1. Software Asset Management

2. What is Software Asset Management (SAM)?
SAM is a vital set of continuous business processes that provides a system for the effective management and protection of software assets within your organization throughout all stages of their life cycle.

3. Why is SAM important for your business?
SAM is important because it can help you:
Control costs, risks, and complexity.
Optimize the use of your software assets.
Grow your infrastructure to meet your business needs.

4. The business case for SAM
Stronger IT management enables more business insight and responsiveness, which can help your business grow more quickly.

5. Control costs and risks
Save money by using what you already have.
Eliminate excess spending by determining your organization’s true software needs.
Negotiate the best licensing options with complete confidence.
Help ensure compliance with your government’s regulations and internal corporate regulations—as well as license compliance.
Gain peace of mind about viruses and other threats.

6. Optimize resources
Reduce redundancy while being sure all employees have the tools they need. Simplify deployment, purchasing, and support through desktop standardization. Implement policies that drive more automation and improve productivity. Reduce support needs through policies and standardization. Empower your IT teams to focus on upgrades and business goals instead of unnecessary IT complications.

7. Grow with technology
Enable more agility and responsiveness through IT infrastructure.
Plan effectively for your short-term and long-term technology needs.
Get better information for decision-making.
Align your IT with your business goals.

8. The operational case for SAM
Proactively managing software assets can result in up to a 50% reduction in IT labor costs* from simplified deployment, purchasing, and support.
*“Software Asset Management: A Key to Infrastructure Optimization,” KPMG International, 2008

9. Control costs and risks
Know what licenses you have, and determine what software you really need.
Minimize security threats and prevent unauthorized software downloads.
Reduce technology conflicts and increase stability.
Centralize control and policies and automate manual processes.

10. Optimize resources
Implement infrastructure optimization and standardization. Reduce costs with centralized purchasing. Improve system, user, and help desk performance. Be ready with backup and recovery plans.

11. Grow stronger
Align your IT with your business goals to create more operational excellence.
Plan ahead for technology needs.
Monitor and provide assets effectively.
Adapt more quickly to market opportunities with simplified IT management.

12. SAM and Infrastructure Optimization
Infrastructure Optimization (IO) is a four-step process that can take your IT infrastructure from a non-managed, reactive state to a proactive, optimized, and dynamic state
Based on the IO framework and the SAM processes standard, ISO/IEC , Microsoft has developed the SAM Optimization Model.
This model provides a set of criteria to make consistent SAM assessments and recommendations, and can help your organization become more agile through better use of resources, even in times of changing business conditions.

13. SAM Optimization Model
Dynamic SAM
Standardized SAM
Tracking Assets
SAM processes exist, as well as tool/data repository.
Information may not be complete and accurate and typically not used for decision- making.
Rationalized SAM
Active Management
Vision, policies, procedures, and tools are used to manage IT software asset life cycle.
Reliable information used to manage the assets to business targets.
Optimized
Near real-time alignment with changing business needs.
SAM is a strategic asset to overall business objectives.
Basic SAM
Ad Hoc
Little control over what IT assets are being used and where.
A lack of policies, procedures, resources, and tools.
Basic
Standardized
Rationalized
Dynamic

14. SAM helps your entire organization
An effective SAM program can increase efficiency throughout your business, improving productivity, visibility, and profitability.

15. Everyone benefits from SAM
IT staff—Simplify by knowing what you have, so you can streamline procedures and efficiently plan upgrades and deployments.
Department heads/business unit managers—Increase the visibility of current IT spending to ensure better budget planning of projected spends and acquisitions.
Legal—Be ready with complete documentation of compliance.
Purchasing/procurement—Gain improved efficiencies with effective centralized control, implement procurement procedures, and greatly simplify reporting, budgeting, and acquisition of IT assets.
Human resources—Ensure employee compliance by enforcing policies that minimize legal and security threats.

16. SAM makes good business sense
An effective SAM program can increase efficiency throughout your business—improving productivity, visibility, and profitability.
SAM helps you:
Control costs and business risks.
Gain visibility into your technology and insight into your business, so you can optimize your resources.
Align your technology infrastructure with your business goals, making IT a strategic asset that can help your business grow more quickly.

17. How do you implement a SAM plan?
There are four main steps…

18. Perform an initial software inventory
SAM Steps 1.
Perform an initial software inventory 2.
Get organized, match software installed to licenses owned 3.
Review policies and procedures 4.
Develop and maintain a SAM Plan
In order to successfully manage your software licensing agreements you need to know exactly what software is running in your organization, to develop a complete, accurate view of all your software licenses, and understand how your software inventory and licensing data relate to each other. A well-executed SAM process helps you achieve these insights. You can implement SAM in your organization by following four basic steps:
Take inventory, find out what you already have
Organize all your software licenses and documentation
Create policies and procedures. Establish new standards and guidelines for all phases of the software lifecycle
Keep your SAM plan current through spot checks, inventories, and employee training

