Software Asset Management Professionals

Software Auditors: Top 10 Silly Things They Say

Posted on August 9, 2018June 19, 2024 by Ben Tight

Software Auditors say lots of silly things that make you shake your head. So much of it is truly laughable if you know their act. However, I think some Software Auditors actually believe they are saying the truth when they utter these statements. Sometimes when you are in an audit, you just have to be able to laugh at the ridiculous nature of the situation.

Without Further Delay – Here Is The Top 10 List Of Silly Things Software Auditors Say:

#1 Its A SAM Engagement, Not An Audit.

If you believe this, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn. There was actually an element of truth to this at Microsoft around 10 -15 years ago but, not anymore. You can’t say no to it and once the software auditors disguised as SAM specialists are in the door, they will follow the same process as an audit. Really the only difference between a SAM Engagement and an audit is the remediation. We have written a few great blog posts on the difference between a SAM Engagement and an Audit and you can check them out below:

- How Does A Microsoft SAM Differ from an Audit.

Whats The Difference Between a Microsoft SAM Engagement and an Audit.

#2 This Will Only Take 4 Weeks.

It starts off simply enough and the software auditors say that the audit will only take 4 weeks. Phew! That doesn’t sound so bad does it? Then you start thinking about it and realize that you have a large, complex environment. Some of it may be effectively fire-walled from your SAM Tools for regulatory or security reasons. The software auditors will likely then tell you that they won’t accept output from the SAM Tool you have poured time and effort into enabling (I’ll get to that soon enough) and instead insist that you to run their proprietary scripts, Active Directory Scans and perhaps Microsoft MAP. Oh, and they may also want screenshots from various consoles.

Lets just assume that you can get approval to run these scripts, or for the sake of expediency that your security department ceases to exist and you have all the server admin access that you need. Now you need to ask yourself, why you are in a rush in the first place? You didn’t ask to be audited nor should the timeline really matter to you. You have a business to run. MetrixData 360 can of course help you out and show your organization how to push back. In my opinion, the only way an audit gets done in 4 weeks is if you blindly and rather naively agree with everything the software auditors present and then cut a big fat check to the software publisher.

#3 We won’t accept outputs from your SAM tool.

I told you I’d get to this one! You’ve been diligent and invested a SAM Tool like SCCM. You spent time, money and resources to get it up and running and you’re pretty confident that at a push of a button you can give the software auditor what they are asking for and prove that you are on side with your software licensing compliance. Brace yourself as the software auditors explain that they won’t accept outputs from your tool and instead insist you run their proprietary scripts. I always giggle when Microsoft won’t accept outputs from SCCM/System Center as I think it speaks volumes about that tool.

Software Auditors will typically stand firm on their non acceptance of your SAM tool output in a formal audit but, there will be more flexibility in a SAM Engagement. The reason for this is that SCCM/System Center struggles to properly/accurately identify SQL Editions. It may be to your benefit to supplement your SQL inventory with a quick targeted Microsoft MAP scan that will confirm the actual editions deployed vs auditors “assumed editions” deployed.

#4 We Need This Data Point and We Need It In 5 Days.

There will come a point where the Software auditors will make a licensing data request and give you a ludicrously short time period to collect the data. They will say it seriously and act surprised when you explain that it is not possible to capture a full data scan of a 40,000 seat environment spread out over a large geographical area. Even though you want to comply with their request, its simply impossible within the time frame they insist on. The Software Auditor’s reaction will be pretty predictable. Shock, surprise and a haughty, “how much time do you think you need?”. This is often then followed up with, “we expect to finish this engagement in 4 weeks”.

This is where you calmly try to provide a reality check for them about the time and effort which is required to fulfill these sorts of requests. Its worth noting that most software auditors have never walked a mile in your shoes. They have never had to do anything other than pour over deployment and licensing data. They certainly don’t know or more accurately, don’t care about how impossible the request may seem. My advice is to take a hard stance and push back with a realistic time frame to compile the requested data and do your best to keep to that date while focusing on your day to day business tasks. If its looking like you will miss the date let them know in advance and re-set expectations.

#5 This Report Contains All Your Entitlements.

At some point the software auditors will want to do a complete pull of all the software licenses (entitlements) that they have on file for your organization and present it to you. You’ll look and it and quickly see that they are missing a substantial amount of your estate. Perhaps they missed company names that you formerly did business under, acquired or they missed an entire geographic region all together.

The other big “gotcha” is that this report will not include OEM licenses, retail boxes or any valid license acquired outside of a volume licensing program. Just because licenses were not acquired via a volume licensing program, does not make them invalid but, you need to be able to prove it.

#6 Thats Not An Entitlement!

I love Hunter S. Thompson and I always have found him to be an endless source of great and weird quotes as the man was a living meme. Well, buckle up because things are about to get weird! We talked about how the entitlement report that the software auditor initially provides will lack any software license purchased outside of a volume licensing program. The auditor will agree that you may have OEM or retail boxes that have valid licenses kicking around in your environment. Your challenge will be providing evidence that yes, you did indeed buy OEM/Retail boxes and having the auditor accept it.

Depending on the publisher, some auditors will accept photocopies of jewel cases, other will want accounting records or physical retail boxes. Its a good idea to check and understand what they will accept as a valid license. Personally, I’ve had the experience of going through this process of asking what they will accept, gathering it and then being told that they will not accept any OEM license as a valid entitlement. This was with Adobe and we were ultimately able to get them to accept a few thousand OEM licenses in that case. Just be prepared for an uphill battle and reach out to us if you need help or have questions.

