Everything You Need to Know About Software Asset Management 

Organizations are relying more on the applications that they are using. They might be using on-premise or cloud applications. It is important to ensure that you know about the applications that you have. Also, you should know about the users that can access these applications.

The best way to extract value from your application or software investments is by creating a good SAM process. SAM will ensure that you are not using more software licenses as it can lead to legal fines. It will also ensure that you are not using fewer software licenses. In this article, we are going to talk about Software Asset management.

Definition of Software Asset Management (SAM):

SAM is a continuous IT practice. It is similar to the ITMA or IT asset management practice. The main aim of SAM is to ensure compliance. It will help you in mitigating risks. Also, SAM can help you in avoiding costly data breaches. You can avoid downtimes and optimize investments by using this strategy.

Software is currently one of the biggest financial investments. The cloud services like SaaS ensure that you can use software without installing it in your systems. Thus, it can be difficult to track the applications that your users are using. You will have very little control over the legal implications of your software usage.

Thus, SAM is very important for every organization. However, it is very difficult to do effectively. Organizations don’t have access to a centralized system to track all the software. There is no easy way to track all your assets.

Many organizations refer to SAM as a dark art. It is more than a technology or tool that you can easily use. You should have access to the right technologies and skilled resources for using SAM.

Most Common SAM Mistakes:

Most organizations will first start with unrealistic expectations. They don’t know about the challenges of building a complicated SAM program. Thus, you should know about the challenges of the SAM program. This will help you in building a sustainable and successful SAM program.

There are various common mistakes that companies do while implementing SAM. The most common mistakes are:

1. Companies set unrealistic expectations when they are creating the SAM program. Due to this, they create an inefficient SAM program.
2. Organizations forget to create a roadmap for the SAM program. Thus, they don’t have access to a phased approach that they can follow for creating a clear list of requirements.
3. Organizations think that one single tool will help them in doing all the work. SAM tools can help you in doing heavy tasks like finding software and checking license usage. However, they can’t help you in solving all the problems. If you are not creating a SAM strategy, then you won’t succeed. You should create a proper framework before using tools.

Fundamental truths and Challenges of SAM:

Most organizations don’t consider the challenges of SAM. Due to this, the values of their SAM practices will only reduce with time. Sometimes an organization will jump too quickly without having any experience. They will set unrealistic expectations which will backfire in the long run. Organizations will forget to create a phased approach. Some of the common SAM challenges that you will face are:

1. No single solution or tool

You can’t use a single tool for finding all the data and the software that you are using. There is no all-in-one SAM solution available in the market.

Some tools are going to be better when compared to other tools. Vendors will bundle their tools with other technologies for increasing their coverage. For example, tools need configuration settings or software usage information for detecting software. They will also need product use rights for checking the license of your tools.

You need specialized knowledge for maintaining this level of specialization. This is just one of the factors that will affect your SAM process. Thus, you should ensure that you are implementing a phased approach.

2. Content

Content is the most important thing in the internet world. If you don’t have access to content, then you can’t create good solutions. Your customers will need to create and maintain it. This is not a practical solution until your scope is very small. Content will help you in covering important areas like discovery, maintenance, and license models.

3. Complex

The license models are generally complex in nature. This complexity is only going to increase with time. Datacenter software is becoming more complex with time. You should check the compliance terms before buying any software.

4. Standards are slow to adapt

The primary standards like ISO and IEC 19700 are very slow to adopt. Due to this, they are still dependent on the content services. The adoption will slowly grow with time. Thus, the dependency on content will decrease with time. This will help you in driving automation. In simple words, this will help you in reducing the SAM effort.

5. Cloud complexity

Cloud is adding another level of complexity. You don’t need to worry much about compliance and licensing. However, you still need to worry about optimization and usage. Some cloud vendors are learning how to control the usage without violating any compliance. These applications are better than traditional on-premises applications.

The technology used to manage and capture cloud-based tools is improving with time. Cloud services are becoming more popular with time. Thus, this trend is only going to accelerate with time.

How to choose the right SAM tool?

You should understand the complexity of your entire IT infrastructure. This will help you in creating your SAM plan. If you are using simple tools like MS office, then your scope will be easy to define. You don’t need to worry about managing it. However, if you are using a hybrid environment, then you should create a new plan. You should know about the different licensing models when you are dealing with various vendors. This will help you in understanding the SAM tool that you need. There are various SAM tools available in the market that you can integrate together. However, you should do your own research first before buying any solution. There is no all-in-one SAM solution available in the market.

Conclusion

Software asset management is very important for modern businesses. Almost every business is using cloud applications. Thus, you should know about the applications that you are using. If you don’t have access to IT experts, then it will be very difficult to implement this framework. You should consider working with a good MSP. Experienced MSPs like Bleuwire can help you in managing your cloud environment. They will make sure that your IT infrastructure is optimized. If you need more information regarding Software Asset Management, then you can contact Bleuwire.

Contact us today to learn about Bleuwire™  services and solutions in how we can help your business.