SAM (Software Asset Management) is the process and procedures backed by industry standards to manage software as you would any other valuable company asset to provides economic, security and performance benefits. Poor software management robs companies of the full value of the productivity and efficiency of software. Good software management matches the organization with the needs of the company and individuals. Poor software management can also easily mask software piracy, which is the installation or use of unauthorized copies of software.
Benefits
- Reduce software costs through:
- Matching license purchases with actual utilization.
- Purchase of upgrades only where required.
- Obtain the best software to match business requirements.
- Access to out-of-date and current software for archival or disaster recovery purposes.
- Avoidance of costly litigation, settlements or fines from the use of unlicensed software.
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Risks
- Over paying for software licenses due to:
- Purchasing more than required.
- Paying for support when the underlying product has been uninstalled.
- Upgrading software that is not utilized.
- Security and data vulnerability from the installation of unknown and unauthorized software.
- Costly litigation, settlements and fines from the use of unlicensed software.
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after BSA 2014