I’m pretty sure everyone can agree that tracking software usage is an important element of any software asset management program.   However, end-user organizations considering software metering solutions are often unaware of the full scope of benefits that can be delivered by tracking application usage.  In addition, few realize that vendors tackle software metering in a variety of ways that may or may not match their specific environments and/or goals.

Join Jeff Kelsey, Express Metrix’s VP of Products, on Tuesday December 8 at 11am (Pacific) / 2pm (Eastern) for a special webinar discussing the ins and outs of application metering. 

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This is the second of two posts related to the challenges SMBs often encounter finding asset management software that matches their functional requirements, resource limitations, and budgets.  You can read the first post in the series here.

In this post I’ll explore five functional areas where SMBs have been underserved both by large, enterprise-oriented suites, as well as by the more basic, lower-cost computer inventory products.

1) License management capabilities

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Small- to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) don’t have it particularly easy when it comes to implementing IT solutions; they’re cursed by their need for capabilities similar in sophistication to those delivered by larger enterprise-oriented solutions.  However, because of their smaller size, they generally can’t dedicate the same level of resources, whether financial or human, to investing in and managing complex framework products.  The discipline of software asset management (SAM) is no exception to the SMB dilemma. 

In our ten years of focusing on software asset management, we’ve observed that small- and mid-sized companies have been perpetually underserved by the vast majority of SAM products.  The tools market is comprised primarily of:

1) Large enterprise-oriented solutions that are difficult and costly to deploy and manage, and tend to “bolt” SAM features on to a broad suite of functionalities such as help desk, deployment, and/or configuration management.  These products are offered by some of the biggest software titans (Microsoft, BMC, CA, etc.) who endeavor to deliver entire portfolios of IT solutions to their customers.  Because SAM is typically secondary to these companies’ more profitable areas of focus, such solutions frequently lack the domain expertise and dedicated support required for SMB customers to be successful in their SAM initiatives.     

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We all know that relying too heavily on technology can be perilous.  And while most IT pros recognize that software asset management tools in and of themselves don’t represent a “silver bullet” for managing one’s license position, they generally have a long way to go toward establishing, communicating, and enforcing the SAM processes necessary to address the gaps inherent in any technology.  What may surprise you is that even if you believe you have effective SAM processes in place, you’re still not necessarily in the clear.

Let’s assume you’ve finally got all your ducks in a row: You’ve consolidated all your historical license information, established procedures by which new software purchases and entitlement details are thoroughly documented, developed a sound software usage policy, and configured your SAM tool to reconcile all that licensing information with installed software. You feel confident, and you’re ready to tell your boss that your new SAM program is officially “up and running.” 

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It’s been a big month for the BSA. Since the beginning of March, the BSA has issued press releases documenting five U.S. settlements totaling close to $525,000 (see the list of losers below).  Over the years, I’ve attempted to ferret out patterns that would suggest certain types of organizations may be at higher risk of a BSA software audit; but as usual, the companies involved span a wide range of sizes, geographies, and industries.  The only common thread I can find among all five (aside from the predominance of Adobe and Microsoft software) is an identical string of text embedded within each press release: “BSA was alerted to the unlicensed software use by a confidential report made on its web site www.nopiracy.com.” (Read my recent blog post elaborating on this trend.)

Though it may seem self-serving for software license management vendors such as ourselves to continue harping on the importance of rigorous asset management practices, it’s clear that the message isn’t getting through to many end-user organizations.  In times fraught with layoffs, salary cuts, and a general sense of workplace malaise it’s not reasonable to assume businesses can successfully curb workers’ very human instinct to inflict reciprocal damage upon their impassive corporate leaders—especially when it can be done with the impunity of whistleblower status and the ability to claim the moral high ground. One thing companies can control, however, is the perpetuation of careless, if not downright reckless, software licensing practices. Business executives can add this to the ever-growing list of good reasons to insist upon the establishment of a thoughtful, comprehensive software asset management strategy. It may just be best way to break the BSA’s winning streak. 

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