Software License Audit Defense

SOLUTIONs

Software License Audit Defense Services

When it comes to software license audits, don’t go it alone – call NPI. It’s a decision that could save you millions.

Reduce Software License Audit Risk and Costs

Software license audits are on the rise. Vendors like Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, IBM and VMware are using license audits to generate billions of dollars in revenue each year, and to push customers to new licensing models. These unbudgeted events are scary, disruptive and a drain on resources. Multi-million-dollar claims are the norm. To minimize risk and save money, here are two best practices:

Best Practice #1: Proactively perform internal license position assessments on your large, audit-prone software estates.

Best Practice #2: If you get an audit notice, bring in NPI’s audit defense experts to help you control the process and optimize the outcome.

RECEIVED A SOFTWARE LICENSE AUDIT NOTICE?

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Your Go-To Expert for Large Enterprise Audit Defense

NPI is the leading authority in guiding large enterprises through the complexities of software license audits. Over the last 21 years, we have helped Fortune 500 companies minimize – and often negate – multi-million-dollar compliance penalties. If you’ve received a software license audit notice, our audit management experts will guide you through every step of the process.

Help you control the cadence
Coach on deployment data collection, and curation of reports before submission to auditor
Advise on communication to auditor and vendor
Prepare license position for comparison to auditor’s findings
Assess auditor findings for accuracy (they are always wrong); develop challenge plan
If a purchase is necessary, provide benchmark analysis and negotiation intel to achieve optimal outcome.

What Are the Benefits?

NPI’s software licensing and compliance experts guide you to an optimal audit outcome. Our independent assessment, tools, and guidance help you to:

Minimize self-incrimination
Identify misinterpretations, misrepresentations, double-counting of data
Identify invalid assumptions and conclusions
Explain complex licensing concepts, remediation options and audit management strategy to stakeholders
Clarify pros and cons for decision support
Prove errors to the auditor
Produce reduced settlement amount

Actual Client Results

When you receive an audit notice, don’t engage with the vendor or the auditor (and don’t provide data) – call NPI first. A well-managed audit defense strategy can dramatically reduce costs, and sometimes eliminate them altogether. Here are some examples:

IBM’s auditor claimed a $9 million finding for this client. NPI discovered multiple errors that led to incorrect license metrics being applied to produce a license shortfall that did not exist. The $9M claim was reduced to zero.

A SQL infrastructure audit resulted in a claim of $14 million from Microsoft. The end result with NPI assistance was $5 million – a reduction of $9 million.

Facing an Oracle audit, a client enlisted NPI to perform an internal license position assessment that revealed a $36M compliance exposure on database and middleware. The client implemented our detailed remediation advice. After an extensive audit, the final settlement was only $125,000.

Client engaged NPI to perform a proactive internal Microsoft license position assessment. When Microsoft subsequently initiated an audit, the client handed them the self-audit license position document and the audit was cancelled.

An IBM audit resulted in preliminary auditor findings of $13 million. NPI uncovered errors in assumptions and license metrics, and supported multiple rounds of data reviews, challenge substantiation and negotiation. The final audit settlement was $165,000.

NEED AUDIT DEFENSE HELP?