Software Asset Management - ACE Network Consulting

What is Software Asset Management?
Software Asset Management (SAM) is a series of business processes designed to help organizations manage and control their software assets throughout the entire lifecycle. It helps protect your organization's software and helps you recognize what you've got, where it's running, and if there is any licensing overlap. SAM can also help maximize your existing IT investments and eliminate unnecessary software and hardware costs. If your organization doesn't have a standard process in place to track your software licenses, ACE NET can help.

Benifits of Implementing a Software Asset Management Program:

By establishing a software asset management program, you can help your organization…

Save money
Good software asset management can help you determine what software you need and which programs you don't. It can also help you take advantage of volume license discounts and determine how to use software throughout your company in the most efficient way possible.
Manage technological change
Software management can help your company identify its software needs and ensure proper technology—helping you to reach your business goals.
Work more efficiently
In organizations where technology has proliferated without controls, many different software platforms and versions may exist, leading to communication problems. Managing software can help address and stop these issues.
Justify investments
By managing your software it's easy to understand the value you receive from your software investment. It's also easier to identify which parts of the organization need software upgrades or new software programs.
Invest in the economy
When individuals and companies use legal software all people benefit from the increase in local and national revenue and creation of more jobs.
Encourage growth and development
The high-tech industry is one of the strongest segments of our economy. Protection of the industry's intellectual property will help the software industry grow and prosper, and thereby contribute even more to the economy.

Potential Risks of Not Implementing Software Asset Management

By not implementing a software asset management plan, your company may increase its exposure to the following risks.

· No technical support or product upgrades
When using unlicensed software, you cannot receive technical support from the software publisher, which can prevent your work from being completed. You also cannot take advantage of product upgrades, which are usually much less expensive than acquiring a new version of the software.

· Software compatibility issues
Unlicensed software may cause incompatibility between programs that would normally function together seamlessly.

· Viruses that can damage computers and networks
Unauthorized software often contains viruses with the potential to damage individual computers and your entire network. Viruses can cause partial or complete data loss, which would be devastating to most companies. Why risk it?

· Lost Time
Legal costs and fines, damaged reputation, computer viruses, ineligibility for technical support and software compatibility issues all negatively affect your efficiency and the efficiency of your employees.