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Cover Story
Interview with Michael Beare - Microsoft’s Michael Beare:A Believer in Software Asset Management
By: Jenny Schuchert, Education Specialist for IAITAM
IAITAM writer Jenny Schuchert interviewed Michael Beare in preparation for the IAITAM 2009 Annual Conference, where Mr. Beare will be one of the keynote speakers. The article below is based on that interview.
Michael Beare is an advocate for Software Asset Management and feels strongly that a majority of under-licensed software use in corporate settings is unintentional. With a long career in software licensing and as current Director of Worldwide Software Asset Management (SAM) for Microsoft Corporation, he has the experience and the support base to help organizations implement SAM processes so they can gain better control and optimize their existing IT infrastructure. Working with Microsoft employees and SAM partners across the globe, Beare spearheads SAM advocacy through collaborative and proactive license reviews, free access to a Microsoft inventory analysis tool, a comprehensive SAM optimization kit with step by step instructions and education resources for partners and clients. Read More...
Feature Article
Review Your Policies - QSP: Defining the Policy Review Process
By: Barbara Rembiesa, President of IAITAM
Your organization probably has more policies in place than one could count. These policies can range from organizational activities and procedures to behavioral requirements while at work. These policies are important to daily function, but sometimes overlap occurs between two policies. They essentially say the same thing in two different ways because they were instituted at two different times and possibly by two different groups. These are the sort of policies that need to be removed during review. Read More...
Money in the Bank - IT Asset Management as it Relates to Banking?
By: Dave Swarner, Asset Analyst for Providence Health System - Alaska
One way to look at IT Asset Management (ITAM) is to compare it to a bank vault. Computers, monitors, servers, PDA’s, projectors as the assets for ITAM and cash (100’s, 50’s, 20’s, 10’s, 5’s and 1’s) as the asset for the bank vault.
Banks order their cash from the Federal Reserve much like ITAM orders inventory from a vendor, specific quantities of specific denominations vs. specific quantities of specific models with specific specs. They receive the cash, verify it and secure it in the vault, much like ITAM would verify the equipment, asset tag it, and place it in inventory. ITAM does take it a step further by actually tagging the equipment and recording serial numbers as well. A bank does not get so detailed that it records the serial number on each bill. Read More...
Measuring ITAM Success - How Successful is Your IT Asset Management Program?
By: Mark Hobe, Asset Management Professional and Taylor Herschleb, Asset Management Professional
If management asked you to show the value of the organization's IT Asset Management (ITAM) program, could you provide quantifiable results? Your answer to this question will probably be "no" if a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) or metrics have not been established and/or tracked on a regular basis.
This leads to the next question: how do you know if implemented processes or decisions made are the most effective if there is no way to measure its success? The answer to this question is you can't determine their effectiveness. Think about it. If you have no measurement tools in place to measure the level of success or failure, it is like running a race blindfolded. You can be running as fast as possible, but you do not know if you are running in the right direction or of your overall performance level in the race. Read More...
Be SAM Positive - How We Fail at Software Asset Management
By: Jenny Schuchert, Education Specialist for IAITAM
A Fresh Look from a Normally Positive Person
Have you ever felt that managing software is like playing whack-a-mole with Jell-O? The compliance hammer comes down title by title, vendor by vendor, but without process and support, compliance is rapidly lost. Compliance, and the software asset management lifecycle processes that build compliance, are difficult to maintain without support from fellow employees. There are just too many opportunities for unintentional sabotage, from the manager who just wants to get the job done, to the help desk technician who simply wants to fulfill the request and close the incident. Read More...
The End is Near – Process Improvements and Dollars Saved Does Not Always Equate to Job Security
By: Ilan Justh, IT Asset Manager and Software Licensing Expert
My time was up … and I knew the clock was ticking. I was working for a defense contractor, and their poorly thought-out actions from ten years earlier came back to roost. They were the only game in town delivering that type of product, and knew it, so they took advantage of the Navy. Well, the one star admiral they dealt with during the project became Chief of Naval Operations and that elephant had a long memory. When the contract came up for renewal, it went to another firm. This business was the largest part of our income, so we knew we were in big trouble. One of the senior managers was a personal friend of mine. He told me, on the sly, that I was going to be on the short list (so I could look for another job). What to do … what to do? My only thought was to find a way to extend my responsibilities and prove my value to the company which would end up extending my employment with the same firm. Read More...
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