1. Info-Tech Research Group1 Automate the IT Asset Management Solution Automated tools mean you won’t have to manage your Assets off!

2. Info-Tech Research Group2 IT Asset Management (ITAM) can be a lot of work, but can be done with less effort and better results if using automated tools over a manual process. Introduction IT Managers. IT Directors IT Asset Managers. Articulate the benefits of creating an ITAM process and automating it. Create a shortlist of ITAM vendors and select the best for the enterprise. Prepare an RFP and have a script ready for vendor demos. Establish architectural and policy requirements to successfully implement an ITAM tool. This Research Is Designed For:This Research Will Help You: Introducing an ITAM practice into their organization. Looking to mature an ITAM practice through the use of automated tools. Who are: We realized tangible savings on things like licenses, but we also experienced intangible benefits, such as time saved on managing assets. ~ Aloysius Niranjan, HCL Enterprise ~

3. Info-Tech Research Group3 Executive Summary For any organization with more than 250 managed devices, IT Asset Management (ITAM) can be a massive headache. Where assets are managed manually through the use of spreadsheets, information can quickly become out-of-date and the effort to keep it accurate can be enormous, especially in geographically dispersed organizations. And often the expense and effort of an audit is wasted as the information does not get used beyond the initial purpose of the audit. To truly benefit from an Asset Management practice, an organization must consider automation. When we talk about 30% savings on software, 15% savings on hardware and 20% efficiencies, these savings are all as a result of automated solutions combined with process improvements. In a recent Info-Tech survey, only 9% of respondents have a fully automated tool in place, with 30% stating they have an ITAM tool in place that requires some manual analysis. This speaks to the difficulty in finding a tool that is all encompassing, recognizing that complexity of the environment will affect the complexity of the tool requirements. It is important to find the balance between requirements for full automation and100% accuracy with the cost of achieving these states. In reality, 95% automation with 90% accuracy may be good enough. Choose features that will provide the maximum coverage for a reasonable price, and ensure that integration of ITAM tools is appropriate for the benefits it will provide.

4. Info-Tech Research Group4 What’s in this Section:Sections: Make the case for ITAM Automation Determine the needs best suited to your environment Choose your vendor Start implementation Assess your readiness to automate ITAM. Understand the benefits of ITAM automation. Understand the factors to success. Build a business case for automation. Identify cautions and limitations of ITAM tools.

5. Info-Tech Research Group5 Automated IT Asset Management (ITAM) is only as good as the processes surrounding it. If your processes aren’t yet in place, start with strategy and processes outlined in the solution sets below. Use automated ITAM tools to increase the maturity of your hardware & software asset management practices Develop a Comprehensive Hardware Asset Management StrategyDevelop a Comprehensive Hardware Asset Management Strategy teaches you: Benefits of managing your hardware assets How to implement an Asset Lifecycle Management process How to manage equipment from procurement to disposal Manage Software Assets EfficientlyManage Software Assets Efficiently provides you with: A guide to save money and create efficiencies. Templates to implement a corporate SAM policy. Tips on managing and minimizing audits.

6. Info-Tech Research Group6 Organizations that have take the time to implement a fully automated tool, find the most success with ITAM Source: Info-Tech Research Group, N = 124 Successful ITAM practice will: Accurately and efficiently track software usage to harvest and redeploy software licenses, thereby reducing licensing costs. Quickly and effectively reconcile all software licenses to installed inventory, with little manual analysis required. Locate hardware and software, and accurately track costs. Proactively assess and reconcile leases and contract renewals with accurate data, eliminating rushed decisions, overpayments and penalties from missed deadlines. Respond to equipment and software requests efficiently and effectively.

7. Info-Tech Research Group7 Automate ITAM to increase savings, mitigate risks, and create efficiencies Savings Automation can lead to up to 30% savings in software through license harvesting and redeployment and 15% savings in hardware through redeployment and reduction of lost hardware assets. Avoid paying penalties from late contract renewals, late or missed lease returns. Use notification features for expiry and renewal information to manage warranties and cost justify all maintenance and support contracts. Risk mitigation The potential risks associated with data loss are estimated to be $50,000 to $185,000 per computer depending on the data and whether it is considered high or low risk. Lower the risk of audit by regularly monitoring software compliance. Changes to license status will be reported immediately and will enable action to be taken to regain compliance. Keep software compliant to put you in a stronger negotiating position with vendors. Efficiencies Automated discovery can reduce the inventory time and increase accuracy exponentially over a manual process. Link assets directly to the service desk for managing tickets, creating workflows, automation of tasks and reporting. Access asset configuration data for troubleshooting without having to visit the workstation is a huge timesaver for helpdesk staff. Automated tools can offer up to 30% savings on software, 15% on hardware, and up to 20% in efficiencies through integration with the helpdesk.

8. Info-Tech Research Group8 Calculate costs & risks of the current solution against the costs & value of an ITAM solution. If equipment theft/loss is a major problem or if equipment is highly mobile, calculate the costs & benefits of integrating RFID with your solution. Determine the ROI of implementing automated ITAM tools to make the case for investment within your environment Use the Info-Tech ROI Calculator to:ROI Calculator Document initial and ongoing costs associated with automating an ITAM system. Calculate the ROI to determine how quickly ITAM automation will benefit your organization. Use the Info-Tech RFID ROI Calculator to:RFID ROI Calculator Document the costs of adding RFID to your automated ITAM system. Calculate the ROI of adding RFID to your ITAM system. Start your business case to add RFID. It's a ROI type item. Tracking our assets on spreadsheets used to work but it isn't scaling with our organization... now we either invest in systems or improving spreadsheets. ~ Survey respondent ~

9. Info-Tech Research Group9 ROI depends more on implementation strategy than upfront cost. Without proper implementation, even a free ITAM product can result in poor ROI. Use Info-Tech’s project charter template to plan your ITAM solution implementation In combination with the ROI calculators, use the ITAM Project Charter Template to:ITAM Project Charter Template Build a business case to implement an ITAM practice. Understand and plan each phase of the project to ensure resources are properly allocated. Be ready to launch project upon approval. Info-Tech’s team of experienced ITAM consultants can provide assistance with all aspects of your project, from tool selection to license discovery to data and license analysis.ITAM consultants

10. Info-Tech Research Group10 Info-Tech Research Group Helps IT Professionals To: Sign up for free trial membership to get practical solutions for your IT challenges www.infotech.com Quickly get up to speed with new technologies Make the right technology purchasing decisions – fast Deliver critical IT projects, on time and within budget Manage business expectations Justify IT spending and prove the value of IT Train IT staff and effectively manage an IT department “Info-Tech helps me to be proactive instead of reactive – a cardinal rule in a stable and leading edge IT environment. - ARCS Commercial Mortgage Co., LP Toll Free: 1-888-670-8889