Software Asset Management

Software Asset Management

Software Asset Management (SAM) is a business practice that involves managing and optimizing the purchase, deployment, maintenance, utilization, and disposal of software applications within an organization. According to the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), SAM is defined as “…all of the infrastructure and processes necessary for the effective management, control and protection of the software assets…throughout all stages of their lifecycle.” [ITIL’s Guide to Software Asset Management ]

Fundamentally intended to be part of an organization’s information technology business strategy, the goals of SAM are to reduce information technology (IT) costs and limit business and legal risk related to the ownership and use of software, while maximizing IT responsiveness and end-user productivity. Citation| contribution=Information technology — Software asset management-- Part 1: Processes| title=International Standard| editor-first=| editor-last=| coeditors=| publisher=International Organization for Standardization and International Electrotechnical Commission| pages=5| date=2006-05-01| year=2006| accessdate=2008-03-19 ] SAM is one facet of a broader business discipline known as IT asset management, which includes overseeing both software and hardware that comprise an organization’s computers and network.

Role within organizations

SAM can serve many different functions within organizations, depending on their software portfolios, IT infrastructures, resource availability, and business goals.

For many organizations, the goal of implementing a SAM program is very tactical in nature, focused specifically on balancing the number of software licenses purchased with the number of actual copies installed. In doing so, organizations can minimize liabilities associated with software piracy in the event of an audit by a software vendor or a third party such as the Business Software Alliance (BSA). SAM, according to this interpretation, involves conducting detailed software inventories on a periodic basis to determine the exact number of software installations, comparing this information with the number of licenses purchased, and establishing controls to ensure that proper licensing practices are maintained on an ongoing basis. This can be accomplished through a combination of IT processes, purchasing policies and procedures, and technology solutions such as software inventory tools. [ cite web|url=http://www.microsoft.com/resources/sam/what.mspx |title=What is SAM? |accessdate=2008-03-19 |publisher=Microsoft ]

More broadly defined, the strategic goals of SAM often include (but are not limited to) the following:
*Reduce software and support costs by negotiating volume contract agreements and eliminating or reallocating underutilized software licenses
*Enforce compliance with corporate security policies and desktop standards [ cite web|url=http://www.fast.org.uk/groups/AMG-FASTtalkArticleSAMBestPractice.pdf |title=SAM Best Practice |accessdate=2008-03-19 |last=Dunn |first=Ian |coauthors=Daniel Dresner |date=2004 |format=PDF |publisher=Federation Against Software Theft ]
*Improve worker productivity by deploying the right kinds of technology more quickly and reliably
*Limit overhead associated with managing and supporting software by streamlining and/or automating IT processes (such as inventory tracking, software deployment, issue tracking, and patch (computing) management) [ Citation| first= | last=| coauthors=| contribution=Information technology — Software asset management-- Part 1: Processes| title=International Standard| editor-first=| editor-last=| coeditors=| publisher=International Organization for Standardization and International Electrotechnical Commission| place=| pages=19| date=2006-05-01| year=2006| id= | contribution-url=| format=| accessdate=2008-03-19 ]
*Establish ongoing policies and procedures surrounding the acquisition, documentation, deployment, usage and retirement of software in an effort to recognize long-term benefits of SAM [ cite web|url=http://www.microsoft.com/resources/sam/sbs_4.mspx |title=Microsoft Software Asset Management: Step-by-Step Training - Step 4 |accessdate=2008-03-19 |publisher=Microsoft ]

SAM Technology

A number of technologies are available to support key SAM processes:
*Software inventory tools intelligently “discover” software installed across the computer network, and collect software file information such as title, product ID, size, date, path, and version. Some inventory tools compare software inventory data with purchasing information to reveal license deficits and ensure that organizations remain compliant with their licensing agreements.
*Software metering tools monitor the utilization of software applications across a network. They can also provide real-time enforcement of compliance for applications licensed based on usage.
*Application control tools restrict what and by whom particular software can be run on a computer as a means of avoiding security and other risks. [cite news | first=Eric | last=Ogren | coauthors= | title=Application control coming your way | date=2006-11-03 | publisher= | url =http://blogs.computerworld.com/node/3890 | work =ComputerWorld | pages = | accessdate = 2008-04-03 | language = ]
*Software deployment tools automate and regulate the deployment of new software.
*Patch (computing) management tools automate the deployment of software patches to ensure that computers are up-to-date and meet applicable security and efficiency standards.

