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Software Asset Management (SAM)
Analysts estimate that software purchases account for 20% of corporate
expenditures. Yet the vast majority of companies today still seem to be
in the dark when it comes to managing these vital assets.
Proper
software asset management (SAM) requires setting policies for corporate
standards, software evaluation, purchasing, usage and compliance
monitoring.
Business has never been more reliant on IT than it is
today. Regulatory guidelines have increased markedly—due to
Sarbanes-Oxley for example, a US law aimed at improving company
reporting and the integrity of business transactions, and Basel II, a
framework for measuring, among other things, operational risks.
The
consequences are a concern for an increasing number of companies of all
sizes, not just for multinational corporations. The demands increase,
yet, IT organisations are still struggling with the requirements of the
business, especially regarding the alignment of service and costs.
Inadequate
software management leads to a range of business-critical
circumstances: Companies have too little information to draw on when
they are considering purchasing licenses; there is a huge potential for
reducing software costs that goes untapped; or substantial financial
and legal risks are involved. And yet today the chances of being
audited for software have never been higher, as many software
developers are seeking to enforce their rights due to declining income
from license revenues. In cases of under-licensing, there can be
serious economic and legal consequences.
Software Asset
Management has created an opportunity for IT organisations to improve
alignment with the business, reduce operational risks, and deliver a
broader range of services while optimising costs.
- Reduce annual IT expenditure by up to 5-25 percent
- Minimise the risk of compliance fines or over-expenditure on software
- Halve the time of service desk calls
- Reduce on-site engineer visits by up to 80 percent
- Double the rate of first-time fixes
- SAM expertise and thought leadership
- Alignment to Best Practices and Standard
- High Automation and Integration Capabilities
- Dynamic visibility and license reconciliation across the entire distributed IT Infrastructure
- Proactive, automated non-compliance remediation
- Dynamic reporting function paired with accuracy of managed database of vendor licenses
- Unified management and control of Windows, Thin Clients and virtual environments
- Be
responsible for establishing, maintaining and monitoring CUSTOMERS
Software Asset Management (SAM) initiative in accordance with the
tender requirements
- Conducting a comprehensive
Microsoft Software audit of CUSTOMERS current Microsoft environment –
our value can be extended to other vendor licenses as well, such as
Adobe, Symantec etc.
- Assist CUSTOMERS in managing Software Assurance and other benefits under the Enterprise Agreement.
- Assist
in reviewing current policies and procedures for procurement of
software and advice of any changes that need to be made to align with
best practice and/or the best fit for CUSTOMERS.
- Assist
CUSTOMERS with the development of a Software Asset Management policy
that is in alignment with Microsoft Software Optimisation Model (SOM)
Fig.
1 below represents SAM Essentials - a project framework that is
designed around the Microsoft® SAM Optimisation Model. This tool has
predefined templates and workflows that guide an organisation from the
Basic level of SAM, all the way through to a Dynamic maturity level.
This tool was developed by Centennial®, and has been rated so good that
Microsoft® have adopted this tool and modelled its SAM Optimisation
Model on this tool. NLS Solutions have had full training and can
implement, support and enhance this methodology within the Department.
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