#7 Of Course We’ll Remove Those Items From The Spreadsheet.

This one is one of our team of analyst’s pet peeves. The auditor provides you with the the ELP (Effective License Position) and upon review a whole bunch of errors jump off the page at you. These errors of course inflate the gap. You prove that several of the line items need to be removed and provide extensive details such as: Its a Dev/Test server, its not a SQL Server – It only contains SQL bits, Its double counting multiple copies of Microsoft Office on the same PC. The “friendly” software auditor agrees with you verbally that these items will be removed. This usually leads to the feeling that you’ve made some great progress towards a reasonable resolution.

A few days go by and they provide an updated ELP to you. A quick glance shows that most or all of the items they agreed to remove are still there. Now, you need to explain again why they need to remove them. Basically, a rinse and repeat. We generally find that the larger the dollars associated with these line items, the harder it will be to get them removed, even if its pretty obvious they shouldn’t be showing as a gap. The reason for this is that the auditor will often lack the empowerment to remove anything substantial from the ELP. This then becomes a negotiation with the software vendor/account team.

#8 This Is Cut and Dried

Software auditors love to make it sound like they deal in facts and absolutes….You know, like a real auditor. The truth is that this isn’t a forensic accounting audit. In many cases, the software vendor may outsource the audit to an accounting firm. Sounds good right? Keep in mind you are not their client, the software publisher is. They don’t come out and say it but they are not governed by the same principles that they would in a forensic audit. Their goal is to drive revenue for the vendor and/meet a sales number.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that, software auditors will make things seem like they are black and white when the reality is, that we are dealing with grey areas. Here at MetrixData 360 we specialize in helping you get right to the optimum deal.

#9 Everyone In The Organization Needs the Highest Edition of a Product

Auditors often make the assumption that everyone in the organization needs the highest and coincidentally the most expensive edition of a product. Oh, we see you have a shortfall of Office licenses and they will propose Office Professional Edition to deal with it. Really? Or you have a shortfall on developer tools and the auditor proposes that the best way to cover the gap is to purchase Visual Studio Enterprise.

You don’t always need to buy the flagship product offering. Just like for Office 365 not everyone needs E3 or E5. Sometimes E1 is just fine depending on what your users need and use.

#10 This Isn’t A Negotiation, Its an Audit!

We made it to #10! Despite what the software auditor tells you, an audit/SAM Engagement is ALWAYS a Negotiation! A rule of thumb we use internally is that when you are given a compliance gap by an auditor, 80% of it is junk that with detailed licensing knowledge and when presented back to the software auditor properly, can be removed. 10% of it is open to interpretation and negotiation and the final 10% is a usually the real gap.

We know from experience, most organizations won’t have the deep licensing knowledge and vendor specific skills required to push back effectively. Give us a call and lets see if there is an opportunity for us to help you!

We specialize in helping organizations defend themselves in software audits and SAM Engagements. In you are in an active engagement or are just concerned that you are at risk just drop us a line and we will be happy to chat with you about it. We’re here to help defend you and help you to be proactive in terms of audit preparedness!

Software Asset Management as a Service

Posted on August 7, 2018June 19, 2024 by Ben Tight

As an organization’s software needs grow and mature, Software Asset Management becomes more complex and difficult to manage. These difficulties and complexities have led to the emergence of Software Asset Management as a service. For many businesses, an entire team is often needed to stay on top of Software Deployments, and contractual obligations while ensuring Compliance and Optimization. Many times, that team is tasked with not only with keeping track of a single software publisher but, many. Of course, staffing a team that is dedicated to such an important portfolio is an expensive prospect, especially at a time when businesses are looking to reduce over-all spend. With Software Audits being such a common revenue generating tool for all software publishers, it has never been more important to truly understand your company’s licensing position at any given time.

While we can certainly agree that it is important to have a firm grasp on your Software Asset Management practice, the difficult question remains; “ What is the best and most cost effective approach to managing software deployments and Software Asset Management as a whole?”

Let’s take a look at some of the main benefits to Software Asset Management As A Service.

Benefits of SAM as a Service

Reduce Costs:

There’s no need to staff an entire SAM team with deep expertise for every vendor. With a Software Asset Management As A Service offerings, a team of Licensing Specialists who are specifically trained and highly experienced with each publisher specifically will accurately and professionally manage your license deployments for you and keep you informed about the constant changes that publishers make to their licensing rules and use rights.
Identify Ongoing Opportunities to Control and Cut Costs:

Are you under-deployed, do you have a compliance gap? MetrixData 360’s Software Asset Management as a Service offering gives you confidence that your software deployments are fully optimized, and you’re set-up for success with your next True-Up, Contract Renewal or Audit defense. Oh, and by the way, these services that we would generally offer as individual consulting engagements are all part of the services you receive.
Visualize Software Licensing and Deployment Data:

Software Asset Management As A Service allows for a true, accurate and up to date picture of your deployments, thanks to SAM Compass Visual Reporting. No more waiting for weeks for an estimated license position and a detailed optimization report. SAM Compass provided near real time reporting for all publishers you choose to include.
Be Prepared for Your Annual True-Up or Contract Renewal:

Software Asset Management as a Service arms your organization with facts to ensure you pay less (or not at all) when you true-up or renew your software contract. Our licensing and negotiation experts are available to discuss strategy and options to ensure you get the best deal possible as part of the services.
Understand Your Licensing Position:

With SAM Compass Software Asset Management as a Service, you have access an Estimated License Position (ELP) and Optimization reporting on a defined cadence for any major software publisher of your choice (Microsoft, IBM, SAP, Oracle, Adobe and more).
We are Familiar with Outputs and Data from any SAM Tool:

In order to properly leverage Software Asset Management as a Service, MetrixData 360’s experience in running hundreds of license optimization and audit engagements means that we have seen just every tool on the market. No need to reinvest in a new tool. We can use what you have and assist in fine tuning outputs to clean up data to give a clear concise picture of your licensing position. If you don’t currently have a tool, we will bring our own proven tool box for you and include that as part of the services as well.

