How to Simplify your Microsoft 365 License Management

Keeping up with the ever-changing technology landscape can be a challenge. The rise of cloud computing has made it easier for businesses to quickly adopt new software, but now staying on top of license management is more important than ever. Microsoft 365 is a staple in many organizations, and understanding how to optimize licenses can save your business money and time

 

Managing office licenses for large-scale enterprise environments is no easy task. With a growing number of users, organizations are increasingly looking for ways to simplify their license management and optimize their use of cloud software. This blog will discuss some simple ways to simplify your Microsoft 365 license management and improve its risk mitigation. 

Optimizing Licenses Across Large Environments

 

It’s easy for a business to become over-dependent on the convenience of Microsoft 365. Save yourself costly mistakes by only buying the necessary licenses that your employees need. According to SaaS purchasing platform Vertice, businesses overpay for collaboration solutions by 20% to 30% on average. Organizations are wasting significant money per month due to the excess licensing of Microsoft 365. 

 

Hence, the first step in simplifying your Microsoft 365 license management is understanding how to optimize licenses across large environments. Identifying which users need which type of license can help you ensure that you are not overbuying licenses. It’s important to have a clear picture of who needs which type of license in order to maximize cost savings and efficiency. 

 

One way to do this is by leveraging an automated system that can quickly identify unused licenses, so they can be removed or reassigned as needed. This will help you avoid the costly mistake of paying for unneeded licenses and will also reduce the amount of time spent manually managing them. Automation is key when it comes to optimizing large environments where multiple users may need access to different types of software or services. 

 

Improving Risk Mitigation

 

Staying compliant with Microsoft 365 business standard activation and Microsoft 365’s licensure rules is key to avoiding potential penalties or fines and managing Microsoft licenses. Failing to do so can put your business at risk of hefty fines and disrupt operations that could have easily been avoided with the proper understanding of compliance laws.

 

A recent Flexera report shows that nearly 24% of respondents paid more than $1 million as a result of violations. Without a clear sense of Microsoft licensing explanation and understanding, you may find yourself or your company in hot water over an issue that could have been easily circumvented by procuring enough licenses to cover the Microsoft 365 number of users and features being utilized. Additionally, being aware of any and all changes in licensing regulations should also be taken seriously, as even small alterations can generate serious outcomes when disregarded.

 

A good office 365 device license management system should provide detailed tracking information about who has access to what, so you can identify any potential issues quickly and easily address them before they become a problem

SLIM360 as a Solution 

SLIM360 is an innovative online platform designed to streamline the process of managing Microsoft 365 licenses across large-scale enterprise environments. It applies to any type of agreement, including pay-as-you-go, term, subscription, and perpetual implementations. The solution quickly scans your computers for installed software and compares the identified instances to your current licenses purchased, which identifies both over-licensed and under-licensed usage. 

 

The tool also provides an estimated cost for any unused or expired licenses, along with a risk analysis that measures the potential benefit these licenses may offer in improved security. Moreover, SLIM360 provides actionable insights through predictive analytics to gain a proactive advantage in managing and avoiding unexpected costs due to using more licenses than necessary. 

 

In summary, SLIM360 is designed to compare your usage to the available licensing tiers and highlight where your employees are over-licensed so you can save money and identify any areas that you may be potentially under-licensed, ensuring you stay compliant without exposing yourself to risk caused by under-licensed employee usage.

Conclusion

Microsoft 365 licensing is an essential part of any organization’s IT infrastructure, but it’s easy for things to get out of control if not managed properly. Thankfully, there are some simple steps you can take that will help streamline your Microsoft 365 license management process while still ensuring that all users have the appropriate level of access they need. By leveraging automation tools and improving risk mitigation, you’ll be well on your way toward having an effective, efficient system in place for managing your licenses across large environments more effectively than ever before.

 

Without a software asset management tool, your company might be overspending on Microsoft software. In order to ensure that you have the right data and insights at the tip of your fingers, Metrix360 offers SLIM360, allowing you to streamline all the necessary information for your software assets. So contact us today or visit our website for more details.   

The 7 Best Software Asset Management Tools of 2023

As technology continues to evolve, it has become increasingly important for businesses to have the proper tools on hand to manage their software inventory. Software asset management (SAM) tools are designed to help companies keep track of licenses and usage, as well as other critical information related to software assets. From advanced security measures to automated systems that can improve communication between teams and stakeholders, novel tools offer an unprecedented level of efficiency and reliability that significantly increase a company’s overall productivity. 

 

With powerful SAM tools in play, organizations will be better equipped than ever before to take full advantage of their investments in technology.  In this blog, we’ll be taking a closer look at the seven best free IT asset management software or SAM tools of 2023 that are revolutionizing the way businesses stay organized. 

Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools Explained

 

SAM (Software Asset Management) tools are invaluable in an IT setting, as they help businesses to better monitor and manage their software assets. They provide a range of features that can be customized to fit any need and help to save time, money, and resources. SAM tools allow for account monitoring and management, license compliance checking, usage reports, inventory tracking, software installation tracking, asset reporting, and more. 

The Benefits of SAM Tools

Software Asset Management (SAM) tools offer tremendous benefits for any organization wishing to maximize their investments and ensure their long-term success. SAM tools allow for cost optimization by providing visibility into the total cost of ownership for a piece of software, so organizations can make smarter choices about which software products to acquire. They also enable seamless license management, giving organizations control over licensing for multiple products in one place.

 

Additionally, SAM tools improve life cycle management, providing metrics around renewal and usage costs that empower organizations to reduce risk during the software purchase decision-making process. Finally, SAM tools streamline risk mitigation by ensuring that the software installed within an environment is done so legally and securely, making it easier than ever before to worry less about any potential non-compliance issues.

Today’s 7 Best Tools for SAM

 

For businesses of any size, the right Software and IT asset management software can be a game-changer. Here we explore seven industry-leading solutions, both cloud, and on-premise systems, to help you find the best fit for your needs.

 

1. AWS License Manager

 

One of the best asset-tracking apps, AWS License Manager, is a cloud-based solution from Amazon Web Services (AWS) that allows businesses to easily manage their license compliance and usage across multiple cloud environments and accounts. This tool allows users to track licenses from multiple vendors, as well as check for violations and enforce policies. It also features advanced reporting capabilities that provide insights into license consumption, usage trends, and cost optimization opportunities. 

 

2. Microsoft Volume Licensing

 

Microsoft’s Volume Licensing program enables businesses to purchase large volumes of licenses at discounted prices with flexible payment terms and access to special benefits such as extended support and upgrade rights. This tool is ideal for companies who need to quickly deploy large amounts of Microsoft software across multiple devices or accounts. 

 

3. ServiceNow Software Asset Management

 

ServiceNow offers a comprehensive set of software asset management tools designed to help organizations get the most out of their IT investments by optimizing license spend and minimizing the risk associated with non-compliance issues. This platform features automated workflows, powerful analytics dashboards, detailed reports on utilization trends, built-in security controls, and more – all designed to improve visibility into your IT environment while driving cost savings. 

 

4. FlexNet Manager

 

FlexNet Manager is a comprehensive suite of digital asset management solutions specifically for medium and large enterprises that need a powerful but easy-to-use system that can handle complex licensing requirements across multiple vendor products and locations around the world. The platform offers integrated automation capabilities, enhanced control over license utilization data, cost savings opportunities through policy enforcement, and more to keep your organization compliant while helping you maximize ROI on IT investments over time. 

 

5. Zluri

 

Zluri is an AI-driven software asset management platform that helps organizations optimize their budgets by predicting future license needs based on historical usage patterns as well as current industry trends in pricing. This enables users to make smarter decisions about how they spend money when it comes to software procurement.  Additionally, Zluri offers detailed analytics dashboards that provide real-time insight into your IT environment so you can make informed decisions about where best to apply budget dollars going forward without sacrificing quality or compliance standards in the process.

 

6. USU Software Asset Management

 

USU Software Asset Management (USU SAM) is an enterprise-grade solution mainly for global organizations that need advanced asset tracking capabilities tailored to meet their specific industry requirements while still offering robust automation options in order to ensure accurate compliance with internal policies as well as external regulations like GDPR or HIPAA. USU SAM leverages big data analytics along with predictive models powered by AI/ML algorithms in order to help you get the most out of your IT investments while keeping costs under control.

 

7. SLIM 360

   

The cost of over-licensing personnel can cost organizations millions of dollars every month in lost revenue. For this reason, SLIM 360 is built to evaluate your utilization of the accessible licensing levels and illustrate any areas where your staff members are over-licensed and how much it is probably going to cost you.

 

SLIM360 organizes your licensing in a form that is both simple to grasp and thorough, creating a condensed and contemporary method for managing software assets. This method makes licensing rationalization more approachable so that you may plan your software budget wisely. You can quickly, affordably restructure your licensing by seeing how many issued licenses are truly being utilized using SLIM 360.

 

Conclusion

 

With so many different software asset management solutions, such as Zoho asset management, available today, it can be difficult knowing which one will work best for your organization’s particular needs. By examining the advantages of each option outlined above, it should become easier to narrow down those choices until you find the one that fits perfectly within your infrastructure budget. Take some time researching each one carefully before making any decisions, as it could save you from costly mistakes down the road. That being said, there’s no denying that the right SAM tool can help simplify managing your digital assets no matter what size of business you’re running.

