Audits & Compliance
A software audit is a vendor's formal review of whether an organization's deployments match the licenses it holds. Articles here explain what triggers an audit, how the major publishers run one, the data they ask for, and how to build an effective license position before the letter arrives. They also cover compliance obligations, settlement negotiations, licensing disputes and the court cases that changed how audits are conducted.
Software License Management: What It Is, How Compliance Works, and the Practices That Hold Up in an Audit
Software license management is matching what you're entitled to run against what you actually run and use. License compliance is…
How to Read an Oracle LMS Audit Report Before You Reply
An Oracle LMS audit report is raw script output, not a bill. The scripts flag a feature the moment it…
How to Audit Your Software Intelligence Environment Before Your Next Vendor Renewal
A self-assessment guide for ITAM and SAM leaders approaching Tier 1 vendor renewals…
What Triggers a Software Audit: The Seven Signals Vendors Act On
Audits are not random. Renewals, spend drops, mergers, platform changes, telemetry, partner reports and plain silence each raise a customer…
Oracle Effective License Position: What It Is and How to Build One
An Effective License Position sets what you are entitled to run against what you run, per product and metric, with…
SQL Server BYOM on RDS: The Position Comes First
AWS launched BYOM so SA customers can cover RDS for SQL Server without License Included. Microsoft still verifies. Check the position first.
Microsoft Direct EA Leaves the True-Up With You
Large EAs now bill through Microsoft. True-up, compliance, and deployment advice did not move with the invoice. What SAM must own before the next EA.
Why Oracle Java Audits Price Headcount, Not Installs
Oracle Java SE Universal Subscription is sold per employee. LMS still audits. What SAM should lock before the next Java, OCI, or support conversation.
Why a VA Software Inventory Is Not a License Position
GAO found VA could not tell too many from too few licenses in a $985 million FY2025 spend. Inventory vs purchase records: what SAM should reconcile.
Why Your VMware Exit Needs a License Position First
Western Union is moving 900–1,200 apps off VMware. Cloud Foundation cost, not a bake-off. What SAM should lock before you pick a destination.
SAP ECC Conversion Before 2027 Is a License Position, Not a Slide
SAP still booked €10.5 billion in software support in 2025. Gartner put 39% of ECC customers on S/4HANA. What SAM teams must recast before 2027.
Why the CISPE Filing Is Not Your VMware License Position
CISPE asked the Commission for interim measures on Broadcom’s VCSP cuts. Bundling, upfront pay, potential-use commitments: what SAM should lock now.
How Audit Pressure Exposes What Dashboards Hide
Audits don’t introduce new risk. They surface risk that already exists. What changes is the…
Why a VMware Support List Is Not a License Position
A Delaware magistrate kept VMware v. Siemens in the US. Reconcile the support list to entitlement before you claim extended support or refuse an audit.
How to Pass Your Next Software Audit: A 90-Day Preparation Plan
For most IT and procurement leaders, the letter from a major software vendor announcing an…
Why the GSA VMware Discount Is Not Your License Position
GSA’s OneGov deal discounts Tanzu, Avi, and vDefend up to 64% through May 2027. vSphere Foundation is not on the list. A framework is not an entitlement.
🇪🇺 Automated Compliance with the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA)
The Wake Up Call One Year After DORA Enforcement The first year of the Digital…
Case Study: Preventing a $3M Oracle Exposure
When you work with Oracle licensing, the tiniest technical detail can reshape your entire commercial…
Tesco vs Broadcom / VMware / Computacenter is turning into a landmark lawsuit
The case of Tesco vs Broadcom / VMware / Computacenter is turning into a landmark…
European Cloud Providers Drag Broadcom’s VMware Deal into Court
The legal battle over Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware has entered a critical new phase, as…