Software Asset Management As A Service:
What Can I Do To Learn More?

Is SAM As A Service something your organization would like to learn more about? Would it help you sleep better at night, knowing you have a clear and concise picture of your company’s software deployments and total certainty in your effective license position in the face of potential audit or contract renewal activities, MetrixData 360’s Software Asset Management Service; SAM Compass, is the answer!

Software Licensing Assessment – Delay Leads To Regret

Posted on July 24, 2018June 19, 2024 by Ben Tight

Regret… We’ve all been there and hate this feeling. I want to talk to you about regret and the software licensing assessment or pre-audit. It’s a truly terrible feeling knowing that you could have done something differently, something that could have changed the way things unfolded. Maybe, its missing a loved one’s birthday or maybe its wishing you had spoken up when you really know you should have said something. In my case it could be when I said “yes” to hot sauce on my lunch burrito…Just sayin, the software audit experience can be much more painful if you aren’t ready for it.

I feel like there are two types of regret that we commonly experience. When we regret “DOING” something or alternatively when we regard “NOT DOING” something. In the Software Asset Management world, I think we often regret the NOT DOING or not taking action earlier. We find out too late that there was something wrong… Lapsed support, changing licensing rules that affect compliance… general non understanding of product use rights, the list goes on and on and there are some serious potential consequences at play when you “DO NOTHING”. The worst part is that in almost every case, if we had only known about it we could have taken simple actions to make the issue go away.

Specifically, in the software licensing world, regret usually settles in when a software publisher notifies you that your organization has been selected for a software compliance audit or, a Software Asset Management (SAM) Engagement. Pro Tip – they are basically the same thing! The auditors come in, run their scripts and turn over their ultra conservative Estimated License Position (ELP) which reveals something you didn’t expect. Perhaps it was a server that accidentally provided indirect access to much of your organization to a software application (which they are all not licensed for). It could be that the proof of licensing entitlement that you thought was rock solid isn’t being accepted by the auditor. Maybe you didn’t implement or properly deploy a good software asset management tool or a SAM Managed Service? Either way it opens the door to a costly settlement and casts clouds of doubt on your competence as a Software Asset Management Professional. This is never a good place to find yourself.

So, What Can you Do About It?

I could write a novel about how to build a SAM practice….Oh wait we basically did on this blog, but, I’m going to assume you have some things in place. If you need ground floor guidance or just a thumbs up from a third party of experts who help others deal with or prevent the regret I’ve described, just drop us a line and we can talk. I strongly recommend a software licensing assessment.

Bring in an friendly outside auditor who understands how the software vendor will act and behave. Don’t bring in a software re-seller who says they can do it. They’ll do it for free but, ask yourself why…there is some truth to the old saying that you get what you pay for. Is a software vendor funding it? How much business intelligence are you just giving away? Who profits from selling additional licenses if there is a compliance gap found?

When MetrixData 360 does software vendor assessment on a specific software publisher, we run them as closely as possible to the way the publisher themselves would run it. How do we know that we are running them the same you are wondering, Many of our internal resources are ex-auditors that have experience running hundreds of audits and understand not only the licensing but, also the internal objectives of the software publishers. MetrixData 360 will ask for the same sorts of data from you (and help you get it if you don’t know where/how to get it). We will prepare a report for you (like the one on the right) and coach you on how to bridge any licensing gaps. We do this to make sure there are no surprises in a real audit. We recently completed a software licensing assessment for a company targeting OpenText. We uncovered an initial gap that could have resulted in a claim in the tens of millions of dollar range. Luckily, we identified it and the client was able to take a few simple actions to eliminate the exposure! Do you think they were glad they engaged in a software licensing assessment? You bet they were, absolutely no regret there!

Software Licensing Assessment – What Can I Do To Learn More?

We really want to help you. Software licensing and SAM is our passion and we are always willing and happy to have a discussion with folks! Just click the button below to book some time to talk and we can just on a call. There’s no commitment and frankly the SAM community is pretty small and tight knit. We’re honestly just interested in licensing and SAM discussions.

SAM Expert Guide to Star Trek and Software Asset Management

Posted on July 16, 2018June 19, 2024 by Ben Tight

I’ve worked in software asset management with hundreds of SAM teams and helped organizations set up successful SAM practices for almost 25 years. One thing seems to hold true. Almost all software asset managers are either Star Trek or Star Wars fans. I can appreciate Star Wars but, I’m a Trek geek at heart. Having said that, I am not here to fight the holy war of Star Trek vs Star Wars. I’ll leave that up to you. I like my Star Trek old school so I’m focused on the original series. Yeah all you kids with your new-fangled Star Trek reboots best stay off of my lawn! That being said, I can’t help but draw parallels between the world of software asset management and Gene Roddenberry’s iconic universe and the voyages of the Star ship Enterprise. So, lets boldly go where no man has gone before and look at my vision of software Asset management through the Star Trek lens.

