Posts Tagged ‘IT Asset Management Software’

Selling IT Asset Management to Senior Management

Posted in Asset Management, IT Asset Management, IT Management, ROI on July 17th, 2009 by Jodi – Be the first to comment

You know why you need an IT asset management (ITAM) solution, but convincing the senior executives at your company may not be so easy.  In today’s tough economy, management teams are tightening their belts, and as a result, technology budgets are a mere fraction of what they used to be.  In order to get the needed support and funding for your initiative, you’ll need to effectively make the business case for ITAM.

IT Asset Management Will Improve Your Business

Your organization has devoted a significant amount of resources to building its technology infrastructure.  But, unless all components of that architecture are properly tracked and administered, the value realized from those efforts will be hindered.  Therefore, the first step in selling IT asset management to senior management is to clearly convey the potential return on investment (ROI) it can deliver.

Because minimizing overhead expenses is a key priority for many organizations in the current financial climate, it is critical to demonstrate the specific, hard-dollar savings that ITAM can offer.  Hardware and software asset management tools can deliver dramatic, measurable cost reductions in many forms, including:

  • Reduced system support requirements
  • Increased efficiency of IT audits
  • Improved employee productivity
  • Minimized risk of viruses, spy-ware, and other threats

Several variables, such as the number of employees or PCs, will determine just how much your company can save in each of the above mentioned areas.  Using industry benchmarks, its clear that some smaller and mid-sized companies can realize annual cost savings of more than $277,000 with IT asset management.

SaaS Makes It Easy to Get Started

Next, you’ll want to consider the SaaS approach – also known as on-demand or Web-hosted - to IT asset management deployment.  Why on-demand? Because SaaS-based ITAM requires a much smaller upfront financial investment compared to the on-premise alternative. In addition, the deployment of a SaaS solution is much faster than that of an on-site system. So you realize value faster and reduce the risks typically associated with deployment efforts. These reasons will help increase executive confidence, since they won’t need to incur a major expenditure, and can gain almost immediate benefit.

You’ll also want to call special attention to software license compliance, and the potential losses that can be incurred if your company isn’t adhering to contract terms.  Non-compliance with software licensing agreements can result in stiff fines from vendors and regulatory bodies – penalties that can be so high, they’d strike fear into even the most seasoned executives.  IT asset management significantly improves the accuracy and efficiency of software license management, so you can closely monitor software usage and ensure full compliance at all times.

Present Your ROI and Business Case

And, perhaps most importantly, you’ll want to present your case, and the estimated savings and ROI you expect to realize, in a clear, concise, easy-to-understand manner.  To help you get started, we’ve created an ROI calculator and presentation template which you can use as a guide to effectively calculating and presenting your potential savings.

The Business Case for IT Asset Management

IT Asset Management White PaperThis paper outlines the steps needed to create a compelling business case for an IT Asset Management solution.

Download our building the business case for IT Asset Management white paper.

Asset Management Software Helps Eliminate IT Resource Abuse

Posted in Asset Management on May 8th, 2009 by Eran – Be the first to comment

Recent studies demonstrate just how big the problem of IT resource abuse by end users has become. In fact, IT managers claim that employee misuse of IT systems is even more worrisome that potential attacks by hackers and other outside threats.

IT asset management solutions can help businesses of all types and sizes to detect – and proactively prevent – abuse of their IT systems.

What exactly constitutes IT resource abuse?

Most firms will agree that using technology assets in a way that will negatively impact the performance and reliability of that particular system – as well as other systems across the business – would clearly be considered IT resource abuse. This can include downloading unauthorized programs, such as games, that could introduce spyware, viruses, or other risks into the environment, as well as any activities, such as peer-to-peer file sharing, that would waste valuable network bandwidth.

It can also mean using illegal or unlicensed copies of authorized software, which can increase the company’s exposure to potential fines and penalties for vendor non-compliance. Or, the download of music, videos, and other forms of entertainment that can put a business at risk of copyright infringement.

But, nowadays, many companies strongly believe that any use of IT assets for non-work purposes should be viewed as resource abuse, since it can dramatically slow down workforce productivity. This could include something as obviously unacceptable as storing offensive or pornographic photos on a desktop, to something as seemingly harmless as chatting with friends via IM on company time.

