Does Well Engineered Software Deserve a More Systematic Approach to License Management?

In Nov 2009, TickIT published an article penned by Steve Klos on the need for authoritative software identification. TickIT is an organization focused on improving the overall quality of software by application of the framework of the ISO 9001 standard. More information on TickIT can be found at www.tickit.org.

Steve's article focuses on the reasons software developers must be concerned about authoritative software identification once software is purchased and installed at customer sites. The article provides a high level perspective on software asset management and reviews the costs to all SAM eco-system members if software purchasers are unable to properly identify installed software.

The article covers the fact that end-user organizations (often referred to as software puchasers or software consumers) are ultimately liable for mis-identified software that may lead to findings in an audit. However, there are costs to incomplete or inaccurate software identification that impact all member of the SAM eco-system, including the software publisher.

The article is targeted at software development organizations so it provides an overview of what happens to software once it leaves the publisher's doors. The article also goes into a fair amount of detail about how the software identification tag reduces a significant number of costs for all SAM eco-system members.

Read the article for more details -TickIT International Issue 4Q09

What Are the Objectives of TickIT?

An important purpose of TickIT, which is supported by the UK and Swedish software industries, has been to stimulate software system developers to think about:

What quality really is in the context of the processes of software development,
How quality may be achieved, and
How quality management systems may be continuously improved.

Although certification of compliance to ISO 9001 is a contractual requirement for software suppliers in certain market areas, it should be a by-product of the more fundamental aims of quality achievement and improvement, and the delivery of customer satisfaction.

With regard to certification itself, the objectives are to:

Improve market confidence in third party quality management system certification through accredited certification bodies for the software sector,
Improve professional practice amongst quality management system auditors in the software sector,
Publish authoritative guidance material (the TickIT Guide) for all stakeholders.