| Software piracy remains the scourge of many a | | | | Â |
| software vendor. Through the efforts of lobbyist | | | | "It may be obvious to some, but for others, they still |
| organizations such as the Business Software Alliance | | | | consider computers as a productivity tool rather than |
| (BSA) governments in Asia are taking positive steps | | | | software. The simple answer is that you need |
| in reducing illegal software use both at the consumer | | | | software for a computer to function as a |
| level and in some cases even at the corporate and | | | | productivity tool. Once there is full appreciation of the |
| government levels. | | | | role and importance of software, that is when an |
| Â | | | | organization would attach full value to the |
| The recently completed "Global Software Piracy | | | | productivity it brings about, and be better prepared |
| Study" conducted by IDC and sponsored by the BSA | | | | to pay for it," notes Chan. |
| commends combined government and industry | | | | Â |
| anti-software efforts in slowing down software | | | | The mantra of the BSA hasn't changed significantly |
| piracy. Click here to read the report [ | | | | from its early days but the scope of the effort has |
| Â | | | | expanded with the widespread and growing adoption |
| "However, rapid PC growth in higher-piracy emerging | | | | of the Internet. |
| markets translates into an overall increase in global | | | | Â |
| piracy," said John Gantz, chief research officer at IDC. | | | | Chan notes that "Today, with the wide penetration |
| "We expect this trend to continue, meaning industry | | | | of the internet, the threat of virus attacks is |
| and government must increasingly focus their efforts | | | | prevalent everywhere with hundreds of new threats |
| on combating piracy in these emerging | | | | introduced each week." Chan encourages everyone |
| economies."Â Â | | | | to go to the organization's website to get a glimpse |
| Â | | | | of the BSA's range of work. |
| Leading the industry charge is the Business Software | | | | Â |
| Alliance (BSA) - a a trade group established in 1988 | | | | Two things might change the software piracy |
| and representing the interests of some of the | | | | landscape in the coming years: Software as a Service |
| world's largest software manufacturers. | | | | (SaaS) and Open Source Software. |
| Â | | | | Â |
| Roland Chan, Director of Marketing for BSA Asia, | | | | In the movie, "Sum of All Fears" a scared and angry |
| claims that the joint efforts by BSA and local | | | | American President is playing Chicken with his Kremlin |
| government bodies is helping change the perception | | | | counterpart. In the middle of the war of testorone is |
| about the value of intellectual property. | | | | CIA analyst Jack Ryan. Seeking to thwart the threat |
| Â | | | | of world annihiliation Ryan communicates to the |
| "The success of the awareness building process | | | | Russian President using the Internet. The American |
| stems from the close cooperation between the | | | | President ordered his aides to cut off Ryan but was |
| relevant government agencies and the BSA in rolling | | | | bluntly told that it is the nature of the Internet to be |
| out marketing program," says Chan. | | | | indestructible. |
| Â | | | | Â |
| What sort of success are we looking at? | | | | While the Internet has had its glitches, it has found a |
| Â | | | | strong following with business users of all size and |
| In Hong Kong, the BSA worked with the Hong Kong | | | | shapes. This low cost, highly reliable platform for |
| Government's Intellectual Property Department to | | | | conducting business is finding new found meaning to |
| launch the Genuine Business Software Campaign in | | | | businesses in the form of business software sold on |
| October 2006. Chan claims that the GBSC has | | | | a pay-as-you-go model. |
| resulted in "tremendous awareness being created in | | | | Â |
| the corporate sector of the virtues of software | | | | Not quite farther away is Open Source software. |
| asset management." | | | | Once the playground of students and the education |
| Â | | | | community, Open Source software that mimicks |
| Similarly, in Malaysia, the BSA works closely with the | | | | many of today's proprietary software is starting to |
| Malaysian Government's Ministry of Domestic Trade | | | | take root. And someday, businesses will find reliable |
| and Consumer Affairs, to conduct enforcement | | | | and low cost or almost "free" software that can run |
| related PR and rolling out marketing/educational | | | | their operations just as effectively as they do today |
| programs each year. Likewise in Singapore, the BSA | | | | with current generation of applications. |
| works closely with the Intellectual Property of | | | | Â |
| Singapore to conduct educational awareness | | | | What will work best for your business? Chan advises |
| programs. In Indonesia, the BSA works with closely | | | | companies thinking of about what software path to |
| with the Police as well as the Directorate General of | | | | take to do their homework. "Do your research, find |
| Intellectual Property Rights. | | | | the best solutions that fill your needs, and evaluate |
| Â | | | | the total cost of ownership when considering |
| Asked what remains as the biggest stumbling block | | | | investing into IT," he says. |
| to a wider acceptance of IP and significant reductions | | | | Â |
| in software piracy, Chan says there is still work | | | | "Software is a productivity tool, and the right |
| needed to increase appreciation for the role and | | | | selection, usage and management will result in |
| importance of software as an invaluable productivity | | | | businesses realizing maximum productivity and |
| tool of a business today. | | | | security in their use of IT," concludes Chan. |