With IT asset management solutions, companies can better control how their assets are utilized – and put a stop to IT resource abuse – by effectively implementing and enforcing a broad-reaching hardware and software usage policy. IT teams can define such guidelines as:

  • What software, hardware, and other components are allowed/authorized
  • How assets should be requested and purchased
  • What steps should be followed for installation, upgrades, and maintenance
  • What is considered acceptable/unacceptable utilization of each asset

With IT asset management in place, organizations can identify which employees are accessing which IT systems, and track how each user is utilizing each asset. As a result, IT staff can ensure adherence to the company’s hardware and software usage policy at all times, and take immediate corrective action when users are found to be breaking the rules.This valuable, timely insight can help companies fight IT resource abuse – which in turn will reduce risk, increase productivity, and preserve the integrity and security of the IT architecture.

To learn more about stopping IT resource abuse at your organization, and how SAManage IT Management suite can help, visit www.samanage.com.

Preventing Asset Theft with Automated Asset Management Software

Posted in Asset Management, Tips on May 1st, 2009 by Eran – Be the first to comment

The potential costs associated with IT asset theft are astonishing. For example, a 2007 report published by DataMonitor claims that the average laptop holds commercially sensitive content and intellectual property valued at approximately $972,000. Therefore, companies need to take aggressive measures to secure their technology components and proactively prevent incidents asset theft.

Many experts believe that the key to securing laptops, PCs, handheld devices, and other assets is through the implementation and use of automated asset management software solutions. While many companies still perform asset tracking manually – a process that is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but inaccurate and error-prone as well – those that use software applications to streamline asset tracking activities can reap significant benefits. In fact, the Ponemon Institute states that the cost of preventative measures is as much as four times less than the cost of asset theft.

Automated IT asset management and asset tracking software from SAManage empower organizations to manage and track their hardware inventory throughout its life-cycle. Companies can achieve full visibility into all servers, workstations, laptops, printers and other hardware components that exist in their environment. As a result, they can:

  • Create and maintain a detailed log of all hardware inventory
  • Identify the location, configuration, and primary user(s) of all computers and peripheral devices
  • Account for all assets at all times
  • Uncover changes that may indicate possible asset theft, such as new passwords

No matter how complex or geographically dispersed a technology infrastructure is, automated asset tracking solutions can provide a greater understanding of what exists, and where it is located, helping companies dramatically minimize their risk of IT asset theft.

Learn more about IT audit and asset tracking solutions from SAManage, and how they can help businesses proactively prevent asset theft.

5 ways to enhance your Software Asset Management program

Posted in Software Asset Management on January 26th, 2009 by SAManage – Be the first to comment
Software Asset Management systems combine processes and technologies to improve the way applications are utilized, tracked, and managed throughout their lifecycle. Some of the advantages that can be achieved through software asset management include enhanced software performance and utilization, accelerated return on investment, increased productivity and ensuring license compliance.

But, software asset management isn’t just a solution, it’s a strategy. While a software asset management application will deliver significant benefits, there are many steps companies can take to ensure that maximum software asset management value is realized. The five ways to achieve this are:

Establish formal software policies - The creation, documentation, and enforcement of a formal software usage policy is the first step in any successful software asset management strategy. In a recent study performed by Yankelovich Partners for the Business Software Alliance, lack of established software management practices was cited as the greatest risk for software piracy.

Know your users – Because business operations have become increasingly complex, the software needed to support related activities is more sophisticated than ever before. Additionally, more applications and systems are required to empower end users to most efficiently perform their jobs. Gartner believes that profiling the user base, and understanding exactly what they need from a software perspective, can put companies in a better negotiating position with their vendors. In fact, the analyst firm estimates that thorough user profiling can yield reductions in licensing costs of as much as 10 to 20 percent.

Perform internal audits on a regular basis - Frequently scheduled hardware audits can provide better visibility into existing assets and their use. For example, in-depth periodic gap analysis will help organizations to identify over and under-licensed products. This not only eliminates waste and saves money, itallows organizations to correct any licensing violations before they are subject to an external audit. Additionally, once the audit has been completed, Gartner recommends that companies reconcile their software inventory results with their vendors, to eliminate oversights or errors due to the re-bundling or renaming of products.

Select a dedicated asset management team – Many experts believe that software asset management will be most effective if a select individual, or team of individuals, is responsible for all facets of the strategy. By assigning specific staff members to oversee all software asset management related activities, and empowering them to enforce internal standards and regulations, companies can increase software governance and compliance – a key component of software asset management.

Continuously refine the plan - Software asset inventory changes at a rapid pace, and the processes needed to track those assets need to be re-evaluated and refined on a regular basis. This is particularly important in the first several months after a software asset management strategy has been implemented. Those who oversee the initiative need to assess their efforts in order to determine which aspects of the plan are working, and which ones aren’t, so they can make adjustments and improvements as appropriate to ensure software asset management success.

