WASHINGTON, DC — The Business Software Alliance (BSA) today commended the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for updating its Software Asset Management (SAM) standard (ISO/IEC 19770-1:2012) to show organizations clear steps they can follow to get increased value from their IT assets.
“The revised standard allows organizations adopting SAM to do so naturally. It takes the standard, breaks it down into digestible tiers, and in turn, focuses on the many benefits that come out of each tier. BSA's SAM Advantage and Certified in Standards-based SAM for Organizations programs are aligned to the revised standard,” said Peter Beruk, Senior Director, Compliance Marketing for BSA. “By integrating BSA’s tiered approach into the SAM standard, ISO is ensuring the process is organized in a way that’s easy to understand and implement. We’re pleased ISO has recognized the value in the tiered approach by making it part of the international standard. This modification allows organizations to more easily increase IT efficiencies and drive business value while reducing the risks associated with unlicensed software.”
BSA works with ISO as a Liaison Organization to WG21, the group responsible for the SAM standard.
"WG21 revised the original 2006 version of ISO/IEC 19770-1 in response to market surveys, which confirmed the need for something easier to achieve, as well as the high priority most organizations place on license compliance,” said David Bicket, convener of WG21. “BSA proposed the tiered approach which kept 100% of the original content, while allowing incremental achievement. The revised standard will meet real market needs in a pragmatic and practical way."
To learn more about BSA’s efforts to educate businesses on effective SAM, visit www.bsa.org.