Software is one of the most important matters which must be regulated by the Information Technology department of an organization.
It is very important that the Information Technology department should write down policies about this, and all others, related to technology, clearly establishing what is allowed and not allowed in an organization.
In the same way, it is important to highlight the importance that this and all the other policies of the Information Technology department are widely disseminated and well-known by the rest of the organization.
For this, it is very convenient that they are published on the internal intranets and websites, and that they are adequately communicated through email, and also by holding meetings, where all questions that users of the organization are answered and totally understand.
Something that must be considered in relation to the use of the software is that it implies a very strong legal risk for the company, and the risks must be avoided at all costs.
In the same way, it must be clear who is responsible for the authorization, and where both the budget and the funds will come out of the acquisition of all the software that the organization requires.
As in the rest of the policies, there should always be considered what the company is like, what are its values, and what is its philosophy.
In addition, as a matter of order, it is very important to define who is responsible for authorizing the purchase and use of all the software to be used by the company.
The purpose of having a Software Management Policy is to clearly define all guidelines related to software management in an organization.
Who is responsible for authorizing the purchase? Under what licensing scheme? Who is going to use and install the software? , who is going to provide maintenance, and in general, everything related to the software in a company?
In the same way, it must be clear what procedure users must follow when they need to request new software, who they should be requesting it from, and what is the authorization procedure for said software.
This is because many times, the department that has full knowledge and the complete vision of the software the company needs, is the Information Technology department.
Many times the users do not know and think that it is the software that they need is the best option when in fact the information and IT department may already have a better option, which could even already be paid for.
Next, here is an example of a Software Management Policy that can be used by any organization, regardless of its size, since this applies to all kinds of organizations.
“The acquisition, installation, uninstallation, updating, and training of all the software required by the organization must be managed by the Information Technology Department”.
“Likewise, using unlicensed software is not allowed, because it is illegal and creates liability for the company.”
Definitely, as we said before, every company is different, so this policy is only intended as an example, so that you can adapt it to your own needs and generate your own ideas, according to the culture and values of your own company.
This policy should be used for all kinds of software, not only the most common commercial normally used by all companies, such as Microsoft, Adobe, Google, Symantec, etc. but in general, this policy must be applied for any type of applications, such as software for:
Desktop personal computers, laptops, computer monitors, printers, scanners, desk phones, smartphones, tablets, external hard drives, network storage devices, Bluetooth accessories, flash drives, battery backup, smart TVs, servers, phone servers, routers, network switches, wireless access points, telecommunication equipment, meeting rooms, smart TVs, projectors, AV equipment, GPS equipment, etc.
There is a great variety of software that is required in all areas and departments of the organization, but for this example, we will refer to operating systems, productivity software, such as spreadsheets, word processors, presentations, email, computer security software such as antivirus, firewalls, and apps for cell phones, where there is a wide variety of options, and a long etcetera.
There is also software for graphic design, web page development, production department, e-commerce, SEO, and Google optimization, and in general for any software whose licensing scheme is free or paid.
The use of unlicensed software could have severe consequences for the company, both financially and in its reputation.
What we do not want is eventually an audit by entities that review the use of unlicensed software, such as the Business Software Alliance, or BSA for its acronym in English.
For this reason, only the Information Technology department has the knowledge and responsibility not to allow unlicensed software on any company-owned equipment.
It is important to mention it because according to my experience, I have seen times, that other areas or departments from the same company, without consulting the IT area, purchase either hardware or software by themselves, which leads to creating other problems, such as conflicts with the corporate network, because of IP addressing misconfigurations.
Also, budget matters must be considered, since all software purchases must be recorded in the IT department.
As we have already said, in this and other articles, it is essential to have policies for the proper use of technology in an organization.
In this way, misunderstandings and duplication must be avoided, and in a certain way, it has to be established what the responsibilities of each department in the organization are.
If you are an Information Technology manager, this is one of the most important tasks to perform and is often forgotten.
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Gilberto Acuña is an IT Professional and has worked for more than 30 years in the Information Technology area, serving as IT Infrastructure Manager and Information Technology Manager in various companies in Mexico and the United States, and in different industries, such as beverages, restaurants, energy. He has is also a business owner, and IT, SEO, and e-commerce consultant.
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