The Business Technology Consumer Network could easily have helped this company avoid, or at the least minimize, the impact of this punitive audit. Nothing to buy - no new software or hardware - no new consultants to hire.  Just a simple application of POCS:

Plain Old Common Sense...

The latest scurvy victim to fall in the ongoing battle against software piracy is a software data management company in Bountiful, UT that paid an anti piracy enforcement group $250,000 in penalties for incorrectly licensed and managed software. Industry experts estimate that the company could easily have also paid $700,000 or more in additional hidden costs related to conducting and reporting the audit.

Software Anti Piracy Caution: There is rarely such a thing as a SINGLE software license violation audit. Any enterprise confronted for piracy or non compliance can expect follow-up audits at anytime for as long as five years. These follow-up audits may be conducted by the same enforcement as the original audit, OR an entirely new range of copyright enforcement audits may be initiated by additional copyright holders and their friends. Frequently, we see BOTH...

Don't become a helpless victim. The predatory software license compliance assurance auditors are hunting for you, your company--even your kids. With whistle-blower rewards reaching as much as $10,000 to an incredible $1,000,000 these letter-of-the-law groups are becoming increasingly more active.

If you are interested in building a serious wall of due diligence between you, your company, even your kids and the predatory copyright audit enforcement groups, read up on some of the strategies & tactics HERE.