Even Bank of America Struggles with Managing Their Entitlements
I saw a recent article posted on the ITAM Review LinkedIn Discussion Group that indicated TIBCO is suing Bank of America for $300 Million for improper use of their software. This is a perfect example of how almost every company struggles with managing software entitlements. Weekly, I see license agreement addenda that reference the 199x licensing agreement (often neither the Manufacturer nor Customer can find these executed agreements). Moreover, some software manufacturers have transitioned to “click-through” or “click and accept” agreements which potentially allow agreements to be accepted without being captured.
Consider centralizing your entitlement information (draw a line in the sand) and create a process around software procurement to ensure you are capturing your new licensing agreements and entitlements. Consider some sort of mechanism to make it meaningful, such as mandating that no software can be paid for without the manufacturer submitting the licensing agreement with the invoice for payment.
