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SPLA Compliance: why it matters more than ever

SPLA Audits are back!

Almost a year ago, we advised our partner community that when it comes to SPLA licensing compliance, being transparent is better than being exposed. At the time, we anticipated that Microsoft would reboot SPLA audits after a long hiatus during the pandemic.

Along with recently announced changes to SPLA pricing, Microsoft has confirmed a comprehensive SPLA audit campaign is now underway.

Actions stemming from the reinvigorated focus on SPLA compliance includes include self-assessment notifications and rigorous hard audits.

What this means for Crayon’s partners, and what can you do to ensure your SPLA house is in order

If the result of the audit finds a partner to be non-compliant, the financial penalties are substantial. Partners should expect that Microsoft can and will take legal action where necessary to recoup what is owed, should an audit result in a finding of non-compliance.

If you’re unsure of your SPLA compliance position, it is time to act, and Crayon can help.

Is your SPLA business a compliance soft spot?

A few simple questions can help you to work this out:

1. Do you have a dedicated Microsoft software licensing resource in-house?

Staying on top of all the changes from Microsoft across various programs, platforms and products is a daunting task at the best of times. Updates to SPLA licensing terms and conditions is just one of very many information signals in the vast Microsoft ecosystem.

Not every partner is able to dedicate resources to SPLA licensing management and compliance administration, and this can result in under/over-reporting usage.

2. Do you currently track your monthly Microsoft SPLA license usage including BYO licenses?

Did you know that recent changes to SPLA now allows your customers to ‘BYO’ all their eligible licenses to run in SPLA environments? This adds further complexity to tracking and reporting of SPLA in dynamic environments where customer usage can fluctuate significantly. The lack of visibility across customer workloads is a significant contributor to most shortfalls in Microsoft SPLA audits.

3. Do you have an ongoing SPLA communications program in place for customers?

With the new BYO licensing allowances for SPLA customers, partners must take on the responsibility of informing customers about SPLA compliance requirements. If your customers are not aware of the implications of their software usage, it does not exempt you from the resulting non-compliance liability.

4. Do you track SPLA license usage via scripts, proprietary tools, or MS Excel?

The more manual your processes are, the higher the chances of inaccurate reporting and the longer it can take to collate all the information needed if you were notified of a SPLA audit.

5. Do you have all the information needed to satisfy an audit, if your business did receive a notification from Microsoft?

This can include, but is not limited to license deployment records, Software Asset Management reports, usage data, configuration records, records of license transfers and reassignments, inventory reports and audit logs. Preparing for a SPLA audit is a stressor everyone can do without. It sucks up time and resource that would be better spent focused on customers and core business.

How to gain SPLA compliance transparency, fast

The first line of defence is to have a solution in place that eliminates the risk of being targeted for an audit, at all.

Crayon’s SPLA Health Check Assessment is powered by KPMG certified solution provider, Octopus Cloud. This assessment aims to identify any gaps in your SPLA management and reporting processes and tools.

Why Crayon for SPLA Licensing Assurance?

Working with Crayon provides you with a proactive opportunity to validate your compliance before Microsoft knocks on your door. We will work with you to identify and remediate any risks, close up process gaps and ensure you’re on the front foot.

As the third largest SPLA reseller in the world, we are firmly committed to continuing to support our SPLA hosting community. We have always been channel-first, partner-first.

Our team has deep in-house Microsoft SPLA licensing expertise and is able to support your ability to protect your customers and your bottom line when it comes to SPLA compliance.

Schedule your SPLA Health Check Assessment, today.

Book an Assessment

We are on our partners’ side. Always. Our team is standing by to help you get on the front foot ahead of the SPLA audit campaign.