In a previous article we looked at the issues surrounding IT asset discovery and inventory. Here, we are presuming that you have managed to address these and are now aiming to better control and manage your assets.

The major issue here is around processes, so this is what we be looking at in this article. Basically, you need to be able to track assets throughout their entire lifecycle – from the cradle to the grave. In particular, most problems usually occur at either the start or end of the lifecycle for both the assets themselves as well as users.

IT asset authorization

If we start by focussing on the IT assets, the first thing to consider is how new assets are initially authorized. Because of the difficulties of configuration and installation on a corporate network, authorization of new hardware tends to be well controlled. However, software is a different matter. With your users now familiar with the idea of app stores like iTunes and Google play, their capability to download and install unauthorized software on corporate devices is now greatly increased.

SOURCE: certero.com