FAST IiS Research
The Software Industry Research Board (SIRB)
The first SIRB survey was completed at the end of July. It was the first UK survey of it’s kind; it targeted both private and public sector organisations to assess their current understanding of licensing practices, their attitudes towards software acquisition, their perception of new technologies and to understand where they will make changes to benefit from a more cost-effective and risk-free environment in the future. The first white paper based on the resulting data ‘Maturity of SAM Practice in the UK Market – Perception & Reality of Risk!’ was released in November ‘08 and the first supporting webinar was delivered on the 16 December ’08 by SIRB member, FrontRange Solutions.
A further 3 follow on white papers and a sequence of supporting webinars will be announced shortly through the press, the FAST IiS and SIRB members’ websites, electronic direct mail (EDM) and the FAST IiS bulletin service. All FAST IiS members will be notified direct.
The SIRB research project will run annually to survey the market and where appropriate compare the changes year on year.
The Software Industry Research Board’s members include organisations that are amongst the most influential in the IT industry today. For more information about SIRB activities, benefits and membership, please contact Roz Parkinson, Business Development Manager at roz.parkinson@fastiis.org.
The Impact of the Economy on Software Piracy
This survey, carried out in May 2008, polled technology aware business leaders to discover their attitudes to software piracy, it’s ease and likelihood given current concerns with the “credit crunch”. Its results are a timely reminder that, as the economic climate worsens, pressure can increase for IT departments to deliver applications, upgrades and purchases with “no questions asked”
Commenting on the survey results, John Lovelock, Chief Executive of FAST IiS points out “What this survey demonstrates is that the current economic climate could in fact have a detrimental impact on the current low levels of software piracy. This emphasises the need to drive home the benefits and cost savings that can be achieved through effective management of software licenses; and the necessity to continue to raise awareness of the impact that corrupt software can have on an organisation’s IT estate, not forgetting the risks of being non-compliant.”