Software is essential for almost any business. Globally, more is spent on software than on hardware — this year more than 320 billion Euros (£230bn), as calculated Gartner. Software Asset Management (ie: good, substantive management of your software) is by this estimation, more important than ever. It helps to reduce financial and compliance risks, but most importantly it offers a tremendous opportunity to reduce costs. In this article, we look at the different ways you can engender these savings.

A complex matter

Software Asset Management (SAM) is a complex issue, which requires a lot of specific knowledge of software contracts. An average company has about three hundred and fifty vendors that each can quickly deliver ten to three hundred products. For enterprises, this number is often much higher, sometimes up to ten times. Each product has its own terms and conditions, which they give you. Moreover, a distinction must be made between products with a short lifespan (desktop software such as Microsoft Office) and enterprise software such as Oracle, IBM, and VMware, which lasts much longer and which rarely requires the purchase of a new version.

SOURCE: itproportal.com