President's Letter
By: Barbara Rembiesa, President of IAITAM
I would like to welcome each and every one of our attendees, speakers, sponsors and exhibitors to the 6th IAITAM Annual Conference & Exhibition here in Marco Island, Florida. This year’s conference has expanded to offer you not only a 4th educational track and vendor walk for attendees to witness our industry’s technological advancements, but our newly released IBPL Advanced Training courses pre and post conference. These one day courses are extensions of the IAITAM Best Practice Library (IPBL) books that take them to the next level. Each Advanced Training course blends the roles and responsibilities impacting the process area and weaves them into the fabric of the Key Process Area projects for the attendee. Read More...
Cover Story
ISO SAM Comes Center Stage
By: © David Phillips 2008. Portions © ISO/IEC for WG21, used with permission.
“IAITAM members seeking more natural, evolutionary approach will find the news of SAM in stages refreshing...”
Executive summary
Focusing on how to use standards in the real world, this article continues from recent articles to explore how ISO is making Software Asset Management (SAM) standards much more accessible. It will interest organizations that want to achieve best practice in natural evolutionary stages, make progress and demonstrate results more easily. There is also refreshing news of an opportunity to trial ISO approaches which is expected to lead to easier application of the 19770-series of international standards. Anticipated benefits include easier SAM process improvement; realizing savings and other benefits more quickly; and the ability to demonstrate the achievement of each stage.
Contents
- Getting up to date: SAM a story too big for just one act
- Overview of BSA tiered approach: Ready for the stage
- Trialing arrangements: Where can I get tickets?
- ISO and the BSA: About the players
- Can I see the preview? ..and other FAQ
- Applause for your SAM: Take a bow!
Read More...
Feature Article
How ISO Makes Standards - Overview of the Development Process for ISO/IEC Standards for SAM - Draft 3
By: David Bicket, Convener of ISO/IEC JTC1/SC7 WG21, Deloitte & Touch, LLP
Overview of the ISO/IEC Standards-Making Process
This article provides an overview of how the ISO/IEC standards-making process works, in particular for Software Asset Management (‘SAM’) standards, for the benefit of individuals who may wish to become more involved. If you are a passionate professional with a strong sense of social responsibility, then you can find fulfillment in the world of standards. Furthermore, you have much to gain in the process. There is a productive exchange between people with varied skills, knowledge and experience, and valuable learning is on offer for all involved. Read More...
Feature Article
Many Shades of Green - A Practical Roadmap to Sustainable Computing
By: Robert Houghton, President of Redemtech, Inc.
“Green IT” is in danger of becoming whatever the marketing departments at the big manufacturers want it to be. Reasonable people want green to mean “Earth-friendly,” environmentally responsible. But for the IT industry, going green has provided an opportunity to sell new hardware and services in the guise of energy efficiency—not a very Earth-friendly outcome once all of the environmental impacts are added up. Sustainability, on the other hand, is something we can measure and manage, a concept that offers quantitative benefits to our businesses, our society, and the Earth. Improved sustainability requires new strategies, not new hardware. And corporate technology users who adopt sustainability as their goal will improve not only their environmental impact – achieving truly green results – but their profitability as well. Read More...
Feature Article
Corporate Governance – Financial Management of Assets - Why is this Important
By: Roger Mallett, Senior Architect and Software Principle for HP Software
The global credit crunch is affecting worldwide markets. Industry is struggling to keep on top of changes that are occurring. In my job I speak to senior executives on a daily basis and they are talking about their current challenges which are:
- Reduce risk
- Do more with less - cost reduction but without reducing quality of service
- Regulatory compliance
- Improved information – measurement and reporting
Read More...
Risk and Trust in AM Decisions - How Technology Escrow Can Help to Reinforce Trust and Alleviate Risk
By: John Boruvka, Vice President, Intellectual Property Management for Iron Mountain
Why is today’s information society exposed to risk and how do we get a better understanding of those risks? What is technology escrow and how does it ameliorate that risk? Why do licensees, who are mainly buyers and users of software, need technology escrow? And, why does a licensor, who is typically the software vendor or developer, need it as well? This article will answer those questions and discuss how technology escrow can be used as part of an IT Asset Management program to lessen risk and strengthen trust between buyers and sellers of IT assets. Read More...
Managing SW Licenses - The Metadata of a Software License
By: Lindsay Felker, Product Manager and Fred Felker, President of Engagent, Inc.
Most IT Asset Managers are new on the job, because their job functions are part of an emerging group within the IT world. Only within the last few years have enterprises appreciated the need to account for and manage their intangible assets. This being said, IT Asset Compliance Managers are often faced with the challenge of software compliance reporting due to the disorganization of dispersed databases containing software license data. Generally, the larger the business, the more complicated the problem—and problems may accelerate exponentially relative to business size. A new IT Asset Manager may feel a sense of desperation as they step into a situation on the verge of chaos; software licenses scattered in various repositories, disorganized electronic and paper files, lofty goals, and a limited budget present a delicate and difficult situation. What should be done first to manage the situation? Read More...