 

Finding the right software asset management tools can be a hassle. In order to ensure that you have the right data and insights at the tip of your fingers, Metrix360 offers SLIM360, allowing you to streamline all the necessary information for your software assets. So contact us today or visit our website for more details.   

How to Tackle an Oracle Java Audit

Mastering Oracle Java Audit – Expert Tips and Guidance

 

As the digital world continues to evolve rapidly, now more than ever, companies of all sizes need to be up to date with their Oracle Java licensing and software agreements. Contracts regarding Java can be notoriously difficult, time-consuming, and complicated – a task that many organizations are ill-equipped to manage on their own. Faced with challenges such as getting access to the right people in the company, understanding the contract terms and duties it holds, determining where discrepancies exist, or even knowing what licenses they have isn’t easy. 

 

That’s why a smart and strategic approach is required when it comes to tackling an Oracle Java audit. The nightmare of an Oracle Java audit does not have to be overwhelming. Prepare for success by making sure you have an in-depth understanding of these audits and follow the strategic steps discussed below.

Oracle Licensing Audits Explained

 

If you are in the process of acquiring an Oracle license, it’s important to understand what will be audited and what is expected of you. Oracle license audits carefully review your provisioning, deployment, usage, and configuration data to ensure compliance with licensing requirements. You should be aware that the audit covered the past 12 months, so all systems need to be licensed correctly and kept up-to-date on an ongoing basis. Any discrepancies found must also be addressed as part of the audit process.

 

Expert knowledge of Oracle licensing and OpenJDK terms and conditions is essential if you want to ensure your organization stays compliant. It’s also important to have a reliable record of each cycle of usage or application changes available throughout the auditing period. Taking the time to get informed about the processes involved helps managers successfully prepare for an effective examination by Oracle license auditors. The following three steps can further pave the way for a stress-free audit.

Step 1 – Locate Your Oracle Installations

 

The first step is to locate every Oracle installation. Even if they aren’t in active use, they might still need a license. And even if they don’t require one, you’ll need an accurate inventory of installations to track usage adequately. Oracle provides you with the ability to run certain proprietary scripts for this purpose, but using an Oracle-verified discovery and inventory tool is often the safest and most reliable option. 

 

Step 2 – Determine Your Oracle Compliance

 

Maintaining Oracle compliance can be a complex task, but understanding your obligations to the company is a crucial first step. Gathering detailed and specific data about your Oracle environment is key in order to compare it to necessary specifications and accurately determine areas of non-compliance. 

 

Although Oracle does provide scripts for this purpose, it is strongly recommended that you look into using an Oracle-verified tool instead. Relying on standard discovery tools or spreadsheets alone may not give you the comfort level needed to assume that all gaps have been covered. Using an Oracle-verified tool will help cover you in those instances where manual tracking may fail.

Step 3 – Make Use of Additional Audit Tips

In today’s complex Oracle-driven environment, organizations need to be extra diligent when it comes to licensing. An effective tool for this purpose is an Oracle license management tool. This powerful software helps you stay compliant by alerting you when features, packs, and options are activated, allowing you to determine why they were engaged in the first place. This means that should a license audit occur, you can provide evidence of why any additional licenses aren’t needed, helping you avoid unnecessary costs or penalties. 

Conclusion 

Staying on top of Oracle licensing terms and conditions, as well as having the necessary documentation available throughout auditing in Java, is essential for compliance success. The best way to achieve this is by educating yourself with expert knowledge so you are prepared for any potential audit. Once you understand the process, there are three simple steps you can take to ensure a smooth experience: maintain organized records that document Oracle installation usage patterns, identify gaps in Oracle compliance, and, finally, leverage effective Oracle licensing management tools. By taking these preliminary steps, you will set yourself up for a stress-free audit and have greater confidence that your organization’s compliance goals will be achieved.

5 Tips for Controlling your Microsoft 365 Budget

5 Tips for Controlling your Microsoft 365 Budget

Microsoft 365 is a powerful cloud-based platform that provides businesses with various services, including applications, storage, and communications. Investing in Microsoft 365 can be extremely rewarding for businesses, giving them access to powerful tools and programs. However, costs can quickly add up if you are not careful. With this in mind, it’s important to ensure that your precious resources are being used effectively by controlling your Microsoft 365 budget.  In this blog post, we’ll discuss why it is essential to manage the Microsoft budget in 2022 and provide five tips for managing your Microsoft 365 budget to get the most value from it. 

Cloud Spend Costs with Microsoft 365

Regarding cloud spending costs with Microsoft 365, it is extremely important to have a thorough understanding of all the associated with the Microsoft 365 budget. Without knowledge and oversight, businesses can easily find themselves facing unexpected spending spikes and surging costs due to inefficient or redundant use of cloud resources and consumption. 

