In the dynamic landscape of cloud-centric businesses, where agility and responsiveness to market are prerequisites, the role of Software Asset Management (SAM) has taken on a new dimension. As an IT consultancy, we understand the unique challenges faced by companies born in the era of internet-first, cloud-centric operations. In this article, we’ll explore how we have adapted our SAM consultancy services to cater specifically to the needs of these tech-savvy, versatile enterprises.

The Cloud-Centric Challenge

For organizations built from the ground up with technology at their core, the pressures and demands are distinct from traditional on-premises setups. These cloud-centric customers operate in an environment where adaptability is key, and their business fortunes can fluctuate between hypergrowth and contraction. The agility of their operations requires a different approach to Software Asset Management offering real-time visibility, scalability and flexibility, allowing businesses to monitor and manage software assets seamlessly across diverse environments.

Technical Debt in Mergers and Acquisitions

The management of technical debt is an important component of a company’s success during times of growth through mergers and acquisitions. Multi-system integration, variations in collaborative practices, and unauthorized social media logins contribute to the complexity. In response to these challenges, our SAM services are tailored to help companies embrace new tools that integrate at the API level, providing an accurate view of license consumption.

Meeting Unique Demands

For cloud-centric customers, our SAM services go beyond traditional approaches. We support the deployment of SAM tools that seamlessly integrate with APIs, offering precise insights into license consumption. Discovery tools interact with internet security measures, providing a comprehensive understanding of browser-level activities and prohibiting data loss prevention (DLP) via social media logins.

Skills Development and Empowerment

As a company, we don’t simply provide enduring service; we are all about empowering our tech-savvy customers with the skills to manage their SAM efficiently. ITAA focus on educating teams to interpret output, minimize the impact of under-licensing, thus guiding them on how and when to approach software providers. This proactive education ensures that businesses can confidently navigate the complexities of SAM on their own terms.

On-Demand Support for Cloud Agility

Our services are designed to be on-demand because we recognize the ever-changing nature of these businesses. Cloud-centric companies can opt for spot negotiations, simple benchmarking, or periodic health checks. This flexibility allows them to manage their SAM practices independently while having the option for additional support when needed.

An example of how SAM can help

Impact of IaaS cloud migration on Oracle/IBM/Microsoft/Red Hat licensing, avoiding financial services organization’s €5m overspend

Opportunity: The client needed to rationalize its IT environment, reducing costs and increasing efficiency. Over 3 years, the plan was to migrate all VMs to a private cloud and reduce them by almost half. At the same time there was requirement to assess how this change would affect its software licensing costs and risks.

Focus: Review the client’s plan to move servers to a private cloud, balancing performance and cost. The client also requested that we:

• Compare and clarify the licensing options for the software they use
• Choose the best licensing model for their private cloud during and after the migration
• Explain how licensing optimization affects the technical aspects of the migration (e.g. cluster implementation)

Outcome: By choosing the best options for their needs and enhancing the server migration plan it was possible to identify and mitigate the risk of a potential €5m (> 300%) overspend, avoiding all unnecessary overheads.

Conclusion

In the internet-first, cloud-centric era, Software Asset Management is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Our adaptive approach recognizes the unique challenges faced by agile, tech-driven enterprises and provides tailored SAM services that empower them to manage their software assets efficiently. By integrating cutting-edge tools, fostering skills development, and offering on-demand support, we ensure that our clients can navigate the evolving landscape of technology with confidence and control. Please feel free to get in touch for flexible, comprehensive Software Asset Management expertise.