Hot on the heels of Best Buy’s “Pre-Optimization” service, which any user can do themselves, Best Buy has decided to release a new program. We’ll call it “More Trialware!” That’s right, Best Buy seems to think that users want even more trialware on their computers, and now they’re getting paid by the software companies to do it to you. All you have to do is buy an HP or Dell and click a few icons, install a program or two and Best Buy makes money.

They still have to take that new computer out of the box, load software on it before you even buy it, then try to put everything back in the box correctly – something they couldn’t seem to do correctly a week ago.

I’ll give you all a secret. If you want to “pre-optimize” your computer, download and install a program called Crap Cleaner and run it before doing anything else to that brand new laptop or desktop. There are a lot of other things to do as well, but that is be best place to start. After that, customize your computer to how YOU want it, and you’re already better off.

You read that right! Businesses throughout Portland and other areas need to watch out about their licensing. The downturn is hurting everyone and let me tell you, everyone is trying to find out how to keep that money coming in.

An article hit the internet the other day out of Europe, but it’s a very good news item for anyone that will read it. It basically states that everyone needs to be careful about their licenses because a lot of software companies are starting to turn into the “dirty cops that sit at the bottom of the hill, behind a bush, simply to generate revenue.” Most of you don’t know, but during the installation process of almost any piece of software you install, you open yourself up (ie: agree) to be audited. Even Microsoft audits companies on occasion, and they are so serious about it, they PUBLISH who they audit to partners to keep us all in line. On top of that, you don’t even need to agree to be audited as Copyright Law plays into software piracy.

Now, is a Software Audit really that serious? YES!!!

There is a reason Software Audits are called “Software Raids”. Businesses generally receive 1 to 2 weeks notice, at most, of an upcoming software audit. Imagine having to look at every single program on every computer and determine if you’re licensed or not. Then, after you find out how many programs you’re illegally using, you find out just how hot that water can get(“illegal” is a general use term here as you’re required to show purchase receipts. Software keys, boxes, etc are “suspect” because YOU may not have bought them, legally, etc…). Auditors don’t come in and just look through your computer, they use automated tools that search your computer for software, but they also tend to focus on just the programs they know about. Tell them a little too much info and your investigation will get larger. Also, the fact that you’re being audited means something to other companies, so expect to have other companies knock on your door as well.

Think it won’t happen to you? Think again. There are several companies that perform software audits for various businesses and they pay rewards to people that report you and your business. That means that if you’ve ever fired any employees, or have any that just really don’t like working for you, the prospect of making money can be too great. Rewards are paid out when there is a a successful audit and the amount depends on how much you’re fined.

Software licenses are governed by contracts with vendors, and by U.S. Copyright law. You as an individual and your company may both be at risk for civil and criminal penalties for software license violations. Fines for corporations can reach $150,000 for each illegally installed copy of software. As an individual, you could be criminally prosecuted, fined up to $250,000 and even face jail time — up to five years.

Here’s another article you should read concerning software audits/raids. It explains how they happen and what you should do. I’ve worked with a guy that was at two different companies that got audited and he even stated that the people that show up are lawyers that act as sales guys. Because of how audits work, Protocol16 will actually recommend that you speak with a lawyer about your situation before contacting any company about a software audit. There is an Client/Attorney confidentiality law out there that may help you during your audit. Bringing in a company, such as us, will not legally help you and we may find more things wrong as well.

This entire situation is one of many reasons that Protocol16 always recommends that business customers setup Standard User Accounts on all employee computers. It’s hard to tell what each employee may have installed without you knowing. You could have illegal software or even MP3’s on your computers and network – bad news.

Now that I may have scared some of you, I won’t leave you hanging. There are ways to protect yourself and your business. Mostly, just taking an interest in what you and your employees install can make the biggest dent. I’ve mentioned that you shouldn’t install products such as the free version of antivirus packages, such as AVG, before and this is where those decisions count. If you have more computers and users than you know what to do with, there are self auditing tools out there that can help you as well. One great program is Microsoft SAM. This program will allow you to audit up to 150 computers, which classifies as a smaller”large” business. This product will help most businesses to get a handle on their issues. Don’t put it off until it’s too late!

