'Indian ready to pay for genuine software'

Most Indians are ready to shell out more for original software rather than pirated versions, as they feel genuine products are more secure and stable, according to a Microsoft survey.

"More than 75 per cent of consumers in India said they believed genuine software was more secure, more stable and was easier to keep up-to-date," the survey released today said.

Coming against the backdrop of rising software piracy, the survey found many participants were in need of ways to protect themselves from inadvertently purchasing counterfeit software.

Going by the report, 86 per cent of Indians are ready to pay more for genuine software, while 79 per cent feel there is a need to protect themselves from unknowingly buying illegal software.

About 2,000 people in India took part in the survey, which covered more than 38,000 people across 20 countries. Consumers that had a personal computer and were the primary decision-makers at home on PC/software purchases took part in the survey.

Microsoft India Director (Genuine Software Initiative) Anil Varghese said the survey findings showed that users in India were gradually acknowledging the risks of using pirated or counterfeit software.

"Approximately, 6,000 Indian customers have reported the incidents of pirated or illegal software to Microsoft India in the last two years," he noted.

He pointed out that the number of complaints related to piracy has increased in recent times, which is a good sign of increased awareness among consumers.

As per the survey, 82 per cent of respondents said software companies should do more to stop their products from being counterfeited and 76 per cent believed the government should take more steps to curb illegal software.

In its fight against piracy, Microsoft India is also carrying out various programmes to create awareness among consumers and resellers about the risks associated with pirated software.

For corporate clients, Microsoft conducts software asset management audits to ensure there are no incidents of piracy.

IT services firm Symphony's CIO Vijaya Shaker said the company is using technology to ensure compliance with guidelines against piracy. Symphony is a client of Microsoft.