Now that you know what software is installed on your company's PCs, it's time to match the software with the licensing documentation. Before you begin, it is important to understand what documentation you need as evidence of licensing for each type of software your company owns. You can find more information about license documentation in the Microsoft Volume Licensing Overview.
Finding licensing documentation
After you know what you're looking for, how do you find it? The first step is to contact the person(s) responsible for new software acquisition in your company.
If you have a centralized purchasing department, start there.
If each department is responsible for their own software acquisition, get in touch with the department managers.
Your information technology (IT) department might have additional documentation such as software manuals and original product CDs.
If your company participates in one of the Microsoft Volume License Programs, you can visit special Web sites to access your license documentation.
If you have an Open License agreement, visit the secure eOpen site.
If you have a Select License or Enterprise Agreement, the Microsoft Volume Licensing Services site contains all of the information you need.
If you still have difficulty in locating your license information, contact your resellers for help.
License documentation safekeeping
After you have found all of your license documentation, store it in a safe place (off-site if possible). If your company decides to keep license documentation onsite, use of a fire-proof, waterproof, lockable cabinet or safe is recommended.
Compare the data
After you have collected all of your company's license documentation, record the information in a report. Then compare this report to the software inventory report you prepared in SAM Step 1. You could even use the same summary report used in Step 1 for this comparison. It should be easy to see where your company is over-licensed, under-licensed, or both.
Software Installed
Product Name
Version
Total Installs
Total Licenses Owned
License Excess or Deficiency
Office
XP
14
12
-2
Office
2000
12
12
0
Windows
XP
12
10
-2
Windows
2000
37
40
+3
If your company is over-licensed, software assets are going to waste. The software may be installed on additional PCs until the number of licenses equals the number of installs.
If your company is under-licensed, now is the time to acquire additional licenses through an authorized Microsoft software reseller.
