Software Asset Management (SAM) is an industry best practice that helps you control costs and optimize software investments across your organization and throughout all stages of their life cycles. Administered through an ongoing plan, SAM makes it easier to identify what you have, where it's running, and whether redundancy may exist. A fully implemented SAM plan can help you cut costs, improve security and compliance, and also anticipate future software needs. SAM also helps organizations accurately capture the costs and benefits associated with IT projects that enable a competitive advantage.

If your business relies on its IT operations to operate smoothly and efficiently, you are probably well aware of the complexities of managing software across an entire organization. What is the best way to control costs and manage business and legal risks? Could you do more with the software you already have? Will your current IT infrastructure be able to expand as your company grows?

SAM is a proven industry best practice of business and IT processes and procedures combined with technology that can help your organization:

Build a healthier financial position

SAM can help you control both the "hard" monetary costs of software and the "soft" costs of IT management. It helps ensure that you have the best licensing programs for your organization’s specific needs, and the most effective IT forecasting and budgeting. It can help you centralize your IT and software asset tracking, automate manual processes for increased efficiency, prepare for technology upgrades, and reduce support costs.

SAM can also help you control business and legal risks that are often related to improper software deployment. Use SAM to identify security vulnerabilities and keep track of the latest software updates, as well as achieve compliance with standards and government regulations.

Do more with what you already have

With SAM, you can get the most out of your software investments by reducing redundancy, standardizing processes, and giving your employees the tools they need. SAM can help you implement IT with business best practices and optimize software assets, enabling you to pay only for the software you use. SAM helps you optimize IT resources by standardizing processes, improving automation, and defining procedures to increase the efficiency and agility of your IT staff.

Lay a scalable foundation for business growth

As your company needs grow, you need an IT infrastructure that can expand with you. The SAM optimization model provides a solid, scalable foundation for business growth. A fully implemented SAM plan creates efficiencies that enable you to adapt quickly to market opportunities, plan for future software needs, and engage in IT and business best practices that drive value. At its highest level, SAM helps organizations become more agile by making better use of resources, even in times of changing business conditions.