SOFTWARE ASSET MANAGEMENT EXPERTS LAUNCH APPTRIA TECHNOLOGIES TO TACKLE THE SOFTWARE IDENTIFICAION DILEMMA
Apptria Technologies Supports Software Recognition on 15 Million Desktops and Counting
June 15, 2011
SEATTLE, WA – Express Metrix today announced the launch of Apptria Technologies, a new venture aimed at helping independent software vendors (ISVs) and other solution providers increase the utility of their own technology offerings by providing an authoritative solution to the vexing software identification dilemma once and for all.
The Apptria Software Catalog™, developed over the past 15 years by software asset management leader Express Metrix, is now the core product offering of Apptria Technologies. The catalog is the industry's most extensive database of commercial applications, enabling accurate identification of software installed and used across corporate networks—a capability vital for effectively managing software licenses, and performing countless other critical desktop management functions.
The Apptria Software Catalog has been licensed by some of the world's top asset management vendors including IBM, New Boundary Technologies, Numara Software, BMC, Amando Software, FAST Ltd., and LANDesk. Through its expanding network of OEM partners, the Apptria Software Catalog provides application recognition capabilities for over 15 million corporate and public sector PCs across the globe. It is the same database that powers the software identification within Express Metrix’s own award-winning asset management solution, Express Software Manager®.
An Industry-Wide Software Recognition Problem
A widely-recognized shortfall of many software asset management tools is that they utilize data found within file headers and/or registry entries to perform the complex task of identifying software residing on desktops and servers. While this “raw” application data provides important clues that aid in software recognition, it is virtually impossible to obtain a reliable view of installed software without cleansing, classifying, and normalizing that data into a taxonomy that is correlated with actual application titles, versions, and manufacturers.
A recently-issued international standard (ISO/IEC 19770-2:2009) aims to improve software recognition by including an XML-based file, or “tag,” as a part of a software product’s installation that provides authoritative identification information. However, the standard has been slow to gain traction among software publishers and has only been implemented within a handful of software products. This has left technology providers serving the asset management market with little choice but to invest heavily in recognition and normalization methodologies, or rely on more traditional—and far less reliable—identification techniques.
“IT departments are struggling to track and manage software, and they expect asset management tools to provide accurate, comprehensive, and trustworthy software recognition,” said Kris Barker, Apptria Technologies co-founder. "Given the growing interest in our software catalog among ISVs and other solution providers, we realized it would be beneficial not only to ourselves, but also to those who license the database, to create an entity that's exclusively devoted to the OEM side of our business. The new venture will focus exclusively on ensuring the present and future success of our partners, and Express Metrix will remain committed to serving its end user customers," said Barker.
The Apptria Software Catalog
The Apptria Software Catalog has proven to be a highly valued, yet cost-effective solution to this problem, as evidenced by the many OEM partners utilizing it today. Maintained by a dedicated team of researchers, the database grows daily through contributions from its extensive network of end users, as well as data provided by software publishers.
According to Barker, “Too many technology providers struggle with this aspect of their solutions, primarily because it requires a significant financial commitment and considerable domain expertise to develop and deliver recognition methodology that remains relevant within rapidly changing desktop and server environments. It's simply cost-prohibitive for those who aren't uniquely structured and qualified to do so. Apptria Technologies offers a simple outsourcing model; we do the heavy lifting so our partners can focus their development efforts on more strategic areas of their businesses."
Apptria Technologies plans to continue evolving the software catalog, as well as related technologies, to augment its value as a strategic asset to the industry and to those partners that utilize it.
To learn more about options for licensing the Apptria Software Catalog, visit www.apptria.com or call 1.888.589.7042.
About Apptria Technologies™
Apptria Technologies was founded in 2011 by several executives of Express Metrix, an industry leader in developing IT and software asset management solutions. The Apptria Software Catalog™ (formerly the Express Software Identification Database [ESID]®), powers the application recognition within Express Metrix's flagship product, Express Software Manager. Apptria Technologies' singular focus is to deliver reliable and trustworthy software recognition capabilities to its partners in order to increase the value and utility of their own technology offerings to customers.
About Express Metrix
Express Metrix, a veteran in the IT asset management space for over a decade, focuses on serving organizations whose needs for accurate, comprehensive IT asset reporting and trouble-free management aren't met by enterprise-oriented framework products or less sophisticated inventory tools. Express Metrix recently welcomed its 5,000th customer, having earned a reputation for delivering superior IT asset reporting, ease of deployment and use, and outstanding customer support. Winner of the SIIA's 2008 CODiE Award for "Best Asset Management Solution," Express Metrix is a Microsoft Certified partner and is certified Citrix Ready. More information on Express Metrix can be found at www.expressmetrix.com.
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Express Metrix, Express Software Manager, and Express Software Manager for SCCM are registered trademarks or trademarks of Express Metrix, LLC. All other trademarks, trade names or company names referenced herein are used for identification only and are the property of their respective owners.
Contact for Press Inquiries:
Debra Brandt
Express Metrix
dbrandt@expressmetrix.com
