When it comes to SaaS IT management, it’s important to select a solution that can seamlessly link to not only your on-premise systems, but to any other cloud-based applications you use. That’s why, here at SAManage, we take integration very seriously, and have designed our IT asset management (ITAM) and IT service management (ITSM) offerings to work flawlessly with a variety of other solutions. Google Apps When combined with Google’s applications for business services, SAManage [...]

We recently kicked off a series of posts, aimed at educating our readers about the right questions to ask when evaluating SaaS solutions, as well as the companies that provide them. In the last entry, we discussed the importance of security, and how to make sure the vendor you choose has the proper protection mechanisms in place. In this post, we’ll talk about data retention and ownership. Inquiring About Data Retention and Ownership When you [...]

Tracking and managing your inventory of desktop computers isn’t always so easy. Employees leave, and new ones join the company – which means that PCs are constantly being taken in and out of commission. Then, there is the need to monitor assets as they are upgraded, rendered obsolete, replaced, etc. Even for small businesses with just a handful of desktops, this can pose quite a challenge. The key to effective desktop inventory management lies in [...]

Ongoing software license compliance is an important objective, but one that is quite difficult to achieve for many organizations. Poor software license management policies can put companies in jeopardy for high monetary fines and penalties, as well as damage to image and reputation, if an external IT audit occurs and non-compliance is determined. In fact, fines can range as high as $1,500 for each illegal copy of software. And if assets are seized during the audit, [...]

For most companies, particularly those who are new to SaaS solutions, the processes of evaluating vendors and selecting the right application for their needs can be a confusing process. Why? Because SaaS is fundamentally different than on-premise software. Therefore, different factors must be considered in order to make the most intelligence choice. Over the next several weeks, we will highlight specific questions to ask your SaaS vendor. We’ll discuss why each inquiry is so important, [...]

The IT asset management (ITAM) and IT service management (ITSM) markets are full of knowledgeable experts, and what they have to say can often help you to realize the true value of these powerful solutions. Once again, we’ve compiled a list of informative articles and other content, to keep you up-to-date on the latest and greatest ITSM and ITAM news! IT Asset Management Blogs Upcoming Gartner Study Suggests ITAM Sector’s Maturity (from (re) Blog) Moving Assets [...]

Hi, I’m Joe, and I’m the IT procurement manager at a global advertising firm. When the IT team or end users want new hardware, software, or services from external vendors, they come to me. I acquire the solutions they need, and work with the various providers we procure those systems from. There was a time when doing my job was quite difficult. I had to use spreadsheets, Word documents, even post-it notes scattered across my [...]

Are you about to upgrade from an existing version of your BMC Remedy IT service desk software to release 7? Of course, BMC is going to tell you that migrating to the latest version is the smartest move, and a mandatory one. But, before you make the switch, you should carefully consider what it might cost you. Why Are You Upgrading? Before you dive heads down into the upgrade, ask yourself – why am I doing this? What [...]

We’ve previously discussed the substantial return on investment (ROI) that can be achieved through the implementation and use of a SaaS IT service management (ITSM) solution, as opposed to a legacy on-premise tool. In prior blog posts, we highlighted how a SaaS IT service desk can lower upfront license fees, reduce infrastructure requirements, make implementations faster and more economical, and eliminate the need for expensive consulting resources. In our last and final SaaS ITSM ROI post, [...]

One of the key drawbacks of investing in an IT solution is lock-in. Wikipedia defines lock-in as the act of making a customer “dependent on a vendor for products and services, unable to use another vendor without substantial switching costs”. There are many different types of lock-in a company may experience. For example, a vendor can hinder a company’s ability to replace their software with a competing product (known as horizontal lock-in). They can impose [...]