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

In 2006, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) began working with the SAM industry to develop a standard of best practices for software asset management programs. Standard ISO/IEC 19770-1:2006, Information technology – software asset management – Part 1, was published by the ISO and IEC in May of 2006. Part 1 of the standard details SAM processes including control environment, planning and implementation, inventory, verification and compliance, operations management and life cycle. [ Citation| first= | last=| coauthors=| contribution=Information technology — Software asset management-- Part 1: Processes| title=International Standard| editor-first=| editor-last=| coeditors=| publisher=International Organization for Standardization and International Electrotechnical Commission| place=| date=2006-05-01| year=2006| id= | contribution-url=| format=| accessdate=2008-03-19 ]

Part 2 of the standard is still in progress, and seeks to define a model that will help improve software identification processes.

References

External links

* [http://www.bsa.org Business Software Alliance (BSA)]
* [http://www.fast.org.uk Federation Against Software Theft (FAST)]
* [http://www.iso.ch/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=33908 ISO/IEC 19770-1:2006]
* [http://www.standardsinfo.net/info/livelink/fetch/2000/148478/6301438/index.html ISO/IEC Information Centre]
* [http://www.ecpmedia.com/index.html International Business Software Managers Association (IBSMA]
*ITIL Standards on Software Asset Management
* [http://www.iaitam.org International Association of Information Technology Asset Managers (IAITAM)]
* [http://www.siia.net Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA)]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Software Asset Management — (SAM)  это методология, направленная на оптимизацию процессов управления активами программного обеспечения в организации и их защиту: учет программного обеспечения, его использования, лицензий (прав на использование), документов,… …   Википедия

  • Asset management — Asset management, broadly defined, refers to any system whereby things that are of value to an entity or group are monitored and maintained. It may apply to both tangible assets and to intangible concepts such as intellectual property and… …   Wikipedia

  • IT asset management — (ITAM) is the set of business practices that join financial, contractual and inventory functions to support life cycle management and strategic decision making for the IT environment. Assets include all elements of software and hardware that are… …   Wikipedia

  • Enterprise asset management — (EAM) means the whole life optimal management of the physical assets of an organization to maximize value. It covers such things as the design, construction, commissioning, operations, maintenance and decommissioning/replacement of plant,… …   Wikipedia

  • Asset Management System — Ein Anlagegüterverwaltungssystem (AGVS), früher oft auch Asset Management System (AMS), ist ein Informationssystem zur Verwaltung von Anlagegütern. Anlagegüterverwaltungssysteme werden im IT Bereich zur Verwaltung und Nachverfolgung von Hard und… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Digital asset management — (DAM) consists of management tasks and decisions surrounding the ingestion, annotation, cataloguing, storage, retrieval and distribution of digital assets. Digital photographs, animations, videos and music exemplify the target areas of media… …   Wikipedia

  • Plant Asset Management — Die in der Technik verwendeten Begriffe Asset Management und Plant Asset Management sind eine Ableitung des in der Volks und Betriebswirtschaft verwendeten Begriffs der Vermögensverwaltung. Vermögenswerte können materieller und immaterieller… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Mobile asset management — is managing availability and serviceability of assets used to move, store, secure, protect and control inventory within the enterprise and along the supply chain or in conjunction with service providing. Mobile assets are e.g. of the classes of… …   Wikipedia

  • IT asset management — UK US noun [U] ► IT, MANAGEMENT the job of managing and keeping records relating to the computers, software, etc. owned by an organization: »Using new services for IT asset management saved the company millions. → Compare ASSET MANAGEMENT(Cf.… …   Financial and business terms

  • Mobile enterprise asset management — (or mobile EAM) refers to the mobile extension of work processes for maintenance, operations and repair of corporate or public entity physical assets, equipment, buildings and grounds. It involves management of work orders (planned, break/fix or… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”