As always, let us know if you have any questions.
Justin

This is something that Protocol16 sees a lot around the Portland Metro and we have a very specific answer:

“No”

The reasons:

• The free versions of most software packages, including AVG, are for home use only. The licensing requirements for most software packages require a license to be purchased for commercial use. While this doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, there are stipulations to most software, including Windows, that you need to know about: Microsoft and other software manufacturers reserve the right, in their licenses, to come into YOUR business and audit your software licenses. If Microsoft or another company audits your software and finds problems, they will alert other manufacturers of those problems, causing a legal nightmare for you and your business. If you’re currently in a situation that could cost you money from the above situation, click here for a news story about how bad it can get… Not to continue pounding on this horrifying situation, but the Business Software Alliance makes it easy for current and past employees to report licensing fraud, to the tune of a $1 Million reward (and as of this writing, AVG is a “Spotlight” member)… If you’ve paid attention to past stories, you know a little bit about Page Rank (popularity, according to Google on a 0-10 sliding ranking system – 10 being the most popular) – BSA has a Page Rank of 7, higher than the Yahoo homepage at 5.
• AVG, while popular, is not as thorough as it should be. With the latest tests from AV-Comparatives, AVG didn’t place well. This may sound odd, but despite all the “good” reviews of AVG, it doesn’t work as well as it should – Free is Free, and you typically get what you pay for. While there are other free antivirus programs out there, they are not for commercial use.

What Antivirus Program Should I Use?
Protocol16 works closely with many companies to test software and hardware. We’ve worked with Symantec (aka: Norton), McAfee, and others. The best Antivirus solutions we’ve found are:

Home Use: (Free)

Avira Antivirus – MANY computer repair shops use Avira to help correct virus issues. While a lot of us use the the registered version, as well as other software, Avira is one of the best antivirus packages.

Business Use: (Commercial)

G Data: Considered the best antivirus package in the AV-Comparatives review showcase. It had low false positives, let very few actual infections past it and shined on all the tests earning it a 3 out of 3 review.

VIPRE: This is a new-comer to the market. They’ve hit advertising hard and fast with full page ads in all the Microsoft publications and more. While they have not been tested on AV-Comparatives, for now Protocol16 will recommend using it. We’ve had it installed on our internal network for testing and it has not slowed down anything or caused any tpe of crazy problems. We’ll revisit our review once AV-Comparatives reviews them as well.

The reason we listed three different software packages is because every situation is unique, requirements are different and we’re not going to tell you what you should install.

Lastly, the licensing situation above can be nasty, any good PC Repair company can help assist with licensing issues and assist in self-auditing your computers and networks to ensure that crazy things don’t happen. Coming from a large-network environment, I’ve been through several audits and as such, Protoco1l6 is more than capable in assisting in setting up an internal program to help you protect yourself.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them below or give Protocol16 a call.
Justin

While roaming the internet, I found that there are a lot of sites listing the ins and outs of nearly everything, but I couldn’t find anything locally that reviewed software specifically from the business aspect. So I thought to myself “Would I suggest a business use something like a free anti-virus program like XXXXX?” The answer was “no”, but how would your typical business owner know about that? Why would they go out looking over the internet at 6,000 sites when they can just look at a local computer repair company to get some basic answers and perhaps talk to more to see about their specific situation?

Well, now you can look to a local computer repair company for those answers. So, Protocol16 now offers a Software Review Category as well as a Hardware Review Category.

With the Software Review category, I’ll start with a review a popular “free” antivirus program and explain why your business should shy away from it. I’ll also go on to suggest a product Protocol16 has been testing recently and am very happy with.

For the Hardware Review category, I’ll discuss the pricing difference between building a custom server or buying a named-brand server. I’m actually in this exact situation right now with a client. Believe it or not, the difference between a name-brand vs a custom built server can be a huge amount of money – but there are downfalls as well.

The Review categories will probably be a once-a-month post, but depending on time, I may post more. If you’re a business, or consumer and you would like something specific reviewed, please let me know and Protocol16 will do it’s best to review it.
Justin

PS: First post is tomorrow, and I’ll discuss that free antivirus software…