Software Inventory Tool
A software inventory is the process of identifying all of the software installed on individual or multiple computers. There are a variety of software inventory tools that perform this task in an automated manner. Typically, such tools identify software file information such as application title, product ID, size, date, path, and version, and, ideally, whether any particular software installation is standalone or part of a suite. Performing a thorough software inventory is a critical component of ensuring software license compliance. Due to the inherently inaccurate and time-consuming nature of manual software audits, software inventory technology is available to help automate the software inventory process.
Software inventory tools typically rely on one of two methods to identify applications installed on the desktop. The first, file header analysis, involves examining file headers for every application. File headers contain information about the application title, version, manufacturer, file size, and other attributes. The second, registry analysis, reveals applications installed using the standard Windows Installer mechanism. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, these methodologies frequently lead to inaccurate, incomplete, and/or inconsistent information that can lead to faulty conclusions regarding an organization's license compliance status.
A third approach to recognizing files discovered during a software inventory is using a software identification database. A software identification database includes file and application information used to accurately and consistently identify applications, manufacturers and versions. A software identification database, when used in conjunction with the proper algorithms, is able to identify with greater accuracy a higher percentage of applications.
Software Inventory Made Easy
Express Software Manager utilizes an extensive application database called the Express Software Identification Database (ESID)®, along with powerful algorithms that ensure executables are properly identified and classified. Express Metrix's software recognition technology is critical to the accuracy and comprehensiveness of Express Software Manager's software solutions and is licensed by top-tier technology companies, including Dell, BMC, LANDesk, and New Boundary.
Julie Wilkinson, IS Support Lead, W.W. Williams
