Snow introduces User-Centric Software Asset Management with launch of Software Store
March 18 2015: Snow Software, the leading developer of Software Asset Management (SAM) solutions for both end user organizations and service providers, today announced the launch of the new Snow Software Store Option, which introduces self-service app portal functionality to the company’s flagship Snow License Manager SAM platform.
The integrated Snow Software Store Option addresses one of the key challenges facing organizations today – balancing the benefits of allowing end users to determine their own application needs against the organization’s responsibility to maintain an optimized and compliant software estate.
With analysts predicting that within three years, over half of IT spending will be effected outside of the IT department, Snow Software CEO, Axel Kling, explained the need in the enterprise for a Software Store: “There are good business reasons to give end users the ability to determine what software they need, but there are inherent risks with this approach, chiefly in the form of over-spend and under-compliance. By adding the Software Store Option to our Snow License Manager solution, we are introducing a user-centric approach to Software Asset Management, where users are empowered and can be more productive, but the organization still retains overall control.”
The Snow Software Store Option provides all users within an organization with a browser-based app store which is populated (via the Snow License Manager integration) with pre-approved software titles that can be requested either perpetually or for time-limited projects. The Snow Software Store Option has flexible in-built approvals processes which make it easy for line managers to approve both the requests and budget implications. Unlike other app stores, however, the Snow solution puts the SAM team squarely at the center of the process, ensuring no software is deployed on the network unless it has a valid licensed allocated to it (either from existing ‘pools’ or through purchasing new entitlements).
Chris Toseland, Service Transition Manager at Nottingham Trent University, can see a clear benefit of making software available in a controlled manner: “We’ve already invested time in optimizing our software licensing position with Snow License Manager. By adding the Software Store Option, it will empower end users across the network to self-select the software they need without the risk of undoing all the hard work that has gone into the SAM project. It’s a win-win situation – we make the users happy and our SAM team can breathe a little easier knowing we won’t suddenly fall into non-compliance!”
In line with the rest of the Snow solution portfolio, the Snow Software Store Option is designed to be quick to implement and deploy, with a reduced requirement for professional services and support. The solution is available with immediate effect.
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About Snow SoftwareSnow’s Mission is to stop organizations paying too high a price for the software they consume, across all devices and platforms.
To bring transparency and fairness to the licensing of software across the network, Snow provides on-premise and cloud-based Software Asset Management (SAM) solutions that safeguard the US $320 billion spent each year on enterprise software: ensuring organizations realize the full benefit of optimized licensing.
Snow is the largest dedicated developer of SAM solutions, headquartered in Sweden with more than 300 staff across 15 regional locations, three development centers and local support teams in seven territories.