Tools and Equipment

The USS Enterprise

uss-enterprise-SAM-teams — USS Enterprise. No copyright infringement is intended

Beautiful to look at and the home of her crew as they travel the universe in search of adventure on a voyage of exploration. This iconic vessel is your company and you need to defend it against audit and bad software contracts. It may not do Warp 9 but its home and it’s what we all are serving and protecting with our Software Asset Management Practices/ITAM/ITIL.

The Faithful Tricorder

tricorder-best-SAM-tool — The Tricorder. No copyright infringement intended.

I love the tricorder. It’s the ultimate Swiss army knife of a tool and still futuristic even today. It never fails, the away team beams down and likely the first tool they whip out is the trusty tricorder. Why you ask? It gives them the important data they need in order to make informed decisions. Is it a Class M planet? Is there an indigenous population? Are there specific minerals? To me, it’s like your SAM tools. You need to quickly scan your environment (and you only have limited time to install tools) and get to the data that’s important to you so you can make SAM/ITIL decisions. We really like Certero Asset Studio for Enterprise SAM. It can be installed in a matter of hours and it even helps SAM integrate with IT Service Management (ITSM).

Star Fleet Academy

When a young person joins Star Fleet they usually start their career spending some time at Starfleet Academy. Here they learn what it takes to become an effective Star Fleet officer and gain the knowledge they need to survive in dangerous situations. As a SAM practitioner knowledge is power. An understanding of a variety of software licensing models is necessary in order to keep the auditors at bay and your organization safe from the threat of non-compliance. MetrixData 360 has created a series of e-Learning modules that help you to better understand Microsoft licensing. If you are looking to get a handle on Microsoft Licensing, unleash the power and optimization potential locked up in Active Directory today.

People and Aliens

Spock

Cool, supremely intelligent and eminently logical. A green blooded scientist and a diplomat who calmly brings the, dare I say it, LOGICAL, data driven solution to the SAM/ITIL team. If you’re a SAM Manager this is likely to be the character that you kind of resemble on the team. You enjoy looking at the puzzle that is Software Asset Management and are able to tease out the patterns using deployment tools and licensing statements to find creative solutions. Live long and prosper!

The Red Shirt

SAM-team-redshirt — The Redshirts. No copyright infringement intended.

Ah, the infamous disposable red shirt. Always eager to join the away team with Kirk and friends and unlikely to return to the ship without a blast mark (or worse) on their chest. We all know this person. When dealing with SAM, sometimes things just don’t go your way. Despite all your best efforts, you need a sacrificial lamb. While I would never advocate this, sometimes you just need to blame someone and a savvy SAM Manager knows who that person is.

Scotty

Montgomery Scott the Chief Engineer and the only person who may love the USS Enterprise more than Captain Kirk. He complains about the urgent requests that come from the bridge crew as they ask for the seemingly impossible. At the last moment, Scotty always finds a technical solution that gives the team what they need to be successful. Stuck down in engineering away from the rest of the core crew Scotty reminds me of your server team or perhaps the DBA team. Tell me if this sounds familiar…. “You need root access in order to get your Certero AssetStudio to run properly.” You need to speak with the stressed out DBA/Server Administrators who are terrified that running a full agent based scan will slow or bring down their priceless environment. You persist, they are able to give you what you need and just like Scotty, you are able to save the day with a full and meaningful picture of the software assets deployed on your entire network.

Captain Kirk

software-compliance-captain — Your Software Asset Captain. No copyright infringement intended.

The brave Captain of the Starship Enterprise. He’s considered a brilliant tactician (although a lot of the credit should really to go to Spock) who cares deeply about his ship and his crew. Quick witted and able to acknowledge his mistakes, Kirk leads from the front. He balances military action with diplomatic solutions and scientific research. He’s probably not unlike your CIO. Your CIO juggles reports from the SAM/ITIL team with the fiscal realities of the business unit. The CIO always tries to do what is best for your Star Ship Enterprise and cares about their staff. They realize that having a robust SAM practice is of the utmost importance. They protect and nurture the SAM/ITIL team from both internal and external elements who don’t understand or appreciate their work. In the case of an audit or a Software Contract renewal, the SAM/ITIL team may be the final and best line of defense.

Tribbles

I’m sure you all remember the cute and cuddly tribbles! Ohura brought one on board and they bred like crazy and soon the ship was overflowing with them. They remind me of Microsoft Visio, Microsoft Project, and Adobe Acrobat. Small ticket items that get inside your networks and then sneakily breed on the network. Often you only find out when you’ve been hit with an audit. Luckily with our SAM Compass managed service we can provide you with regular ELP’s to ensure there are no surprises!

Pavel Chekov

The weapons officer who has mastered the defensive and offensive capabilities of the USS Enterprise. He waits for the command to unleash the power of his phasers and photon torpedoes at whatever threatens the safety of his ship when diplomacy has failed. Sometimes in a negotiation with a software publisher, it can be advantageous to play a bit of good cop, bad cop. This tactic can add some value in a Software Contract Negotiation or audit and we have seen it utilized in a number of circumstances. You do however, need to know when diplomacy has failed and to push back and say enough is enough. Charge up your weapons systems and hit them when their shields are down! Here at MetrixData 360 we help you understand when you need to go on the offensive and where/when you can push back.

