Using genuine software: an ethical choice for business success

At sports events, ethical behaviour and values such as respect, honour and sportsmanship get utmost importance. Cheating is not tolerated in world-class sports. And in exactly the same vein, cheating or any type of unethical behavior should not be tolerated in the world of business.

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) reported in its 2011 BSA Global Software Piracy Study that the commercial value of software piracy in Thailand stood at Bt26.4 billion, with 59 per cent of the respondents admitting to buying pirated software “all the time”.

While the initial cost benefits might seem attractive, using pirated software could carry implications beyond Thailand. For example, Thai companies using pirated software that export their products to the US could be crippled by a law aimed to penalise the use of illegal IT. Many states in the US are enforcing their unfair competition laws and are taking actions against manufacturers who use illegal IT in their business operations to gain an unfair advantage. These manufacturers face the prospect of legal action, paying damages and ultimately having their products blacklisted.

 

Benefits of genuine software

At Microsoft Thailand, we work closely with our partners to educate them about the importance of using genuine, fully-licensed software. Led by Krittiya Eamsiri, who took over the newly created Intellectual Property Rights lead role for the company this summer, we have a strong team that advises customers on the right software and licensing strategy. The team goes out to customers with Software Asset Management tools, designed to provide a full overview of any unsure software use in your company – this might have slipped in accidentally – and provide advice on the right licensing strategy. Krittiya and the team will also educate and give good advice to customers about proper selection tools and support strategy on which licensing matches their company and the usage.

We put so much emphasis on this because we see the benefits that using genuine software brings to our customers. With genuine software, both your business and its reputation are in good hands. You can feel confident that installing and using only genuine software will ensure your systems deliver more value, run more reliably, and better protect vital business information, including trust and value in your company.

 

Nitipon Clinic: free from software worries

Studies show that when compared to computers with pirated software, computers with genuine software perform faster during boot-up, open programs, documents and high-memory Internet sites more quickly and just generally perform better. They are also better protected against viruses and other threats. 

One of our customers who benefitted from using genuine software is Nitipon Clinic, the leading dermatological and cosmeceutical company with branches all over Thailand. “Our team conducted a Software Asset Management screening with advice from the AP team of Microsoft. The process really helped us to understand which software we should acquire and use and what licensing should be used to get the optimal results,” Dr Nitipon  Chaisakulchai,  president of Nitipon Clinic,  said. Thanks to the insights and information from the team, it enabled them to increase productivity and connectivity to other branches. “Now we are free from software worries and can focus on the business and providing the best customer service,” Dr Nitipon added.

By working together we can create a level playing field in which good sportsmanship is rewarded. Fair-play for fair competition. That’s how it should be.

 

Birathon Kasemsri na Ayudhaya is managing director of Microsoft (Thailand).