FACT FAST farce – CORRECTION
p2pnet news view P2P:- “This might more properly be filed under ‘entertainment’. Because you have to laugh. Or you would if it wasn’t so pathetic.”
That’s how I led of with a story on a FAST, a company touting its association with Microsoft.
I went on to say, “Fast Consultancy Services, a FACT (Farcical Approaches to Copyright Transgressions, or Federation Against Copyright Theft, in the alternative) spin company says it’s signed up Microsoft.”
However, FAST is nothing to do with FACT.
It’s a software industry organisation on a similar mission to FACT.
I humbly apologise to FAST for suggesting it’s anything to do with FACT.
Jon Newton
Meanwhile, the story went on »»»
The company isn’t, however, actually selling anything real
Instead, it says it, “provides Software Asset Management services to help organisations achieve a sustainable best practice framework and a cost-saving approach to Software Asset Management (SAM),” whatever the hell that means.
But it looks good and with Microsoft apparently onside, it may be enough to convince gullible companies it actually has something meaningful to offer.
It, “has begun selling a software compliance tool aimed at small to medium-sized businesses in the UK that run Windows-based machines, have Internet Explorer as their default browser and £3,500 to spare,” says The Register.
Meanwhile, £3,500 (more than $5,000) multiplied a few thousand times represents a decent bit of change, especially when it’s virtually free.
Fast’s managing director Andy Pearce told The Register »»»
We don`t sell software, we don`t sell training – we sell a membership and we have a range of consulting and professional services.
heh
Pearce, “also attempted to underline why such a tool is critical to a business,” says the story, adding:
“He claimed that one unnamed public sector borough was a staggering £600,000 over-licenced, after it failed to record what software it had on old hardware that had simply been ditched. He said a multinational company based in the Midlands got into a similar pickle and ended up £1.3m over licence with its software.”
Now you know.
Or, rather, you don’t.
Pearce, “refused to reveal the identities of the organisations,” says The Register.
According to him, “It wouldn’t be right of me to name names.”
The Register – Copyright cops launch MS-happy software compliance tool, February 12, 2009
totally clueless – YouTube, Hulu, top illegal host sites: Warner Bros, November 19, 2008
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February 13th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Just one point of clarity; FAST Consultancy Services has nothing at all to do with FACT; it is a private organization. And while the benefit of “buying” SAM from FAST might indeed be questionable, there is no doubt that many organizations are both horrendously over-licensed in some areas of the software estate, and out of compliance in others. SAM does make sense; you just need to choose who you partner with very carefully…
February 13th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
@ M Fisher
Thanks. I was quoting The Register, which says, “Fast Consultancy Services has begun selling a software compliance tool aimed … The company, which is a spin off from the Federation Against Software Theft …”
Is this perhaps like the SoundExchange, formerly owned by the RIAA but, ’spun off’ as a separate organisation?
Cheers!
February 13th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
The Register is correct, FAST Consultancy Services is indeed a spin-off of the Federation Against SOFTWARE Theft, which is a separate organization to the Federation Against COPYRIGHT Theft. FAST (as opposed to FACT) looks specifically at software licensing and compliance. Hope that helps!
February 13th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Talk about getting your facts mixed up! (blush). Iâve posted a correction.
Thanks again, M Fisher
Cheers!
February 13th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
FAST Consultancy Services is a division of FAST Limited which in turn is owned by the IRIS Software Group Ltd. The IRIS Software Group is a commercial organisation which trades off the back of FAST’s (Federation Against Software Theft) branding by misleading companies into believing that they are one of the same and that the services it offers are endorsed by the Federation when they are not. The membership program referred to is not owned by FAST Consultancy Services it is owned by FAST Corporate Services which is also owned by FAST Limited. It would be welcomed by most of corporate UK if someone from the Federation could clarify who FAST Limited, FAST Corporate Services and FAST Consultancy Services are and what the relationship is………….