group in existence and is hired by nearly every large software company to perform this more invasive audit.

“One of the things we make clear right from the start is that this is a serious matter,” Jenny Blank, programs manager for the BSA said in a Redmond Magazine piece, “The penalties allowed by law are up to $150,000 per title infringed.”

More information http://www.storagecraft.com/blog/tips-for-handling-a-microsoft-software-audit/

Refuse at your own risk, if you are running microsoft's software for business, I'm sure its in the EULA or TOS that they can audit you for compliance.

 

[joblo37pam]

LLC: Microsoft will issue an LLC when a customer refuses a SAM. These are not voluntary and could mean that someone has accused your company of intentional software piracy. If you’ve been issued a LLC audit it may be best to consult an attorney.* These audits that are handled by the Business Software Alliance (BSA). The BSA is the largest anti-piracy group in existence and is hired by nearly every large software company to perform this more invasive audit.

“One of the things we make clear right from the start is that this is a serious matter,” Jenny Blank, programs manager for the BSA said in a Redmond Magazine piece, “The penalties allowed by law are up to $150,000 per title infringed.”

More information http://www.storagecraft.com/blog/tips-for-handling-a-microsoft-software-audit/

Refuse at your own risk, if you are running microsoft's software for business, I'm sure its in the EULA or TOS that they can audit you for compliance.

Thanks for the link. That pretty well sums it up. Seems a little vindictive, but not worth making a fuss about for these clients.

 

[klank]

LLC: Microsoft will issue an LLC when a customer refuses a SAM.

What the fuck is an LLC? Unless it is a court ordered search warrant they can pound sand.

 

[ltickett]

Something popped up on my facebook yesterday saying rewards are available if your grass up your friends and family!!! I wonder if that has anything to do with it.

 

[joblo37pam]

What the fuck is an LLC? Unless it is a court ordered search warrant they can pound sand.

Read the link, it explains it all. It's my job to make my client's operations easier, not more difficult. It's kind of a lesser of two evils decision.

 

[klank]

Read the link, it explains it all. It's my job to make my client's operations easier, not more difficult. It's kind of a lesser of two evils decision.

I read the article but missed "Legal Contracts and Compliance (LLC)."


Doesn't appear to be a court ordered warrant so I don't see how they could search your locations.

 

[stormy1]

At least in the past MS has been pretty easy to work with getting compliant and proving your compliant if you have half way decent document tracking is not that hard.
Autodesk on the other hand is a real pita.
MS will give you a lot of opportunities to get compliant in a fairly pain free manner where autodesk goes for a BSA raid at the drop of a hat and it will cost a lot to make them go away.
Figure $10k-$20k + $10k per copy plus full msrp for the software needed to get compliant at a min. with autodesk software.