Introduction
The degree to which technology has become a part of normal life and day-to-day commerce has prompted a change in the way management approaches how they manage the finances, the processes and the systems within a business. Computing becoming an important factor in business.
As technology becomes more widely used within an organisation and takes a more prominent critical within the critical functions of that organisation, it is necessary to make sure that an appropriate level of attention is given to this computing. Technological systems that may have once been ignored are now key in the decision making process.
IT departments have come a long way over the past few years and are now seen as vital parts of any organisation. As such, they are allocated greater budgets but must also be able to handle a larger amount of work.
But after you have spent a substantial amount of money on developing your IT system and seen the requirements of your organisation change, how do you ensure that the IT you are using can keep up with demand?
This is the function by IT management software and procedures.
Every company and every situation will have different needs and will offer different challenges. To satisfy these requirements there are a number of different solutions and approaches that can be used to help control the IT assets of your business.One of these solutions is discussed below.
Software Asset Management
Software Asset Management (SAM) is designed to do exactly what it says on the tin - monitoring and maintaining the deployment and usage of software programs within your organisation. It is a business process rather than a distinct skill and is becoming a more essential part of the modern corporate environment, particularly for companies operating in the field of Information Technology.
SAM is not simply a program for technicians rolling out software across a large company network, but can be a crucial tool to help improve performance at many levels of a business. The aims of SAM include monitoring expenses of the IT infrastructure within a company, negating legal risks associated with incorrect software license usage and preserving high levels of productivity by making sure software is up to date and fit for its purpose.
The practice of SAM is often viewed as an unnecessary evil due to the abstract nature of what it is designed to deal with, and the commercial case for going with a SAM solution is not always obvious until a full of the software infrastructure of a company has been done. Once existing problems have been highlighted however, the use of SAM becomes self evident.
Economic benefits are still the most driving business factor when deciding to use software asset management technology within an organisation. Every business needs to make money after all and revenue is a very measurable figure. The financial benefits of software asset management do certainly exist however.
An increasingly large percentage of a company’s IT budget is spent on software licensing so there is a vital need to invest to correctly monitor this spending. As companies grow and spread, their software needs can change radically and equipment and software can swiftly become outdated. There is no need to spend money to maintain the licenses on this outdated software, which is where software asset management really delivers an edge.
SAM is not limited to simply the technology of your company either. As a management operation it will often involve many of the branches within a business, including Finance Human Resources, to ensure that it runs as cost-effectively as possible. It is a process that does not need to follow established corporate levels.
Software asset management can easily be achieved within your business through a operable Centennial Discovery strategy that is tailored to your requirements.
Why follow a SAM Strategy?
Having heard the many benefits of utilising a software asset management solution, how do you know that it would be correct for your company? Every company is different and has its own unique set of problems and benefits, so any strategy you will undertake needs to be catered to these specific traits. The benefits of SAM do cover the basic aspects of software management.
There are more than simply financial advantages that can be achieved through the control of licensing and maintenance agreements across a companies IT system. Productivity can be greatly by ensuring that employees have the newest versions of software available under current licenses held, and communication inside the business is helped when support staff know exactly what is in use on every computer under their control. The benefits of SAM are not confined to the technological hardware of your business.
Cost Savings
As discussed previously, perhaps the most persuading reason to implement software asset management within your company is the potential financial savings that can be made. The profitability of your business is always going to be the bottom line so any system that can help to increase this profitability by descreasing expenses is one that should be evaluated. Money can be saved in a multitude of ways.
The most immediate way that software asset management can help to reduce costs is by targeting any software running on your corporate network that is no longer necessary. The software might not be being used anymore, it may be very outdated to be of use or it may be duplicated on your system.
By clearing these items of software that are no longer a help to the operation of your organisation you are streamlining a large chunk of your IT infrastructure. Paying for unneeded software licenses and maintenance contracts means that more finance can be spent on the essential sections of your IT system. Focusing your finances on these vital components will improve the overall performance of your IT department.
Mitigate Risk Factors
A surprising amount of software that is currently used in the corporate environment is either licensed incorrectly or not licensed at all. Having any amount of unmonitored software on your IT system is not advised, because when left unchecked it can become very unpredictable. This is becoming an increasingly frustrating factor for IT managers.
Rogue software applications can be introduced into an unmonitored IT environment in a number of ways. Software may have been included when your IT hardware was originally purchased although the original software licenses may have expired. Without the correct control policies in place, users may also be able to load their own software onto the system.
The risk of running unlicensed software on your system is clear. When anything goes wrong with the hardware or software platform behind your vital processes, how do you manage the situation? Operating a complicated software system without the correct support can create a metaphorical minefield when it comes to disaster recovery and can seriously limit your responsiveness to unforeseen events. The cost of recovery will always outweigh the cost of mitigation when it comes to data systems.