In a Virtual World - Virtualization & Software License Management
By: John Emmitt, Director of Business Development for ManageSoft Corporation
The Virtualization Boom
Datacenter server virtualization saves space, power and hardware cost for thousands of enterprises by consolidating physical machines. The reduction in the number of physical machines is achieved by increasing hardware (CPU and memory) utilization from a typical 10-15% to as much as 75-85%. In addition to the savings on hardware purchases, there are reduced cooling requirements and maintenance cost savings associated with fewer machines. Energy cost savings have been estimated to be in the range of $300 to $600 per year for each server that is eliminated by virtualization. The total savings due to virtualization can be in the millions of dollars per year for large enterprises. This is why 60% to 80% of IT departments have server consolidation projects underway, according to analyst reports. Read More...
Is OSS For You - Hot Topics in Open-Source Software Licensing
By: Robert J. Scott, Managing Partner for Scott & Scott, LLP
Businesses and software developers who incorporate new or pre-existing open-source software (OSS) code as part of their hardware or software solutions are on the leading edge of a new dynamic in software licensing. Where the historical, proprietary model was based on protection and enforcement of the original developer’s ability to control how and by whom the software could by copied or modified, the new framework is based instead on protection and enforcement of subsequent developers’ and users’ abilities to freely copy, modify and re-distribute the original work. The OSS paradigm therefore presents exciting new opportunities for innovation and business development. However, it is not free from legal considerations and pitfalls, and those interested in using OSS are well advised to at least familiarize themselves with some of the basic concepts of open-source licensing and also with some of the legal issues that have arisen under the new framework. Read More...
Panic on the IT Highway – If Caught Off Guard, Legislative Compliance Can Be Costly
By: Phara McLaughlin, President of Animus Solutions, Inc.
Image yourself driving down the highway on a beautiful day, singing to Richard Marx’s - Endless Summer Nights on the radio, singing loud knowing you sound amazing, day dreaming, enjoying the clear blue sky and open sun roof. Temporarily forgetting where you are and as you pass a large bill board, you notice something out of the corner of your eye and all of the sudden you realize it’s a police car hiding behind the sign. Do you:
A. Check your speedometer
B. Grab your seat belt to buckle up
C. Apply pressure to the brakes
D. Hold your breath while looking in the rear view mirror
Or…
E. All of the above
Read More...
Try Before You Buy – Proof of Concept Defines SAM ROI
By: Jeff Kelsey, Vice President of Products and Services for Express Metrix
While the softening economy creates IT budget unpredictability, businesses of all sizes are taking a hard look at strategies to clean up IT inefficiencies, reduce extraneous spending and avoid costly mistakes such as failed software audits. Companies that use tools to manage their software assets understand the benefits of conducting periodic license audits—but what about those that are dissatisfied with their current tools and/or processes, or are reluctant to commit to an investment in software asset management (SAM) technology without first being assured of its long-term value? Read More...
Fee Free = Risk? – How Much Should IT Asset Disposal Cost?
By: Chris Adam, Director of IT Asset Disposal Solutiions for Converge
For security, legal, and environmental reasons, IT asset disposal can be a risky proposition. What you should spend on it depends on how much you may lose if your disposal strategy were to fail.
Companies naturally want to minimize the cost and risks of owning IT assets. The challenge is how to do both simultaneously throughout an asset’s life cycle. Mitigating risk usually comes at a cost — and reducing that cost below a certain point can be very risky. This is particularly true at the end of an IT asset’s life cycle. Read More...
The Winning Scenario – Managing the Environmental Aspects of ITAD Should Not Be Your Only Concern
By: Gabrielle Bove, Director of Marketing for PlanITROI, Inc.
Judging by the amount of times we hear and see things about “being green”, it is clear that we can no longer ignore the movement. The environmental implications of the 500 million obsolete computers in the U.S. alone are having a dramatic impact and taking up or ruining valuable worldwide real estate. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that in 2005, used or unwanted electronics amounted to approximately 2 million tons. Of that, about 1.7 million tons were primarily discarded in landfills, and an average of 360,000 tons were recycled. Read More...
SAM Wars 2008 – Balancing the Asset Centric Community Versus Entitlement Centric
By: John Tomeny, Convener of ISO/IEC 19770-3 Working Group on Software Entitlement Tags, Sassafras Software Inc.
The software industry has always struggled with two conflicting streams of thought on software licensing. At the risk of oversimplification, on one side of the table sit software publishers whose primary interests are intellectual property protection, piracy prevention, and revenue generation. On the other side are SAM practitioners who simply want to get useful software into the hands of users. To do this, they need appropriate, affordable entitlements which can be easily managed. Read More...
Column
Is the Role of IT Asset Manager Still Relevant?
By: Jenny Schuchert, Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications for Animus Solutions, Inc.
As part of the Information Technology backbone of any organization, IT asset management currently contributes to the health, wealth and safety of the entire organization. Health comes from the reduced risk of a very public non-compliant audit, wealth from asset optimization with avoided purchases, and safety from increased control and standardization in the IT environment. Successes by members of our profession have led to increased visibility and the authority to go along with the responsibility for the assets. Read More... |
