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

(more…)

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.     

(more…)

If you’re an Express Metrix customer planning to upgrade to Windows 7, don’t forget that Express Software Manager has rich hardware and software asset management functionality that will help you plan, budget for, and manage your migration.  One principal area of focus for your pre-migration planning relates to determining which of your existing applications will work with the new OS, and whether your PCs have the capacity to support the upgrade.

From a hardware readiness standpoint, Express Software Manager can inventory all your PCs to determine their CPUs, amount of memory, disk space, and any other hardware attributes that may be important to your migration.  With this information, you can determine whether you need to upgrade your machines, free up space, or replace them altogether.  Here’s just one of Express Software Manager’s hardware inventory reports you may find useful for your upgrade planning (click the thumbnail to enlarge): (more…)

Any software vendor that’s been paying attention to its customers in recent months will tell you that software licensing preferences are changing–and quickly.  The past year, in particular, has brought about an appetite for more flexible licensing models that are less user-centric and more usage-centric.  As IT organizations continue to chisel away unnecessary spending and take a more strategic approach to software asset management, they’re increasingly demanding “pay-per-use” (i.e. usage-based licensing) and “pay as you go” (i.e. subscription-based licensing) scenarios that are more directly correlated with the benefits received through the use of any given application. And vendors are listening.  

According to a Computerworld article by Eric Lai, vendors are rapidly adjusting their license offerings to accommodate and take advantage of this shift. The article notes that 43% of vendors have changed or expanded their licensing options to include such approaches as usage-based and subscription-based pricing.  (Subscription pricing, which has long dominated the SaaS market, is now becoming commonplace among on-premise offerings). And, according to IDC, these trends are only expected to accelerate. 

(more…)