Here are some key frequently asked questions around the subject of Software Asset Management and our Licence Dashboard product.
Software Asset Management is simply another name for an audit isn't it?
No, I’m afraid not. Software Asset Management is an ongoing business process, not just a point-in-time audit event. Software Asset Management has far reaching and ongoing benefits associated with it.
We have an audit tool deployed on our network, that’s enough isn’t it?
No, that’s only part of the solution to your Software Asset Management needs. Once your audit tool has discovered what you actually have installed, you need to be able to make sense of this data in line with the licences you own.
How will adopting SAM save my organisation money?
There are many financial benefits to be enjoyed, the most obvious being that you will only buy licences you actually need. Software Asset Management also enables you to get the most out of your support, upgrade and maintenance charges; it brings faster deployment times and can even reduce hardware costs.
How much could I save by investing in Software Asset Management?
It really depends on your starting position but we have seen savings of around £100 per PC.
Is Software Asset Management just another industry fad?
Software Asset Management is a serious business issue and the majority of the world's major vendors have now put in place schemes to help customers address Software Asset Management. In addition, the ITIL 'Best Practice for Software Asset Management Guidelines' has been published and forms a vital part of this world-class approach to successful Software Asset Management.
With reference to Software Asset Management, what is the main function of Licence Dashboard?
The Dashboard family is a powerful range of products which put you in control of your software assets. Designed with finance and procurement reporting requirements in mind, they give you the power to manage the entire lifecycle of your organisation’s software assets.
Managing licence agreements effectively and understanding the associated licence entitlement is somewhat complex: licence management tools are potentially, therefore, one of the most important aspects of an organisation’s Software Asset Management process. In our experience, however, we find that only a small amount of investment is being made into supporting the licence management function.
Without a comprehensive licence management tool, the function of managing licences essentially becomes a manual process, one which is prone to error, complacency and eventually leads to regression. Most organisations end up using a number of spreadsheets to manage and track their entitlement; these documents become difficult to summarise and make it almost impossible to demonstrate effective audit trails which outline the allocation of upgrade paths and maintenance agreements. In addition, having multiple interfaces, each managing different stages of the process, leads to confusion. To achieve best practice, therefore, it is essential that all information is reported through a single interface.
Why do I need a license management tool?
Without a licence management tool, it is impossible to manage the equation between what you are allowed to install and what you have installed. This continued verification of compliance is the main desired outcome of any compliance rectification project and is the foundation of any Software Asset Management implementation.
What is the Data Cleanse module and why do I need it if I have deployed a discovery/software metering tool?
Most software inventory tools on today’s market are excellent at scanning the network for hardware and software Information. Manipulating this software information into a format that enables you to identify your licensable products, however, can become a nightmare.
Phoenix Software has developed a module that enhances both Licence Dashboard Professional and Enterprise Edition called Data Cleanse. This application extracts the raw data from the organisation’s chosen IT asset management, discovery or software metering tool and extends the software recognition process of most software inventory tools, providing further distilling of scanned software and highlighting which installed products need a licence.
Can I manage contracts such as Microsoft Enterprise Agreements?
Yes, Licence Dashboard has a unique solution for managing complex software contracts, such as Microsoft Enterprise Agreements. The Contract Inventory tool with Licence Dashboard ensures that all contract terms and conditions are logged and enables effective control of associated product entitlement.
Does Licence Dashboard have a discovery module?
Yes, Licence Dashboard does have a discovery module called Dashboard Discovery™. It is also available separately. Licence Dashboard also plugs directly into over 150 asset management or discovery tools, extracting the required data directly from their repositories. The Data Cleanse module then recognises the applications and further distils the data into licensable products.