 

Microsoft 365’s expansive offering of programs means that it can be easy to unwittingly rack up costs with disorganized budgeting and suboptimal planning. But thankfully, the right Microsoft budgeting app, approaches, and cost-management strategies can help ensure that organizations avoid runaway spending. Investing in cost management tools and having proper visibility into where their money is going are key strategies for reducing cloud spending costs with Microsoft 365. 

5 ways to Control Your Microsoft 365 Budget

To avoid cloud spend costs sneaking up on you, staying informed about Microsoft 365 is essential. Staying within the budget template while taking advantage of Microsoft 365’s capabilities can be a tricky balancing act. To help, here are five strategies that organizations can use to get the most out of their Microsoft 365 investment without overspending. From optimizing license usage to researching subscription deals, these tactics will ensure your organization stays on track with its financial goals.

 

1. Utilize Discounts and Subscriptions 

 

One of the best ways to save money on your Microsoft 365 budget is to take advantage of discounts and subscriptions. Microsoft often has exclusive promotions or corporate discounts that you can leverage to get even more savings. The most popular discount program currently is the Workplace Discount Program (which allows businesses to give employees discounts on personal projects). Additionally, subscription-based plans can help you save money, as their TEI Study mentions that businesses are able to save up to 29$ per employee on technology costs in the long run since they come with a reduced fee over time. Taking the time to explore all the discounts and subscriptions available from Microsoft can pay off when it comes to reducing your budget and ensuring you get the subscription you need at a much lower cost.

 

2. Analyze Usage Reports 

 

Many businesses don’t realize how much they’re spending on their Microsoft 365 service until they look at Microsoft usage reports. These reports provide detailed information about what features are being used and how much each feature is costing you over time. You can obtain a pre-built dashboard with a cross-product overview of the preceding twelve months and a variety of pre-built statistics through Microsoft 365 usage statistics. You receive unique usage insights for each analysis. User-specific data is accessible for the previous full month of the calendar as well. By analyzing these reports, you can identify areas where you may be spending too much money or where there may be room for cost savings. 

 

3. Understand Licensing Requirements 

 

Understanding your licensing requirements is key when it comes to controlling your costs with Microsoft 365. Different licenses come with different price tags depending on what features you need, so it’s important to take the time to understand what licenses exactly will meet your needs without breaking the bank. 

 

4. Consider Third Party Solutions

 

There are plenty of third-party solutions available that can help reduce your costs with Microsoft 365 while still providing all the features you need to get work done efficiently. Researching these solutions before making any purchase decisions can help ensure that you’re getting the right product at the right price point without sacrificing quality or functionality. 

 

5. Optimize Your Storage

 

The last tip for controlling your costs with Microsoft 365 is optimizing your storage space usage. Many organizations find themselves paying more than necessary for storage space due to excess files or unnecessary backups taking up space on their servers. Taking steps such as regularly deleting old files or archiving older documents can free up valuable storage space and reduce your overall costs with Microsoft 365 significantly over time. 

 

There are four ways to optimize storage by 80%.

 

  • Cutting redundant, obsolete, and trivial information by evaluation through SharePoint Migration Assessment Tool.
  • Automating lifecycle management.
  • Adopting a defensible destruction approach (DDA).
  • Backing up content to remove inactive accounts.

 

SLIM360 as a Solution

For large-scale organizations, expensive over-licensing of employees can cause considerable losses each month. Recognizing this challenge, SLIM 360 provides an effective solution: by comparing current usage to available licensing tiers and highlighting any discrepancies that may result in wasted costs. This streamlined system offers modern organization for Software Asset Management which simplifies the process towards license optimization, so you’re able to accurately establish a budget planner for your business accordingly.

 

Furthermore, by carefully monitoring your agreements with its integrated AI engine, SLIM 360 prevents you from wasting valuable time finding, synthesizing, and analyzing gigabytes of licensing worksheets. By doing so, SLIM 360 will demonstrate and give you the following:

 

  • Notifications on possible cost reductions for purchases in Azure and Office 365.
  • Advise regarding Azure
  • Security alerts across Office 365 and Azure.
  • Automated subscription renewals

 

This will enable you to concentrate completely on license handling in your company.

 

Conclusion

Microsoft 365 provides businesses with an incredibly powerful platform that offers a wide array of features and functionality at a competitive price point, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement when it comes to managing costs associated with this service. By utilizing discounts and subscriptions, analyzing usage reports, understanding licensing requirements, considering third-party solutions, and optimizing storage space usage, you can maximize efficiency while minimizing expenses related to using this powerful cloud platform. Being mindful of spending and taking the time to plan ahead will put you on track for financial success.

 

To learn more about SLIM360 and how it can assist you in managing your Microsoft 365 budget, visit us here