Software Licenses: DOD's Plan to Collect Inventory Data Meets Statutory Requirements

摘要

Why GAO Did This Study. DOD plans to spend at least $31 billion on information technology products and services in fiscal year 2014, including software licenses. Further, DOD engages in hundreds of licensing agreements annually. Effective management of software licenses can help organizations avoid purchasing too many licenses that result in unused software and/or too few licenses that result in noncompliance with license terms, which can lead to additional fees. To help DOD effectively manage its software licenses, section 937 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 mandated that the department issue a plan for developing a DOD-wide inventory of selected software licenses. The accompanying Senate report mandated that GAO review the plan. In response to the Act, DOD issued the plan in July 2013. GAO's objective was to determine whether DOD's software license inventory plan met four requirements that were specified in the act. To do so, GAO collected and analyzed key supporting materials, such as DOD's software license spend analysis, data collection instrument, and guidance provided to DOD components. GAO also interviewed officials with knowledge of the plan.