In this podcast we take a hard look at where we really stand with software audits as we head into 2026 – who’s actually auditing, how their tactics have shifted, and where the real risk now sits. We unpack “cooperative” audit-immunity deals (like IBM’s), the rise of volume-based audits over strategically targeting customers, and the new players stepping in as old names step back. We will also the new audit defence tactics that will be required as we move towards more AI-driven, consumption based metrics.

"Within three days of expiring, the Audit letter and hit them out and they're literally coming three days after said like we're going to order you now. When you think about the amount of time it takes them to plan that, because the Audit letter mentions the auditor it mentions the Audit company, it mentions the contract so they've also been planning this over two or three weeks. So they knew before long before the ELA was going to expire that they were going to come in an audit just to make sure that there was no further revenue I could get from the relationship. " Barry Pilling, bedigital