Microsoft Licensing Audit

[cava83]

Hi guys,

Just got a letter from MS regarding they want to audit our licensing.

Also got an email.

Have you guys had this done and if so, what was it like?

Thanks,

G.

 

[Cookie]

I'd make sure you're 100% sorted, the MS auditors I've seen in the past are evil f*****s

 

[JackoR26]

We have had it done twice at my work, seems they are doing them every two years now.

First time we were slightly out :rasp:

 

[cava83]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Well, got everything on an inventory sheet that I have.

We use spiceworks and have my management reports on there, of what licenses.

I must be around 70% ok hopefully.

Just downloaded their SAM tool, let's see what that says.

A bit worried, but we willl hope for the best.

The worst is acquisitions, every business we have bought has been far from ideal.

 

[JackoR26]

Start collecting serials from your OEM as they will require 5 of each, it used to be COA codes as well but they didn't ask for those the second time round.

I use openaudit to scan our network as i thought Spiceworks was a bit too much.

 

[Dafthead]

Aye we're going through it now, nothing to worry about.

 

[cava83]

Start collecting serials from your OEM as they will require 5 of each, it used to be COA codes as well but they didn't ask for those the second time round.

I use openaudit to scan our network as i thought Spiceworks was a bit too much.

Thanks Jacko.

Normally use Spiceworks for the licensing, but it's a bit of a biatch. Thanks for openaudit, didn't know about it, will investigate further and see what it is like.

I've rebuilt 90% of our machines, and I am using a single VLK key for all the OEM machines, that makes life easier. Don't have 5 of each, most machines are XP, small number are Vista.

That spreadsheet they sent me looks inmense, will sort it out.

Just makes me think, if we didnt have VLK, and just purchased OEM and Retail, MS would never know about anything really.

Not bothered about the audit, as it's good practice and will learn from it.

 

[JackoR26]

Openaudit is very good and simple to setup, i then just launch a batch file from my pc to do the audit every day. You can setup a schedule once its all setup and working via the website but ive never bothered with it that way. It flags PC's that have not been audited for 3 months so i just delete those and it removes all the software they had from the database.

Yea, the spreadsheet is a right pain, thankfully we only have 250 users so it didnt take me too long. I had also learnt a lot from the first audit so started to keep spreadsheets for all of our MS licensing which i now compare regularly against the openaudit figures, the second time round we were only two office pro licenses out which we already knew about :approve:

 

[dk]

Thanks Jacko.

Normally use Spiceworks for the licensing, but it's a bit of a biatch. Thanks for openaudit, didn't know about it, will investigate further and see what it is like.

I've rebuilt 90% of our machines, and I am using a single VLK key for all the OEM machines, that makes life easier. Don't have 5 of each, most machines are XP, small number are Vista.

That spreadsheet they sent me looks inmense, will sort it out.

Just makes me think, if we didnt have VLK, and just purchased OEM and Retail, MS would never know about anything really.

Not bothered about the audit, as it's good practice and will learn from it.

Our sam guys are heavily utilised these days and are used for exactly this. We do official work for Microsoft, if we do your audit, I believe ms won't touch you afterwards.

 

[cava83]

I know DK but I work for a tight ass company and paying for a couple of days consultancy is not really an option when we are small enough to do it in house. As much as we love Softcat, that money is better utilised in other areas such as marketing for generating extra revenue*.

 

[ChrisR]

As said nothing to worry about much, have gone through the self audit process with them a few times with Softcat as a SAM partner

Tools I use for the job are SCCM and Frontrange Discovery + License Manager.

Just reconcile my reported data with the ELP spreadsheet from MS and fill in the other spreadsheet (forget the name of it now), give it to Matt from Softcat who sends it off to MS for me.

Our sam guys are heavily utilised these days and are used for exactly this. We do official work for Microsoft, if we do your audit, I believe ms won't touch you afterwards.

I'll really miss woking with Mr Ward when I leave my current job. Thoroughly nice chap, although sure I'll keep in contact.