Hikaru Sulu

The USS Enterprise’s navigator and pilot. His steady hand keeps her safe from harm as he punches it to Warp 8! In the SAM World the navigator is often the person who has the institutional memory around SAM/ITAM and software contracts. This person has seen it all and knows where are the bodies are buried and can tap into resources from other teams. You might say they can navigate their way around your organization. Yeah it’s a bit of a groaner, I know but, these people are indispensable once you find them. They often know the history of why an old Microsoft contract was set up the way it was or how a prior negotiation resulted in a company specific amendment to your contract. Keep these people close as you never know when you need to pick their brains.

Leonard “Bones” McCoy

The Chief Medical Officer on the Enterprise. He’s good friends with Kirk and Spock but, compared to the calm, logical Spock, he is more likely to be the voice of emotion to Kirk and crew. A brilliant doctor, he nonetheless wants to follow his gut reaction in a crisis. Kirk usually takes council from both Spock and McCoy before finding a middle ground. Sometimes, as passionately as we try to convey SAM/ITIL concerns and strategy, it lacks a certain level of emotion. Embrace SAM team members and their passion for Software Asset Management. Harness that passion for the common good!

Nyota Uhura

The communications officer of the USS Enterprise. Lieutenant Uhura is well versed in many languages and maintains communication between the Enterprise, other vessels, Starfleet and pretty much handles all things relating to external communication. She reminds us of of how important it is to maintain communication during an audit and not to go radio silent. Software Auditors are trained to see a client who doesn’t respond to emails, phone calls or requests as a red flag that the audit is going off the rails and that perhaps you have something to hide regarding software license compliance. SAM Teams should also use their communications systems to celebrate their victories. Make sure people in your organization know that your team is making a difference!

The Villains

Star Trek offers us such classic villains as the Klingons and the Romulans. These alien races have very distinct societies and motivations behind their actions. They usually are not aggressive in a way that is out of character with their species. Usually on some level, you can understand where they are coming from. Obviously in the SAM world the villains are any software publisher that is or potentially could be auditing your organization. You may not agree with their motivations but you can usually see what they are trying to do from a tactical perspective. When these villainous auditors rear their heads, your organization will be glad they have you and have invested in SAM. This is where you will need to use your SAM Tools, software education and all the members of your team to gain a win. You may even need to call in some extra help to make sure you emerge victorious. MetrixData 360 is here to help your team with Audit Defense and with SAM Managed Services. Just drop us a line for a free consultation.

I hope you enjoyed this lighthearted look at SAM Teams through a Star Trek Lens. Live Long and Prosper!

SAMS USA – What I Learned from Software Asset Managers

Posted on July 10, 2018June 20, 2024 by Ben Tight

Insights from Software Asset Managers: Lessons from SAMS USA Conference

A few weeks ago, I was invited to attend the SAMS USA (Software Asset Management Strategies USA 2018) conference in Chicago. SAMS USA is a conference that is somewhat new to North America and brings together SAM Practitioners and Software Asset Managers to share their experience and insights. I was invited to attend as a guest of our friends at Certero – Certero is a leading supplier of the most advanced Software Asset Management solutions and services, delivering improved visibility and control of IT assets. Certero was presenting to Software Asset Managers attending on the topic of Making Your SAM Dreams a Reality. The presentation was well received by both experienced Software Asset Managers and people new to the concept of creating a SAM practice.

At MetrixData 360, we specialize in helping clients with Software Asset Management so, I’m always looking to learn more about common challenges and how we can better assist them. The SAMS USA experience was eye opening as I got to hear from SAM practitioners, and experienced Software Asset Mangers alike, about their experiences inside of major organizations from around the world.

One thing that was hammered home to me in speaking with Software Asset Managers at the conference is that it is very challenging to implement a SAM program within organizations. The larger the organization, the more complex the implementation will be. MetrixData 360 is often brought in once the organizational decision has been made to make investments in SAM but, we are not always present when the discussion starts. What I learned was that it requires a lot of planning, patience and diplomacy. Often the SAM teams and newly assigned Software Asset Managers are the newest members of a long established ITAM/ITIL team and have to tread carefully. It’s also important for the SAM team to integrate with what came before institutionally but, also to effect change as SAM is implemented. One of the software asset managers I spoke with stressed how important it is to celebrate your SAM wins internally. Don’t let them go unnoticed.

SAM teams need to compromise. If you’re reading this article I’m assuming you’re passionate about SAM. However, we have to be aware that to many folks in your organization the “new rules/potential restrictions” may be irritants. Do what you need to do but be mindful of the organizational reality. When I was started my career in software many years ago (and was far too eager) a much older and more experienced mentor I had used to always say to me “how do you eat an elephant?…….One bite at a time.” I would usually roll my eyes as he said this to me so many times and it kind of pains me to say this, but he was right. Approach SAM in this manner too.

As we all know, results from a software audit only reflect a point in time snapshot of your environment but having an agile and dynamic SAM practice can only be beneficial to the organization moving forward. Everyone I spoke to was struggling to rationalize this challenge. The key thing that you need to remember is that when you are being audited the auditor will be drawing a line and essentially freezing the data to review that moment. Business will continue during the audit and things will be dynamic in that regard, but the auditor will only be interested in that point in time when they scanned the environment.

As the Rolling Stones said, “you can’t always get what you want” and I’ll apply this to SAM tools. Here at MetrixData 360 we really like Certero’s SAM tool and for a number of reasons we think it’s the best in the industry.