19. 1. Initial Software Inventory
Find out exactly what software you have installed by conducting a software inventory.
Network – software inventory tools
Standalone – manual inventory
Asset inventory and management tools are fundamental to Step 1 and Step 4 by helping organizations of all sizes maintain control of their software asset plan by developing and maintaining an in-use software inventory. This includes taking a survey of all of the software installed on an organization’s computers, workstations, servers, and other devices and collecting the information in a report.
Microsoft has a collection of asset inventory and management tools that help organizations of all sizes with your SAM efforts. Some tools are licensed for on-premise use through programs like Open, Select, and Enterprise Agreements, while others are hosted services available through subscription. Available tools include:
SAM Tools
Microsoft System Center Service Manager
Agent Based = No
Volume License
On premise
5,000 + PCs
Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager
Agent Based = Yes
,000 PCs
Microsoft System Center Essentials
PCs, 50 Servers
Microsoft Asset Inventory Service (AIS)
VL Subscription
Cloud
Up to 20,000 PCs
Windows Intune
Unlimited
Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit (MAP)
Free Download
Up to 100,000 PCs or devices
For information on Microsoft SAM Tools, visit

20. 2. Get Organized, Matching Licenses
Once you have an inventory, you’ll need to match up the licenses to the software.
Types of licenses
OEM Software (pre-installed)
FPP Software (retail product)
Microsoft Volume Licensing Programs
Once you have an inventory, you’ll need to match up the licenses to the software.
Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) software is the pre-installed software you received on your PC, Server, or other device when you acquired it. At that time you would also receive media, a Certificate of Authenticity (COA), manuals, and the End User License Agreement (EULA). In more recent versions of software the EULA and manual may be embedded electronically within the software itself.
Full Packaged Product is typically found in a retail store sold in colorful boxed packaging. Retail software is sold in single units and usually includes media, a Certificate of Authenticity, and a physical copy of your EULA and media. In more recent versions of software the EULA and manual may be embedded electronically within the software itself.
Volume license programs give businesses the opportunity to receive volume discounts when acquiring at least five licenses. Software obtained through a volume license program typically doesn’t automatically come with manuals, hard copy licenses, and media. The licenses are typically in softcopy or recorded on an online database where you can access your information.
Microsoft has created several online resources to help you recognize which licenses you might have acquired. For more information, visit (Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center).

21. 3. Review Policies and Procedures
Centralize your procurement process
Post software use policies
Establish a software check-in process
Write a disaster recovery plan for software
Depending on the complexity and time it took to inventory your software and match licenses, you may want to review and possibly implement a few policies and procedures to make software asset management a little easier going forward.
Software Acquisition Process
First of all, if different departments or individuals have been acquiring software licenses on their own, you may be missing out on volume discounts. This type of software acquisition also makes it difficult to track exactly what software licenses you have. A centralized procurement procedure can really help in saving time and money.
Software Use Policies
Secondly, in your software inventory you may realize that various software programs have been installed that you were unaware of. As stated earlier, this can increase your exposure to viruses and incompatibility issues and potentially lead to under-licensing. Software use policies can prevent unauthorized software installation a method for an approval process for installing software so that you can keep track of your software and licenses at all times.
Check-In
To keep your software inventory up-to-date, develop a series of steps that employees should follow when the new software arrives.
The steps should cover:
Storing original documentation including the bill of lading
Storing the original packaging and media
Updating the software inventory report or database
Disaster Recovery Plan
Make sure your company’s disaster recovery plan has a section on recovering software from unforeseen catastrophe.

22. 4. Develop a SAM Plan Analyze software needs Provide software training
Reduce support costs
Keep software safe
Create a software map
Schedule regular inventories
Create a baseline before moving forward with a SAM Plan by:
Standardizing software titles so employees all have the same versions
Centralizing software purchasing to keep it under control and organized
Retiring obsolete workstations and software
Creating a software inventory database or spreadsheet to keep track of software licenses
Then review the following information and tips so your company can gain the most benefit from your SAM efforts.
Analyze Software Needs
It’s important to determine which software titles your company needs for business purposes. Work with key people and employees in each department to clarify what software their employees really require in order to get their jobs done.
Software Training
If your company has the resources available, you may wish to set up training for specific software titles. Proper training will ensure that employees get the most from their new software and may help prevent service calls due to improper use or confusion when using the software.
Reduce Support Costs
Limit the number of applications and devices your support staff must support by standardizing applications and systems whenever possible.
Keep Software Safe
It’s important to make sure that all licensing documentation and at least one copy of each of software title and version are protected under lock and key.  A limited number of employees should have access to the software to help protect against possible misuse or theft.
Create a Software and Hardware “Map”
Knowing what software is installed on which machines and knowing where they are located throughout your organization can be very helpful, especially for your support team. This information can be included in a software inventory database, created in a separate spreadsheet, or mapped out in a Visio diagram that shows the location of each machine, the user at that machine, and the software installed on that machine.
Inventory Schedule
Determine how often you will perform regular software inventories to keep your information up-to-date. The schedule will be determined by the size of your company, purchasing habits, and growth rate.

23. To find out more: www.microsoft.com/sam.
© Microsoft Corporation.