The typical person looking after the desktops, laptops, e-readers and smartphones for a typical 50-employee business is responsible for up to 100+ software licensing agreements. If you are an IT manager in today’s software and device laden work environment, and a bit frustrated from time to time, you are not alone.

Hats off to all who undertake the software licensing function. Clearly, it is not simple.

We understand, even with a comprehensive plan and budget in place for software licensing, factors will intervene. Some of your team will want to BYOD (bring your own device) to work. We’ve all heard it: “I don’t want to use a PC. I want to use a Mac.” Or: “I want everything on my laptop so I can take it home with me.”

Even (and especially) with cloud computing, different versions of software on different operating systems accessed on different devices can make collaboration a real challenge. Many mobile computers can’t properly support the powerful software that the desktop computers can. And even if computing power isn’t the issue, there is the matter of compatibility. So what is to be done?

Hang in there. There is hope. Microsoft is helping out by supporting different versions of Office 365 on a range of devices. In fact, Microsoft is spending a fortune to make the software for the different platforms as “equal” as possible — whether it is used on a mac, PC, android or iPad. You can expect further improvements.

And what about updates? Even with the newest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other “standard” software in place, updates are a fact of life. Once again, the IT manager is expected to keep it all in current and in sync.

And what about those devices already loaded with dodgy copies of software cloned from friends and colleagues? These days, to help contain software piracy, most vendors are monitoring usage more closely than ever. If an employee brings a laptop with pirated software to work, the company can be liable. This means non-compliance with licensing agreements and can disrupt access.

Sounds insidious, doesn’t it? We understand. It can happen, without malice, to any busy IT team.

Who among us hasn’t been tempted to copy versions of software to accommodate a new employee in a hurry? Who has actually read the dozens of pages in a typical license agreement to know when copying is a definite no-no and when it might be OK. And who hasn’t unknowingly fallen for an internet offer of discount software that turns out to be pirated or riddled with malware?

Even IT managers at the top of their software licensing game can lose their way. Should you buy the full license – or the “stripped down” version? Some play it safe and buy the “premium” license for everything – only to learn this is an unnecessarily expensive approach. Others buy the stripped down version and then discover the need for more capability. Either result makes for more work.

What’s a harried IT manager to do?

Getting good advice from a knowledgeable expert like KAMIND can help. And with KAMIND’s pricing structure, the advice usually costs less than the amount saved in smart software license selection.

Ask us today about help with Software License Management. Whatever your circumstances, it is likely we can reduce your software costs, simplify your software procurement, improve understanding of your needs and options, and identify gaps that could become problems.

Let KAMIND help transform your organization’s IT team from scapegoat to hero.