The reality is that sometimes though you have to work with the tool that your organization already has invested in for ITAM/ITIL. Odds are it won’t be the best of breed for SAM but introducing a new tool can be sort of like pushing a rock uphill. The good news is that MetrixData 360 can work with almost any SAM tool and help you get meaningful, optimized data out of it. Sometimes that’s better than having to wait 18 months to get approval to look at a new SAM tool.

If you want to learn more about Software Asset Management visit us at www.metrixdata360.com or email me at sean.McIntosh@metrixdata360.com

Software Asset Management Top Challenges

Posted on June 28, 2018June 20, 2024 by Ben Tight

Navigating Software Asset Management Challenges: Are You Prepared?

Are you prepared for the eventual software asset management challenges? Let’s face it: The state of Software Asset Management (SAM) is poor in general. There is more and more pressure on IT to reduce costs while still maintaining compliance. On top of that, environments are becoming more complex with virtualization thanks to cloud and hybrid computing models.

Without the right SAM solution, you’re risking being unprepared for audit threats, endless reporting, and poor data.

There IS hope! There is an easier way to be confident about Software Asset Management, and this webinar is here to help.

Learn how Certero and SAM Compass can be deployed with full functionality, either on-premises or in the Cloud, with no compromises to your organization
Free up an IT professional’s time to focus on more strategic projects
Overcome typical challenges by hearing best practices from SAM experts

Get ready to learn how to handle the most common Software Asset Management challenges your organization may face.

We hope this video has prepared you for the most common issues you will face with Software Asset Management. More information about successful SAM strategies and potential pitfalls can be found in our learning center. If you have more questions about maintaining your software environment or to inquire about our SAM services, please reach out to us and one of our customer success reps will respond within 24 hours.

Office 365 – Negotiating A Great Deal With Microsoft

Posted on May 17, 2018June 20, 2024 by Ben Tight

MetrixData 360 specializes in helping organizations save money in their Microsoft Office 365 negotiations. We also defend organizations through software audits and provide Software Asset Management expertise which includes both, tools and services. MetrixData 360 also offers full managed services for companies that understand that SAM is essential but, putting together the people, process and tools to run a competent SAM practice is complex and requires expertise to do it properly.

In this presentation Sean will explain the best way to handle a negotiation with Microsoft and teach you how to view your data. We show how SAM Compass powered by Certero can help you to negotiate and get the best deal possible.

The key takeaway here is that you need to understand your data. Understanding both deployment data and entitlement data will help determine not only what you do need but also and maybe more importantly, what you don’t need from Microsoft. You only get to move to the Microsoft cloud once so make sure you do it right.

Does your organization strive to achieve a consumption based licensing model for your Office 365 environment? What I mean by consumption based, is that instead of paying for licenses or subscriptions up front or, for everybody in the organization, you only pay for the actual use of these products or, what you consume. This blog post explains how you can use the Power BI Adoption Preview content pack and the provided Microsoft Portal to generate Office 365 Consumption Reports that you will need to properly manage your Office environment. MetrixData360 is here to help you in your quest to optimize your organization’s Microsoft licensing (all licensable products deployed in the cloud, on-premise or in hybrid environments). Let us know if you’d like our help.

Click Here to Learn more about Office 365 Consumption Reports

Why Do Software Asset Management Tools Stink at Software Asset Management?

Posted on February 7, 2018June 20, 2024 by Ben Tight

Why Are Software Asset Management Tools So Bad at Software Asset Management?

Software Asset Management Tools are all basically imperfect solutions to the challenging task of Software Asset Management. We all want to know what software has been deployed and be able to correlate that with the licenses that we own. On the surface it sounds pretty simple yet in our experience pretty much all Software Asset Management Tools are somewhat bad at Software Asset Management. Here are the top 6 reasons that these tools fail to deliver on their promises.

Reason #1. Bad Inventory Data

The old saying “Garbage in, Garbage out” holds true when considering Software Asset Management tools. Capturing accurate inventory data of what has been deployed on your network is a critical component of software asset management. Some of the common culprits that cause the process to break down include inconsistent data sources. By this I mean naming conventions. If you have good process and discipline around this, it makes it much easier to accurately identify development and test environments for instance.

Reimaging can also cause challenges as they sometimes create a custom ID Tag as part of the reimaging process. This can cause the asset to no longer be recognizable by the tool.

Reason #2. Failure to Account for Duplicates.

One of the most frustrating occurrences is when Software Asset Management tools double count the deployment of software assets. We often see this happen when updates have been applied to software, but the old installation is not completely removed and replaced with the update. As a result, many software asset management tools will count both copies of the software instead of just one.

Reason #3. Failure to Identify Development and Test Environments

A clearly defined production environment is so critical as the underlying software that is deployed is what the analysis is based upon. Mixing production and non-production instances is often confusing from an audit perspective and could lead to software asset management tools showing incorrect licensing requirements based on flawed data. We strongly recommend having solid naming conventions and, if possible, dedicated non-production environments.

Reason #4. Licensing Models Change

The only thing that is constant in software licensing is that licensing models change and sometimes with very little to no notice at all. This is a huge challenge for software asset management tools. For example, in the last few years we have seen Microsoft SQL Server change to Core Based licensing from per CPU/Per Named User/Device. In addition, traditional software licensing models are increasingly being turned on their head as cloud computing becomes and more prevalent. Remember that each and every software vendor has a unique licensing model that can change at any time. We are also seeing vendors focus on the installation of software on a server accessible by a community of users.

