Discover Your Secret SAM Superpowers
Within the world of software asset management (SAM), there are those who bravely spend their days battling auditors, hunting down shadow IT and honing their effective license position. They keep an eagle-eye over their IT estate, and the people they serve go about their day never knowing just how close they came to a seven-figure true-up bill. These heroic deeds may never be recognized as these courageous souls work behind the scenes to protect their organizations. In fact, many of these digital defenders don’t even realize the extent of their superpowers.
But we see these superheroes and we recognize their incredible abilities. The trick is knowing which superpower applies to a given challenge, especially in the always-evolving enterprise. Take a look at some of these all-too familiar challenges in the life of an IT practitioner and see if you can identify which superpower would best counter the issue.
Challenge 1: Lack of Visibility
Today’s organizations are riddled with shadow IT, zombie VMs, abandoned SaaS and other nefarious technological culprits. You need to see the entire technology landscape but how do you prioritize which vendors to tackle first? Which ones present the biggest risk?
Sometimes you may see a bit too much and feel overwhelmed. Remember, the enemy is rogue software, not your colleagues and stakeholders. Promote productivity and innovation where you can to become a technology enabler. When real trouble arises, take quick action.
Which superpower do you use to fight back?
- Mind reading
- Peak intelligence
- Hypervision
- Enhanced agility
- Super strength
Challenge 2: Complexity
As enterprise technology becomes increasingly consumerized, many stakeholders will go around IT and simply procure new tools themselves. But once the latest and greatest technology has been purchased and the slick salesperson has walked out the door, IT is left to sort through entitlements and manage the new tools. That can be especially challenging with the changing face of software licensing: subscription, perpetual, consumption and more.
While you may have incredible agility and unmatched endurance, technology is evolving so rapidly that you might come across something that puts your powers to the test.
Which superpower do you use to fight back?
- Mind reading
- Peak intelligence
- Hypervision
- Enhanced agility
- Super strength
Challenge 3: Undergoing a Software Audit
Software audits are a long, drawn-out process that can put a significant strain on your organization and the financial implications of losing an audit battle represent a serious risk for your business. While audits may be aligned with customer renewal dates, the truth is they can occur at any time. You must stay vigilant. Keep one step ahead and ensure you’ve got a system that demonstrates your effective license position.
To avoid disaster, your processes must change as technology and licensing models do. Spreadsheets and databases have their place, but they simply aren’t enough given the rapid evolution of cloud and licensing. Your best defense against audits is a strong offense – invest in the right tools and processes now so that you have full visibility when auditors inevitably emerge from the shadows.
Which superpower do you use to fight back?
- Mind reading
- Peak intelligence
- Hypervision
- Enhanced agility
- Super strength
Whether an organization’s goals are related to efficiency or cost optimization, it’s the everyday heroes like you that help achieve them. How you choose to show off your powers are up to you. Learn more about how you can leverage SAM in your organization in our new eBook, The Basics of Software Asset Management.