SaaS Makes IT Asset Management Software Affordable for Every Organization

Posted in White Paper on October 20th, 2008 by SAManage – Be the first to comment
Cost of ownership as low as one third of traditional software – SAManage white paper shows

SAManage, a leading provider of on-demand (SaaS) IT Management services, today released a new white paper to help organizations compare the costs of SaaS-based IT Asset Management versus the traditional on-premise software model.

IT Asset Management (ITAM) is a combination of processes and technologies that provides organizations with a greater understanding of what IT assets exist, where these assets are located, and how they are being used. With these capabilities, ITAM enables organizations to more effectively manage IT assets throughout their lifecycle, simplify maintenance and administrative tasks, increase service levels to users, and ensure that every piece of hardware and software is fully utilized.

Titled “SaaS vs. Traditional ITAM Tools: How the Hosted Approach Delivers Greater Value“, the white paper shows that by substantially reducing the total cost of ownership, ITAM solutions delivered on-demand can offer far greater value than on-premise applications. Furthermore, with a significantly lower upstart cost, the SaaS delivery model helps organizations accelerate time-to-value of the solution and reduce the short-term cash flow burden and the risk associated with the project.

Documenting and quantifying the total cost of ownership for the SaaS and on-premise software installation, the white paper shows that three-year costs for traditional software can be up to 60% higher for a company with 500 PCs and as much as 200% higher for a company with 100 PCs. Start up costs are even more significantly higher with on-premise installation, reaching as much as 3-6 times over the first year cost of the SaaS solution.

Using the white paper and framework to clearly spell out and quantify these cost differences, project leaders can present a persuasive business case for Software-as-a-Service IT Asset Management. Available at no charge as a service to IT departments, please get the SaaS vs. Traditional ITAM white paper here.

The white paper is provided courtesy of SAManage, a leading provider of on-demand (SaaS) IT Management services. In addition to the low-cost subscription offering of the SAManage premium solution, SAManage offers a free service that organizations can use to manage and monitor their IT assets.

SaaS vs. Legacy IT Management tools

IT Asset Management White PaperThis paper discuss how SaaS IT Management tools provides more value and deliver better ROI and TCO when compared with legacy on-premise software. Download our SaaS vs. Legacy IT Management tools white paper.

Sign up for a free trial of SAManage IT Management service.

Free Software Asset Management service from SAManage

Posted in SaaS, Software Asset Management on October 19th, 2008 by SAManage – Be the first to comment

We are excited to launch our free SaaS IT Asset Management service and would like to highlight some of the benefits of using SAManage to implement a Software Asset Management program. With the introduction of the free service, companies of all sizes can now use SAManage to better manage their software assets and gain significant benefits from adopting a Software Asset Management service.

Simply put, Software Asset Management (“SAM”) is a business process that can help reduce a company’s software licensing costs and optimize software assets. The business benefits of SAM include reduced IT costs and better financial control, reduced help desk issue resolution times, minimize unauthorized software usage and increase network security. Companies implementing SAM would also reduce the risk of failing to comply with software vendors license requirements.

SAManage free IT Asset Management service can help companies get started with Software Asset Management by taking the following steps:

  1. Sign up for SAManage SaaS service (Free and Premium plans are available).
  2. Create an online up-to-date inventory of all PC and software assets used across the company, and gain visibility into each asset and its exact configuration and installed software. SAManage will track your PC configuration and any changes to your PC (such as software installed or removed) will get logged, so you can easily go back and audit all changes to your assets.
  3. Organize and consolidate software licenses and purchase records owned by the company and safeguard them in SAManage’s software licenses and contracts repository. Once in the repository, you can easily track any license terms and receive renewal reminders when licenses are due for renewal.
  4. Next, the SAManage risk detection engine will verify your license compliance standing and alert you of any compliance gaps or existing IT risks such as illegal software, games, P2P file sharing programs and unprotected computers. The risk detection engine constantly analyze your inventory so that any changes to your PC inventory are being analyzed for compliance and risks and you are always protected.

Due to the ever evolving business needs and the dynamic nature of enterprise IT environments, implementing a SAM program is an ongoing business process and not a one time event. As such, it requires constant analysis and correlation of asset inventory, software licenses and the SAM program terms to ensure its effectiveness. SAManage can help you implement a SAM program and help you succeed with SAM in the long term – Take the product tour to learn more or sign-up for a free SAManage account.