Are you keeping an eye on your software? Even if it doesn't seem like it: Software Asset Management, or SAM for short, is a topic that not only affects large companies, but should also be worth a look for a remarkable number of small and medium-sized companies. Read this blog post to find out why it is worthwhile for companies of all sizes to include software asset management in their corporate planning.

Software asset management is particularly profitable for large or diversified companies. In the globalized world, many companies have their headquarters not just in one place, but spread across borders and continents at different locations, or even different departments located just a few streets away from each other. Regardless of your situation, the more participants are integrated into a network and the more different software is in use, the more demanding the Management of inventories for IT administration. This should be a top priority, especially in areas such as hospitals, public administration or large banks, for example, where transparent processes are particularly important, in order to save the IT administration in particular from stressful operations.

Opportunities for small companies

However, small and medium-sized companies also benefit from this clever way of amortizing their investments, as expensive software or hardware is an item that should not be underestimated in tight budgets. The acquisition and Updating new software and its licenses can also become a huge cost factor. Software asset management allows you to keep track of when, how much and which software you already have in use. It also makes it easier to plan for future rollouts. The advantages of asset management in the software sector are therefore obvious:

• Cost savings
• Legal certainty for audits
• Plannability of license requirements
• Effectiveness

With the help of these key points, clear company guidelines can be defined on how to proceed with the distribution and use of different software.

Overview thanks to software asset management

Unwanted installations can lead to under-licensing, especially when software assets are acquired in a company. Additionally purchased hardware, especially in the mobile sector, can also lead to too few licenses being available for various programs. Such "uncontrolled growth" and the resulting shadow IT can quickly become a problem for IT teams. The all-important overview that makes for successful administration is quickly lost, because even an expensive Over-licensing can be prevented through software asset management. Conversely, unpleasant surprises during audits can be prevented in this way.

A particular example of the successful use of software asset management in the IT sector is the use of a comprehensive client management solution. This situation is often found in hospitals or in the development and planning sector, where sensitive and expensive software is used to analyze large amounts of data. Through the consistent use of asset management, not only can an efficient working and research environment be created, but the utilization of corresponding expensive software licenses can also be planned and implemented.