1.4Software, licences & drivers
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Three distinct notions: the software (the program), the licence (the right to use it) and the driver (the link with the hardware).
- You install only from a reliable source: a "crack" is a malware vector and a compliance breach.
- Owning the software is not enough: it is the number of licences that counts — an up-to-date inventory avoids nasty audit surprises.
Rolling mini-case — Sofiane takes inventory of the SME's licences
The SME distributor in Algiers where Sofiane works has just been contacted by a publisher for a licence audit. Sofiane takes the opportunity to clearly distinguish the three notions: the software (the installed program), the licence (the right to use it, with its conditions) and the driver (the software that makes the hardware talk to the OS). He lists the fleet's installations and compares them with the number of licences held: 12 Office licences for 20 equipped workstations, i.e. 8 workstations under-licensed. He notes the gap, then proposes a regularisation — buy more, uninstall or reassign — and sets up an up-to-date inventory. He also keeps in mind the rule on drivers: take the manufacturer's, up to date but stable, never at the expense of production.
Standalone case for this section: it returns in the course, the diagram, the script and the 48h challenge of section 1.4.
1. Three distinct things
Three notions are often confused: the software (the program), the licence (the right to use it, with its conditions) and the driver (the software that makes the hardware talk to the OS). The three are managed together but follow different logic — technical for software and drivers, legal and budgetary for licences. Sofiane separates them mentally before any installation.
2. Installing cleanly
You install software from a reliable source (official publisher, company repository), never a "crack" downloaded from who knows where — it is a classic malware vector and a compliance breach. For drivers, favour those from the hardware manufacturer, up to date but stable: "the newest" is not always "the safest" in production.
3. Licences: compliance matters
A licence specifies how many workstations/users are covered and how (perpetual purchase, subscription, per device or per user). Under-licensing exposes you to a legal and financial risk during an audit. Keeping an inventory of licences is a serious part of the job: it links actual installations and held rights, and lets you regularise before an audit does it for you.
🔎 Concrete example — 🔎 Concrete example — "We bought Office, why does an audit worry us?"
Sofiane's SME has "Office", but 20 workstations for 12 licences:
12 licences bought ≠ 20 active installations
→ 8 workstations under-licensed = non-compliant
→ audit risk: regularisation + possible penaltiesReading: owning the software is not enough; it is the number of licences that counts.
Lesson: an up-to-date inventory avoids nasty surprises and the cost of an emergency regularisation.
Section vocabulary
- Software
- A program installed to accomplish a task (office, business…).
Simple example: Sofiane installs the invoicing software on the accounting workstation.
What it is not: a simple data file with no program.
Reflex: software = the program.
- Licence
- The right to use software, with its conditions (number, duration, mode).
Simple example: Sofiane checks how many workstations the Office licence covers.
What it is not: believing that having the software is enough, without counting the rights.
Reflex: licence = how many and how.
- Driver
- Software linking a hardware component to the operating system.
Simple example: Sofiane installs the sales department's printer driver.
What it is not: hardware plugged in but not recognised by the OS.
Reflex: silent hardware → manufacturer driver.
- Compliance
- Using software in accordance with the licences held.
Simple example: Sofiane regularises the 8 under-licensed workstations before the audit.
What it is not: installing more workstations than licences bought.
Reflex: compliance → installations ≤ licences.
- Software inventory
- A census of the software and licences installed in the fleet.
Simple example: Sofiane keeps an up-to-date inventory to link workstations and rights.
What it is not: discovering the gaps only on audit day.
Reflex: fleet → up-to-date inventory.
In practice — In practice — Checking a simple compliance situation
- Choose a paid piece of software in the fleet and find its licence type (per workstation, per user, subscription).
- Count the actual installations.
- Compare with the number of licences held and note any gap.
- Propose a regularisation (buy more, uninstall, reassign).
Step-by-step script — inventory licences like Sofiane (5 min)
1) List the fleet's paid software and each one's licence type (per workstation, per user, subscription). 2) Count the actual installations workstation by workstation. 3) Compare with the number of licences held: note every gap. 4) Regularise (buy more, uninstall or reassign). 5) Update an inventory that links installations and rights.
For drivers: download them from the manufacturer, up to date but stable — you don't update a driver in the middle of production without testing.
Copy-paste template — my licence inventory
Software: ___
Licence type: per workstation / per user / subscription / perpetual
Number of licences held: ___
Actual installations: ___
Gap: ___
Regularisation action: buy more / uninstall / reassign
Inventory updated: yes / noUnder-licensing
Sofiane spots 8 workstations too many for 12 Office licences and notes the gap before the audit.
Regularise
Sofiane proposes to buy more, uninstall or reassign the excess workstations.
Reliable source
Sofiane refuses any crack and installs only from the publisher or the company repository.
Stable driver
Sofiane chooses an up-to-date but stable manufacturer driver, tested before rolling out.
✓ Best practices
- Install only from official sources.
- Keep an up-to-date inventory of licences.
- Prefer manufacturer drivers, up to date but stable.
✗ Common pitfalls
- Downloading "cracks" (malware + illegal).
- Confusing "we have the software" with "we have enough licences".
- Updating a driver that is unstable in the middle of production.
Key takeaways
- Software (program), licence (right of use), driver (hardware link): three distinct things.
- Install only from reliable sources.
- A licence says how many and how; under-licensing is a risk.
- Licence inventory is part of the job.
48h challenge — apply it tomorrow
Take a paid piece of software from your fleet and do as Sofiane does: licence type, number of rights held, actual installations, then the gap. In one sentence, write what you would do to regularise (buy more, uninstall or reassign).
- I tell software, licence and driver apart.
- I can install from a reliable source and choose a stable driver.
- I can spot a licence non-compliance before an audit.
Frequently asked questions
Subscription or perpetual purchase, which to choose?
A subscription spreads the cost and includes updates; a perpetual purchase costs more up front but pays off over time. The choice depends on the budget, the need for the latest versions and the intended duration of use.
Should you always install the latest driver?
No: "the newest" is not always "the most stable". In production, you update a driver to fix a specific problem or a vulnerability, not as a matter of principle, and you test before rolling out.
What is the difference between software and its licence?