Software Asset Management
Software asset management (SAM) is a strategic IT initiative that enables organizations to achieve maximum value from their software investments. It involves the integration of people, processes and technology to allow software licenses and usage to be systematically tracked, evaluated and managed.
The goal of SAM is to reduce IT expenditures, human resource overhead, and risks inherent in owning and managing software assets. At a minimum, a software asset management program should include efforts to maintain license compliance and track the inventory and usage of installed applications to ensure proper licensing levels. It also involves maintaining standard policies and procedures surrounding the installation, deployment, configuration, and use of software assets.
Software asset management generally involves, at the very least, software inventory technology that automatically discovers and identifies installed software and reconciles the data with purchasing information in order to monitor and ensure license compliance. Ideally, the tool also offers software metering, or software usage tracking, in order to reveal areas where the organization is over-licensed, and therefore wasting money on software that isn’t being used. Other technology capabilities may include application deployment, software configuration management, and/or patch management.
Software Asset Management Made Easy
Express Software Manager is a SAM solution with a specific focus on software license management. Express Software Manager integrates computer inventory with software metering, so you can determine where your organization is under-licensed and over-licensed. Accurate, comprehensive reports provide exactly the information needed to reduce IT costs and make good decisions about the inventory and use of your software assets.