Read About the Dangers of Audit From Smaller Software Vendors

The point is that these models are constantly in flux and most software asset management tools are somewhat static. In order to get good data a separate optimization process is usually required.

Reason #5 Virtualization and Cloud Models Add Complexity.

On the surface it would seem that cloud computing could have the potential to make software asset management somewhat obsolete. Unfortunately, the reality is that it had increased the complexity involved in software licensing and inventory. Most mid-sized to larger organizations operate hybrid cloud environments in which workloads and assets transition from being cloud based to on premise and back again. Hybrid cloud environments are an absolute necessity for most organizations, but they dramatically increase the complexity of software asset management and licensing in general. For more information check out this webinar we recorded about it.

Click Here to Watch

Reason #6 OEM and Retail Box Purchases

OEM and retail box purchases of software can also confuse software asset management tools. In the case of OEM licenses, they arrive in the environment with the purchase of new hardware. Depending on the vendor you may or may not uplift them to volume licenses or you may just let them exist as standalone installations. The problem will be that if they continue to exist as OEM licenses they will not appear in your volume licensing statements and will cause reconciliation and potentially contractual issues for your organization. The same holds true for retail box purchases. Furthermore, both OEM and retail box licenses may have very different rules in terms of usage than volume licensing.

What’s the solution?

The bad news is there isn’t a single software asset management tool that truly automates software asset management and does it well. At MetrixData360 we developed a managed service called SAM Compass which provides you with the best of both worlds. SAM Compass combines inventory tools with licensing optimisation and then adds software licencing expertise to provide a holistic solution.

Want to learn more about SAM Compass? Click Here and Scroll Down

System Center Configuration Manager – Windows Update Model

Posted on February 5, 2018June 20, 2024 by Ben Tight

This week we will be talking about Microsoft outlines Windows Update Model Using System Center Configuration Manager; Microsoft’s newest Windows Server test build adds new storage, failover clustering updates; and Microsoft challenges Chromebooks with $189 Windows 10 laptops for schools.

Microsoft Outlines Windows Update Model Using System Center Configuration Manager

Microsoft kicked off a video series describing how to update Windows 10 using System Center Configuration Manager recently. The nature of the updates for Windows, Internet Explorer and NET Framework and how they get updated monthly is outlined. The article below describes how both Windows 10 systems and older Windows operating systems get updated. For Windows 10, Microsoft is trying to move its customers away from selectively choosing which patches to apply each month utilizing automation. However, this can lead to problems.

Windows 10 updates follow a cumulative model, where a monthly update release contains prior patches. Microsoft started the cumulative update scheme when they launched Windows 10.

There were 9 update types that were identified in the article:

Critical Update: a widely released fix for non-security software flaws
Definition Update: a widely released update to a definitive database
Drivers: an update to the system that manages hardware
Security Update: a widely released fix for a software vulnerability
Service Pack: a between-version cumulative update that largely applies to “legacy” or older software
Tool Update: an update to a utility software program
Security-Only Update: an update released each month that contains all of the security updates for that month, but which is not cumulative • Monthly Rollup: a set of cumulative updates that include both security and reliability updates • Preview of Monthly Rollup: a tested cumulative set of new quality updates packaged together for distribution in the next month, containing what was included in the prior month, but excluding security updates.

Updates are cumulative for Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016. The updates typically arrive on “update Tuesdays,” or the second Tuesday of the month.

Update releases get more complicated for Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2012/R2 systems. They have “standalone” and “cumulative” patch options. The NET Framework also has such options. I know we here at MetrixData360 struggle on patch Tuesday as our users are unable to use their laptops for long periods of time as the updates install.

For more information please visit the Redmond Magazine article here.

Microsoft’s newest Windows Server test build adds new storage and failover clustering updates

Microsoft released a new test build of Windows Server 1803 to Insider testers on Jan. 16. Windows Server 17074 includes some enhancements to Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) and failover clustering. As Server users may recall, S2D didn’t make it into Windows Server 1709, allegedly because it wasn’t meeting quality standards. Microsoft is hoping to add it back to the coming 1803 release. Storage Spaces Direct spans Windows Server clusters and creates a bus which allows all the servers in the cluster to see each other’s local drives. S2D was introduced as a feature of Windows Server 2016 and described by Microsoft as “the foundation for our hyper-converged platform.”

In preview build 17074, Microsoft removes the requirement for SCSI Enclosure Services for S2D to be compatible, which “unlocks a new breath of new hardware which was not capable of running S2D,” says a Microsoft blog post. S2D also now supports Persistent (Storage Class) Memory and supports Direct-connect SATA devices to AHCI controller, also enabling users to run it on lower-cost hardware.

If you are interested in the new features you can read the Zdnet article here:

Microsoft challenges Chromebooks with $189 Windows 10 laptops for schools

Microsoft is really pushing for schools to keep using Windows. They are launching new Windows 10 and Windows 10 S devices that are priced starting at just $189. The software giant is also partnering with the BBC, LEGO, NASA, PBS, and Pearson to bring a variety of Mixed Reality and video curricula to schools. Lenovo has created a $189 100e laptop. It’s based on Intel’s Celeron Apollo Lake chips, so it’s a low-cost netbook designed for schools. Lenovo is also introducing its 300e, a 2-in-1 laptop with pen support, priced at $279.

