Use Of Unlicensed Software Still Big In India: BSA Survey | TechTree.com

Use Of Unlicensed Software Still Big In India: BSA Survey

As much as 60% of softwares installed in PCs in 2013 are unlicensed

 

Despite the risk of security threats from malware, 60 percent of the PC softwares installed in India in 2013 were without proper licensing, revealed the BSA Global Software Survey.

While there is a three percent drop from the previous year, the number is still high is in sync with the trend in Asia Pacific region, where 63 percent of the softwares installed in PCs are not properly licensed.

The study is conducted annually by the IDC under its subsidiary BSA, which is a Software Alliance and is the leading advocate for the global software industry before governments and in the international marketplace.

Asia Pacific has the highest level of unlicensed software use for any region in the world, and the highest commercial value of unlicensed installations globally at $21 billion.

These and other findings underscore the need for effective software management practices, especially in business settings.

"We have often seen cases where enterprises may not even be aware that they are using unlicensed software. With software licensing becoming increasingly complex, compounded by fast-paced cloud adoption and proliferation of devices through BYOD [bring your own device], organizations require a fresh approach in the way they manage licenses," said Vipin Aggarwal, BSA India Committee chair.

“As effective management of software assets becomes vital to organizations; tools such as BSA’s Verafirm can help mitigate risk while optimizing costs.”

The BSA Global Software Survey is conducted every other year for BSA by IDC, which this year polled computer users in 34 markets including nearly 22,000 consumer and business PC users and more than 2,000 IT managers.

Among the findings:

  • The rate at which PC software was installed without proper licensing in India was 60 percent in 2013, a 3 percentage point decrease from 2011. The commercial value of that unlicensed software totaled over INR 179 billion (US$2.9 billion).
  • The chief reason computer users around the world cite for not using unlicensed software is avoiding security threats from malware. Among the risks associated with unlicensed software, 64 percent of users globally cited unauthorized access by hackers as a top concern and 59 percent cited loss of data.
  • IT managers around the world express understandable concern that unlicensed software may cause harm, yet less than half say they are very confident that their company’s software is properly licensed.
  • Only 33 percent of companies in India have written policies in place requiring use of properly licensed software.

“Unlicensed software use is an organizational governance issue — and this study shows there is a clear need for improvement,” said BSA President and CEO Victoria Espinel. “There are basic steps any company can take to ensure it is fully compliant, like establishing a formal policy on licensed software use and maintaining careful records. Companies also should consider implementing more robust software asset management (SAM) programs that follow internationally-accepted guidelines."


TAGS: Software

 
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