When the global economy first sank into recession, dozens of reports were published in which technology analysts speculated that software vendors would rely more heavily on software audits—and the resulting financial settlements—to compensate for lower revenues.  In tandem with this, organizations targeted by vendor audits were expected to have a higher rate of non-compliance because software asset management initiatives would be back-burnered—along with the true-ups that frequently come as a result—until budgets were once again secure.

So did these predictions bear themselves out?  From a philosophical standpoint, one could just as easily argue that software companies have a lot more to lose during uncertain economic times by terrorizing their customers.  But the answer would appear to be “yes,” at least in the United Kingdom, where a fair amount of research has been conducted on the topic. (I have yet to come across any specific research suggesting a US or overall global increase in vendor audits.)

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