BSA: a new spin on software audits
Software audits and licensing expenses are becoming more and more threatening. Or are they? This article mentions a threatening letter which is resulting in changes to open source software. The Business Software Alliance's (BSA) 'Truce Campaign' is not engendering support from users - and many are looking at other options. In South Africa, which is dominated by Microsoft at the end user level, there have also been threats of a 'crackdown'.
The BSA has been sending out threatening letters to companies across the US hinting that they may be audited for licensing compliance. This article on Yahoo tells the complete story. First, the letters are really just a marketing tool to sell more software. The BSA has no intention of following through with their threats. Second, and possibly even more importantly, the tactics are often resulting in a switch to open source software. It seems that nobody likes a bully: people will start taking their business elsewhere (adapted from Slashdot).