One way to simplify licensing is an Enterprise Agreement (EA) as it can cover all desktop PCs, each running a standard set of Microsoft software so there's no need to figure out who's running what. Companies can fess up once a year based on PC count.

While this can benefit EA holders, Gartner analyst Alvin Park warns it opens the door to high-pressure sales tactics.Park said clients have complained for years about Microsoft sales representatives mentioning potential licence-compliance problems and then saying that "an EA will make that go away".

Whether Microsoft intended or not, Park said, some clients felt they were being threatened with an audit.

There are now seven Microsoft partners in Australia that have achieved SAM competency; Microsoft supports free SAM seminars for customers as well as free audit tools and an ROI calculator.

Have you participated in the SAM program? Tell us about your experience by e-mailing sandra_rossi@idg.com.au