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ADEC BECOMES SAM-CERTIFIED

October 23, 2006 : Manila

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is pleased to celebrate Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Week with IP Philippines and the rest of the IP Community by announcing the recipients for this year's SAM Advantage Certificate.

The Business Software Alliance (BSA), the foremost organization dedicated to promoting safe and legal digital world, announced that only 133 companies were certified under its SAM Advantage Program, a campaign that recognizes companies that have successfully implemented a software asset management (SAM) practice. They received a SAM Advantage Certificate which guarantees one year immunity from BSA- initiated enforcement actions.

The small number of companies that qualified for the SAM Advantage Certificate is a reflection of the need for more education and actions to raise awareness on SAM in the Philippines. "While we congratulate the 133 companies that qualified for the SAM Advantage Program, the small number compared to the thousands of business organizations operating in the Philippines is alarming. This is a hard fact that many companies remain complacent and ignorant about managing their software properly. They leave a lot of security risks including the possibility of using unlicensed software. Company officers should learn to be conscious of software installed on their computers and how they are used, as they will be the ones liable if their company I caught using pirated software," said Hwee Chong Ng, Chair of BSA Philippines Committee.

The BSA has been promoting SAM adoption to help companies take full advantage of their IT resources. "Software should be considered an investment which a company needs to properly plan for and manage. We have seen the ugly consequences of using unlicensed software such as virus attacks that could destroy important data, possibility of legal actions that could result in imprisonment or hefty fines, and the embarrassment it brings to the companies", said NG.

Law enforcement agencies such as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have already raided many companies for violating Philippines' copyright laws. Under the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, officers of companies caught using pirated software may face up to nine years of imprisonment and a fine up to 1.5 million pesos.

The result of the SAM Advantage Program revealed that although the 133 certified companies came from various industries such as business process outsourcing, construction/engineering and manufacturing, the percentage is very low amongst the total number of companies in their respective industries. While most of the participating companies belong to the manufacturing sector, there is little participation from big industries such as banking/finance, telecommunications, and call centers.

"Companies should recognize that the software they utilize in their business operation is an important tool which increases productivity. We would like to see more companies getting certified for proper software management. We hope that the 133 companies we've certified will serve as role models to their respective industries," said Ng.

Almost All businesses have become reliant on computer software for their growth and productivity. Through proper SAM practice, companies will be able to take full control of their software and avoid installation of unlicensed software. The SAM process involves a set of policies that includes assessing and auditing of software use, setting side a budget for software procurement and issuing a company policy on use of software.

Resources and tools on SAM implementation are available on the BSA website,

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