Two weeks ago you started a new job as system administrator for a computer lab a
ID: 3844824 • Letter: T
Question
Two weeks ago you started a new job as system administrator for a computer lab at a small college. Wanting to make a good impression, you immediately set out to learn more about the various applications provided to the users of the lab. One of the packages, an engineering design tool, seemed way out of date. You looked through the lab’s file of licensing agreements to see how much it would cost to get an upgrade. To your horror, you discovered that the college never purchased a license for the software—it is running a bootlegged copy!
When you bring this to the attention of your boss, the college’s Director of Information Technology, he says, “The license for this software would cost us $10,000, which we don't have in our budget right now. This software is absolutely needed for our engineering students, though. Maybe we can get the license next year. For the time being, just keep the current version running.”
How would you respond to your manager?
Please provide your answer with at least 4 parpagraphs.
Explanation / Answer
I would respond to it as follows....
Sir, I want to draw your attention on some concerns. As I said, this software requires a license to use it. So if we are using it without license, it means the violation of international laws and copyright act. So at first we should not use this without a license.
Because if the company comes to know regarding this, they can file a case against the institute and the claim amount will be much more than $10,000. Moreover, the institute reputation will also go down and as you said, students need this software so much, they won't be able to use it anymore if the case is filed. So it won't help the students also.
I want to tell you regarding the software as well. If you're thinking that how company will come to know regarding this there are certain ways. For example, if they are rolling an update and although this is an boot-legged copy, they may allow to update it as well in order to find unauthorized use. So the software can get update and can connect to internet and may be they come to know about this.
This is just a possible way. There's another things also. Being a system administrator, I can draw your attention to the details that as the software is worth so much, they are storing the data at different places. We can't completely search and remove them. So if you think that if a case is filed then we'll uninstall it; then also there are chances that they can trace our systems and can show that we were using the software if the software is saving the software important files and we can't see them then this will also cause trouble.
So sir I would suggest one way also if possible. As this software is commercial, you can ask the software teachers from our institute who knows each and every small detail of the software to find out an alternative for the software. And preferably if the exact freeware is found then that's great but I would suggest to find an open source alternative. If it is missing 1 or 2 things then also as it is open sourced, we can customize it as per our requirements as per the license provided with it. So this also can be done if possible, if you're thinking not to pay the huge amount. But sir if this doesn't work, I would still say to purchase a license or to write to them in which we'll say the details of how much PCs are such in which we need the software and if we can get a custom quote for the same, it would be great. So it will be official also. So I would suggest to go officially in the best way possible.
Do comment if there is any query. Thank you. :)
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