Of the many products and services available from any local Centennial distributor SAM is just one solution that can be used.
Implementing Software Asset Management in your Organisation
As previously mentioned, there are many potential benefits to utilising a good software asset management strategy within your business, both financial and otherwise. It is vitally important to consider which parts of SAM you should deploy first since some benefits will be achieved more quickly than others. Some may take a period of years to be fully felt.
This discovery process can be seen as three basic areas that have to be undertaken to truly develop an accurate picture of the deployment of software assets within your business.
Inventory
Inventory is the most basic function of the discovery process. It is crucial that an accurate inventory of software assets within your organisation is created to help your IT department to maintain baselines for your IT network.
Fortunately, this process can now be automated and even the grandest of infrastructures can be investigated and analysed in a relatively short period. Inventory should be able to identify your software assets regardless of their geographical location or technological characteristics.
Capture
The second step in the discovery process is the capture of the software license entitlements that manage the software programs identified in the inventory. The capture process should collect entitlements regarding all of the software that is installed on your network, even if the software is not currently in use.
The risk of human error can be avoided by using automatic tools that are specifically created to build a library of license entitlements. Tools that are currently employed are very efficient at gathering accurate information.
Identification & Validation
The third process is to match up the software audit to the repository of licensing information that were built in the last two stages. Errors may have been made anywhere from the original paperwork for software to the most recent audits performed on your IT system. These errors can now be rectified.
One crucial factor in the validation step is the ability to associate the license entitlements within your system to your organisation’s proof of entitlement. This will be essential if any arguments with software resellers arise as a consequence of the discovery cycle.
Once these three steps have been performed you will have built an incredibly rich picture of how your IT system is delivering software assets to its users. It will be much easier to identify any trouble areas on your system, or sections of software usage that are no longer of any practical benefit to your activites. This detailed image can be used for future reference as well.
You can now begin a period of reconciliation on your system. You can compare the software packages that are actually installed on your system against the licensing and support entitlements that you are paying for and bridge any divides between the two. This is when the financial benefits of software asset management start to take effect.
The software distribution within your network may include many hundreds or even thousands of individual instances, and there may be any number of restrictions that may be involved with the licensing contracts you have in place. It is therefore a necessity to automate the reconciliation stage, utilising one or more programs to apply intelligent rules to the process. These rules can be catered to the specific needs of your business
The computing industry is in dire need for plenty of Centennial vendors who will supply the right IT monitoring services.
Compliancy and Flexibility with SAM
Many of the basic principles of a successful software asset management strategy are based upon the principles laid out in the Information Technology Infrastructure Library, or ITIL. This library defines a number of ideas and best practices that should be adopted for successful management of IT functions.
This library is a dynamic entity and is often updated with new ideas and policies that reflect the constantly changing IT environment of modern business. A good SAM strategy should be flexible enough to comply with the guidelines laid out in the ITIL whilst matching the changing needs of the company within which it is actively used.
The International Standard Organisation (ISO) has created a standard that applies directly to software asset management practices. This standard, ISO 19770-1, is an exceptionally comprehensive collection of guidelines that are built to ensure that software asset management is used in such a way as to “satisfy corporate governance requirements”.
The ISO standard should certainly be followed when designing a SAM strategy for your own organisation, although the level of detail included within can easily become a daunting prospect. It is vital to remember that no matter what recommendations you follow when planning a SAM strategy, whatever plan you decide to employ must aid your organisation rather than hinder it. Industry standards cannot simply be copied when it comes to applying them within your organisation.
Creating a full and comprehensive software asset management strategy for your own company might actually never come to fruition. Your plan must be flexible to adapt and mature as your business does, and it should allow for modifications to your daily activities, no matter how trivial or fundamental they might be. This really is the key to a worthwhile SAM strategy.
Conclusion
It is clear to see that as the scope and importance of IT systems within your company grow, so does the need for correct and efficient management of these systems. Gone are the days when an IT department was a bonus that would occasionally progress the business. Computer systems are now vital to the modern organisation. Crucial systems need to be monitored to an appropriate standard.
As with other branches of any company, a number of different strategies should be evaluated and utilised in order to ensure the smooth running of day to day tasks. software asset management should not be the only tactic used to manage technological resources within your organisation, but rather one of a multitude of complimentary techniques used to control the system as a unit. SAM can go a long way toward aiding your business but should be helped by other strategies.
So if you feel that your organisation is really suffering from a lack of structured monitoring and management over its IT network, or that the possible advantages outlined in this article could provide a critical market edge over your competitors, then it would be well worth researching how SAM could be used within your company.