The new Lenovo devices are joined by two from HP, with a Windows Hello laptop priced at $199 and a pen and touch device at $299. All four laptops will be targeted towards education, designed to convince schools not to switch to Chromebooks.

Part of Microsoft’s school push is related to content for teachers to use with these laptops. Microsoft is planning to release a new Chemistry Update for Minecraft: Education Edition this spring. It will focus on experimentation like building compounds or tackling stable isotopes. It’s a free update for everyone using the Education Edition of Minecraft.

Microsoft is also tweaking Word for Mac, Outlook desktop, and OneNote for iPad / Mac to include a new immersive reader that helps with reading and writing. In addition Microsoft is making some Mixed Reality content available for both the HoloLens and the range of Windows Mixed Reality headsets. Pearson, the world’s largest education company, will start distributing a new curriculum in March that will work on HoloLens and they will release new apps for students.

Microsoft has announced that students can receive a 10% discount on HoloLens to tempt schools into trying out its augmented reality headset. Windows Mixed Reality headsets will still be the cheaper option for schools, though.

MetrixData360 knows that the education market (and developers, remember that famous Steve Balmer video) were key to Microsoft market dominance in the late 90’s. For many years, Microsoft lost focus on this market where our kids learn and choose their platforms early in life. It appears Microsoft is trying to reconnect with students and hopefully develop another generation of workers who grew up with and love Microsoft products. Time will see if this push is to late or if companies like Google and Facebook can break into Microsoft’s enterprise dominance with the next generation of workers.

Meltdown and Spectre (and other news)

Posted on February 5, 2018June 20, 2024 by Ben Tight

This week we will be talking about the Meltdown and Spectre security flaws in virtually all phone and computer chips that has been dubbed as ‘one of the worst CPU bugs ever found’; Microsoft Unified Support Bringing Increased costs for organizations; and automating Azure license assignment in Microsoft Azure.

Meltdown and Spectre

Security flaws have been found in virtually all phone and computer chips as ‘one of the worst CPU bugs ever found’ has been detected. Security researchers have disclosed a set of flaws recently that could potentially let hackers steal sensitive information from almost every modern computing device containing chips from Intel, AMD and ARM.

This is a very specific bug which relates to Intel, but there is another one that affects laptops, desktops, computers, smartphones, tablets and internet services alike. Intel and ARM have insisted that the issue is not a design flaw but that it will require users to download a patch and update their operating system to fix it. Phones, PCs, everything are going to have some impact, but it will vary from product to product.

Researchers have identified two flaws; Meltdown and Spectre. Meltdown affects Intel chips and lets hackers bypass the hardware barrier between applications run by users and the computer’s memory, potentially letting hackers read a computer’s memory and steal passwords. The second; called Spectre, affects chips from Intel, AMD and ARM lets hackers potentially trick otherwise error-free applications into giving up secret information. The researchers have indicated that both Apple and Microsoft had patches already in place for users for their desktop computers affected by Meltdown.

Google said in a recent blog post that Android phones running the latest security updates are protected, as are its own Nexus and Pixel phones with the latest security updates. Gmail users do not need to take any additional action to protect themselves, but users of its Chromebooks, Chrome web browser and many of its Google Cloud services will need to install updates.

Amazon Web services, a cloud computing service used by businesses, said that most of its internet servers were already patched and the rest were in the process of being patched.

If you need help determining if all your devices are patched, MetrixData360 is able to run our SAM Compass process against your servers and devices to provide you with a report of any machines that need immediate attention.

For more details on the article click here

Microsoft Unified Support Bringing Increased Costs for Organizations

Microsoft Unified Support Plan will be replacing other technical support plans including Premier Support in approximately six months and will most likely result in an increase in pricing.

Unified Support will likely be the only Microsoft support offering for organizations worldwide and has three plan offerings: Core, Advanced and Performance. Core is the “affordable access to problem resolution”, while Advanced is “a balance of reactive and preventive support” and Performance offers “personalized support with the fastest response times” and service-level agreements.

The older Premier Support plans typically tasked organizations with tallying up their available “problem resolution” or “reactive” support hours each year before going to Microsoft to get support. With the Unified Support plans, organizations instead have so-called “unlimited hours.” These unlimited support hours are offered as part of the Core, Advanced and Performance Unified Support plans, according to Microsoft. Unified Support costs are tied to an organization’s Software Assurance payments, as well. Software Assurance typically is thought of as an annual cost guaranteeing software upgrades to the next major release, along with some educational perks. In other words, it’s considered to have a separate purpose from getting support.

MetrixData360 knows that a number of organizations that have had Unified Support proposals and that these proposals are increasing pricing anywhere from 10 to 40% over Premier Support options. If you like to discuss your new support options contact your MetrixData360 rep to set up a call to discuss.

For more information see the Redmond Magazine article here:

Automating Azure licenses assignment in Microsoft Azure

One of the tasks that requires extensive time and attention from the operations team is the process of assigning license when moving users to Microsoft’s cloud; especially because there are a lot of licenses and services involved. Microsoft Azure offers a feature that allows any company to automate Azure licenses based on Active Directory groups. You can just enable the feature. There are a few ways to assign Azure license in Azure and Office 365 by using web console, mobile applications, and command line interfaces. MetrixData360’s new Managed Service offering (called SAM Compass) has an option for MetrixData360 to administer and manage this for you. Please contact your MetrixData360 rep if you have any questions.

For the “how to” click here link and follow the steps.