Software plays an increasingly integral role in virtually every aspect of business operations. From managing customer relationships to optimizing supply chains, the reliance on software solutions has become ubiquitous.
Yet, despite the proliferation of digital tools, many organizations overlook a critical aspect of their IT infrastructure: Software Asset Management (SAM). Effective software asset management offers a multitude of benefits for organizations, ranging from cost savings and compliance assurance to improved productivity and risk mitigation, particularly as the number of software solutions used by organizations continues to increase.
Gartner predicts that enterprise spending on software will grow about 14.1% in 2024 to reach nearly $1.1 billion, up from $923 million in 2023. But according to a 2022 report that surveyed 465 global IT professionals at companies with 1,000 or more employees, almost a third (29%) of that could be wasted.
SAM to the rescue! With efficient software asset management, organizations can:
- Optimize license usage: SAM enables companies to track and manage software licenses effectively, ensuring that they only purchase what’s necessary and fully utilize their existing licenses.
- Assure compliance: By maintaining accurate records and ensuring compliance with licensing agreements and copyright laws, SAM helps companies avoid fines and legal penalties, promoting a culture of integrity and accountability.
- Streamline procurement processes: With SAM in place, companies can identify and eliminate redundant software purchases, streamline procurement processes and negotiate better terms with vendors.
- Optimize resources and spend: SAM provides visibility into software usage and helps identify opportunities for optimization and consolidation, allowing companies to allocate money more efficiently and invest in areas that drive business growth.
- Enhance security: By ensuring that software is up-to-date and properly patched, SAM helps mitigate security risks and protect against cyber threats, safeguarding sensitive data and preserving the company’s reputation.
As you can see, SAM not only helps your organization avoid risk and wasted spend, it facilitates smarter, data-driven decisions about where to invest, enabling a proactive approach that drives value and innovation within your organization.
But traditionally, SAM has been challenging. The sheer volume and complexity of software assets within large organizations can make it difficult to maintain accurate records and ensure compliance with licensing agreements. Additionally, the rapid pace of technological change and the proliferation of software solutions present ongoing challenges in keeping track of licenses, updates and usage across diverse platforms and devices. Limited resources – time, budget and expertise – can hinder companies‘ ability to implement robust SAM processes and technologies effectively, and organizational silos pose barriers to collaboration and coordination among departments responsible for SAM.
So, what’s the solution?
Lansweeper + Licenseware: A Smart Integration that Makes SAM Simple
Lansweeper and Licenseware have introduced an integration and software bundle that is indispensable in the tool stack of modern IT organizations. By combining Lansweeper’s market-leading IT asset discovery and inventory capabilities with Licenseware’s specialized apps, organizations can take a modular approach to managing software from key vendors like Microsoft, Oracle and others, leveraging highly accurate, up-to-the-minute data from Lansweeper.
“Large Fortune 500 organizations have told us that end-to-end solutions that encompass the platform, implementation and advisory services are not meeting their needs,” said Alex Cojocaru, CEO of Licenseware. “Instead, they need solutions that are specialized for specific high-risk vendors, such as Oracle, Microsoft, RedHat, Adobe and others.”
Through the integration, Licenseware’s apps pull Lanseeper data, making it easy for customers to understand and analyze their software estate. No more manual data entry or uploading .CSV files. All the data flows automatically from Lansweeper, so it’s always complete and accurate.
Since Licenseware’s apps target the most-used software vendors, customers no longer have to implement a monolithic, expensive SAM platform to automate asset discovery and management, and ensure license compliance. They can simply select the app they need when they need it – and they only have to pay for it when they use it. This is a key benefit, since software vendors typically conduct their audits at different times of the year.
Equally important, the apps make granular software asset data available instantly, so customers can troubleshoot and remediate any issues or vulnerabilities quickly and efficiently. This helps to optimize resources while reducing risk of cyber threats and downtime.
A Shared Vision for ITAM
The synergy between Lansweeper and Licenseware isn’t just technical – they share a vision to help create IT heroes with seamless access to IT asset data and unprecedented visibility across the IT estate. Said Alex: “Our visions are tightly aligned – and the fact that we’re approaching the market together with a unified vision for the future of SAM is a powerful market play.”
Learn more about the integration and get started today!
Combining Lansweeper + Licenseware
Gain rapid access to top-level insights and granular usage data about your software installations and required licenses – in minutes.
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