Software Asset Optimization White Paper

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By Colin Bartram, Director of Technology, Vector Networks (Page 3 of 6)

Software Asset Optimization Defined

Vector highlights four key factors in the ownership, management and exploitation of application software assets –

Requirements – defining and quantifying the organization's true requirements for an application. Organizations will purchase MS Office™ Professional for the entire network simply because they have no tools to quantify how many users only require Office Standard.
License ownership - If an organization has had decentralized software purchasing, then locating and documenting actual licenses can be the most challenging aspect of taking full control of software assets.
Inventory – how many copies are actually installed. This is critical – top quality inventory is a cornerstone of software asset optimization.
Usage – how many of the deployed copies are actually used. A PC sitting unused on a desk is highly visible. A copy of an application sitting unused on a hard disk is invisible and unnoticed.

Vector regards an organization as having fully optimized its software assets when all four factors are in sync.