Did you receive an email about an “internal self-assessment”?  Is this an audit?

I wouldn’t say this is an audit, but it is something you should seek advice.  Microsoft does have the right to verify usage reporting.  compliance, and enforce all underreported licenses are paid for (at a premium)  Sounds exciting, right?

Good news is this is a self-assessment.  You know what is being delivered, how it is being accessed, and when the servers and/or users were deployed.  This information is critical to understanding your datacenter environment and how you should be reporting.

Why I think you should seek advice is to be informed.  The last thing you want to happen is to have this self-assessment turn into a full audit.  Make sure to understand your reporting, your risks, and be comfortable with the data presented.   Assessments are not always bad, on one hand it can provide you with an overview of what is installed and how you should be properly billing your end users.  On the other, don’t let this lead to a full audit.

We do have a team that can assist with expertise in understanding SPLA environments, assessments, and audit processes.  Let’s eliminate risk before it becomes a risk.  Please email info@splalicensing.com to learn more.

Thanks for reading,

SPLA Man