Many IT managers use Microsoft SCCM to obtain valuable IT data for their organization. Although SCCM provides tons of inventory data, it is difficult to carry out software and asset management processes using just this system. However, when used in conjunction with an asset management tool like Vizor, you can automate critical processes with the … Continue reading Automate These 5 SAM Processes from SCCM Data
Being “compliant” is something that we hear often in discussions of software licensing and software asset management. But what exactly does it mean to be compliant, and how can this be achieved? We think it’s useful to explain this critical topic in simple terms. When it comes to software assets, the term compliance holds several … Continue reading Back to Basics: What is Software Compliance?
Cloud sprawl is a concept that has come about relatively recently with the rapid rise of cloud services. The term refers to the organization insufficiently monitoring cloud services, resulting in over-spending by purchasing services that are not needed. It is all too common that managers fail to revoke user accounts for services like Office 365, … Continue reading What is Cloud Sprawl, and how can you prevent it?
For our third Back to Basics installment, let’s move on to the tasks & processes of Software Asset Management that are taken care of by the IT (or SAM) manager. Here’s a quick breakdown: 1. Manage the SAM tool used by their firm. Yes, that’s right: effective SAM starts with the right system. This SAM … Continue reading Back to Basics: Role of the Software Asset Manager
In software asset management, it has been said time and time again that it is essential to adopt a “proactive” strategy so that you can always be on top of your software licenses and prepared for any audits to come. Anticipating problems or scenarios is the best practice in proactive license management. Is there an … Continue reading Proactive Software Asset Management
Microsoft has announced that Windows Server 2016 will be generally available in October. With the latest version of Windows Server comes changes to how it’s licensed. Previous versions of Windows Server were licensed on a per-processor basis; Windows Server 2016 is licensed per physical processor core (note that this is physical, not virtual cores). Each … Continue reading Quick Guide to Licensing Windows Server 2016
Have you heard of ELP, or Effective License Position? The term was coined by Microsoft and serves as an important step in the software asset management process. The basic premise of forming an ELP involves comparing your entitlements with your deployments. Establishing an effective license position means taking full inventory of software assets and comparing them … Continue reading Back to Basics: What is Effective License Position (ELP)?
IoT (Internet of Things) is a hot topic right now in the tech press. As the hyperbole resides and organisations look to actual deployments, it is worth considering the influence IoT may have on your SAM and IT asset management processes. As you probably know, the concept of IoT stems from the rapidly growing number … Continue reading How Internet of Things is Influencing Software Asset Management
This post is the first in our “Back to Basics” series, where we will break important elementary ideas down into the simplest terms possible. The more these topics are understood in a straightforward way, the better your organization will be at crucial IT practices. Let’s get Back to Basics! If you are the IT manager … Continue reading Back to Basics: What is SAM (Software Asset Management)?
A staggering 700 cloud services are used on average in large enterprises today. Cloud computing has had many names such as SaaS and ASP but has always, at least at first glance, been seen as a holy grail in achieving software compliance. Of course cloud isn’t a panacea for compliance, it actually requires a rethinking … Continue reading Trends Influencing IT Asset Management: SaaS/Cloud Computing