3 easy steps to managing software assets in the cloud

Our customers and we are convinced that software asset management is the surest way to reduce your software costs.

This also applies to the management of software assets in the cloud of course.

The Cloud has revolutionized everything. Laptops, tablets, smartphones, and high-speed wireless connections have replaced countless servers and on-site facilities. The central purchasing department and the IT department have had to accept that the marketing department uses the company’s payment card to purchase licenses for the applications it needs to approach new customers. It is an ideal of flexibility and dynamism that all companies try to achieve.

Even if your servers have been replaced with a broadband connection and login credentials, you are still paying for software and would logically like to benefit from low prices. Managing software assets in the cloud is a great way to achieve this goal.

Reduce cloud costs by leveraging data, tools and a tailored strategy

The basics of software asset management remain the same. If you want to master your Cloud environment, just go back to SAM fundamentals. Here are 3 simple steps to managing software assets:

1) Collect your data

Data is the foundation for managing software assets in the cloud. If you don’t have a clear overview of the relevant data, you may be missing out on opportunities for optimizing your environment or facing compliance issues. To get started with SAM in the Cloud, you need this information:

• the number of users accessing the software
• the number of processors on the device that host the application
• product use rights for virtualization
• PUR related / vendor specific rules for cloud environments
• the existence of hybrid licensing models that allow dual use in the cloud and on-premises

Armed with the proper data, you might find that you can reduce the server space of your Amazon Web Services instance, or that you have an indirect access issue on your Salesforce platform. With SAM in the Cloud, you’ll be able to seize these opportunities and address those challenges before they cost you dearly.

2) Use a software license management tool

Collecting relevant data for software asset management can take months and the data changes daily! Trying to manage software assets with an Excel sheet is like trying to access the Internet with a rotary phone: it’s not just obsolete, it’s impossible!

A software license management tool is essential to centralize all general conditions and all associated data, quickly and clearly. Spreadsheets are not synonymous with optimization, and your SAM team, however skilled, cannot do anything about it. The data volumes are simply too large. In contrast, a tool can automatically synthesize all of this information to provide alerts, analysis, and options for optimization.

3) Develop a software license management strategy

Data and the right tool are not enough to effectively manage software assets. A specific strategy is essential. Your initial cloud software asset management program shouldn’t try to cover everything. We recommend that you look at your Cloud and SaaS spending by limiting yourself to vendors that account for around 80% of your current costs.

Continuously monitor the evolution and suitability of Cloud and SaaS products to decide whether you want to continue paying for licenses for those products. So you will be ready to negotiate in advance. After all, the cloud standard is no longer compliance, but the cost of user rights.

EcoDocs Software asset management: to infinity and beyond!

No matter how big the technology changes, you won’t be able to keep licensing costs from eating into your budget without:

• relevant data
• the best tools
• a solid strategy

By building on these fundamentals, you’ll always be prepared, whatever the future may bring.This article is published by the Starlinks which one of the Top Digital Marketing Services in New Zealand.