Software spending is the fastest growing element among total IT spending, according to recent Gartner figures. So the pressure is on for organizations to sharpen their SAM skills.Functionally, a mature approach to software asset management gives an enterprise the tools it needs to control costs, optimize use of software and plan for the future.

As a primary requirement, SAM should give an organization 100 percent visibility into its software. Without that baseline of information, the entity won’t be able to ensure licensing compliance or identify hidden costs. The SAM tool should therefore be able to detect every hardware asset on which software resides, including mobile devices.

A purchasing system can give an organization a lot of information on software acquisition history. But it won’t reveal the physical location of each license, which department has it installed or whether it’s actually in use. If an IP packet can reach the device, the SAM tool should be able to find out and report what software is aboard.

SOURCE: biztechmagazine.com