SAM Compass

Controlling software costs and compliance without the heartburn.

Tired of wasting money on software licenses you don’t need? Pulling all-nighters to figure out which software licenses you can remove from your bills? Or, are you concerned you’re paying out more money than you need to in a software audit?

If so, you’re not alone and we know exactly how you feel. According to the industry experts:

  • 72% of IT leaders do not have a SAM strategy of any kind in place
  • Only 25% of enterprises are satisfied with their SAM tool’s performance
  • And over 22% organizations annual software spend could be saved with a simple but effective SAM strategy

But, most concerning of all:

  • Most companies don’t have a proactive system in place to defend themselves against a software audit if one occurs

If you’re feeling this hits close to home you’re on the right page. MetrixData 360 has created a new SAM solution to help organizations protect and contain rising software costs in their IT budgets through our SAM-as-a-Service program (Software Asset Management): SAM Compass.
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What is SAM Compass?

Custom designed and built by our team of specialists for the single goal of cutting down your unnecessary software spend to its smallest digit, SAM Compass is a totally unique and proven service our experts developed through hundreds of SAM engagements with multinational companies.

With SAM Compass we augment your company’s Software Asset Management operation with our trained software licensing experts and proprietary SAM tool; SLIM 360. We also train your employees on the processes required to negotiate with software vendors so you can sleep easy knowing you’re in control of your company’s software purchases.

What’s inside the SAM Compass service?

Here are the core features that make up our SAM Compass service. MetrixData 360 customizes each SAM Compass managed service offering to the specific needs of each client, so you pay only for the services you plan to use.

Audit Defense Services

Audit Defense Services are provided for your company for all Vendors and products from that Vendor where an ELP has been created by  MetrixData 360. You will just have to notify MetrixData 360 if you’ve been selected for an audit and wish to utilize  MetrixData 360 to assist in the defense of that audit. Check out our Audit Service page for more details.

Estimated License Position (ELP) Creation

Our ELPs are based on industry best practices and by the methodologies used by software auditors. The ELP will be created to show how an auditor would review inventory data before optimization is conducted.

Estimated License Position (ELP) Optimization

ELP optimization is the process of adding non-standard data, implementing recommendations, and the ongoing maintenance of the data required to support a Software Vendor. This process typically involves complex license calculations that must be done manually to reduce compliance exposure and risk. 

Inventory Management

MetrixData 360 has a SAM Platform and comprehensive suite of proprietary tools to allow us to easily and accurately normalize, catalog, cleanse and review your data for accuracy.

Negotiation Services

Whether you are going to work out a new deal with your software vendors or you are going to revisit an old contract that is up for renewal, you’ll need someone in your corner to defend your interests. With the knowledge we’ll provide you during the negotiations,  including strategy tips and facts to defend your stance, you’ll be prepared to take control of the negotiations. For more details, you can check out our Contract Negotiation services.

Software Entitlements Report and Contract Management/Reviews

Determine how many licenses your company owns. MetrixData 360 will assist the client in collecting the required data and organizing data in a format that can be used to create ELPs.

SAM Maturity Assessment:

Our SAM maturity assessment analyzes your SAM strengths and weaknesses and aligns your business and IT goals to Software Asset Management. We will review the findings of your assessment and highlight which processes to prioritize to give you the greatest value. Related: Want more information on SAM Maturity Levels?

SAM Process Development / Support:

The purpose of SAM Process Development is to document current processes and identify gaps in it against industry best practices utilizing key performance indicators and reports. 

Azure Cloud Optimization and Resource Management

To drive down the costs of skyrocketing cloud usage, you will need to understand workloads, usage patterns, and have a deep understanding of the major cloud providers’ offerings. This will require constantly aligning your applications’ needs with the latest vendor cloud catalogue and pricing alternatives, all of which change frequently, making it difficult to optimize manually. Our cloud optimization platform and team of infrastructure experts evaluate your usage patterns and proactively recommend changes and what results to expect.  We offer a hybrid cloud and container resource management platform as part of the SAM Compass platform for an additional fee. 

Getting ready to transition to the Cloud? Learn about common problems companies usually face.

The key benefits of SAM Compass.

  • Avoid Waste and reduce costs by optimizing the management of the software asset life cycle​
  • Align your IT with your business goals, Implement infrastructure optimization and standardization
  • Gain improved efficiencies with effective  centralized control, implement procurement procedures, and greatly simplify reporting, budgeting, and acquisition of IT assets

Improve Internal Efficiency

Save Time and Money

Business and Budget Plan

How does SAM Compass work?

1. Upload Your Data

Our SAM Compass can use data from a variety of sources, including other SAM tools you might have installed such as SCCM or ServiceNow. If you don’t have a SAM tool installed, we have our own inventory tools that can be used to gather this data as well.

Since we understand and value the safety of your data and the integrity of your company’s software infrastructure, we have designed our SAM Compass so that it doesn’t need to be installed into your environment.

Simply upload the data that you want us to use onto the SAM Compass platform and the tool will work with what it’s been given. To ensure the safety of your data, we secure a non-disclosure agreement with our clients before any data is uploaded onto the SAM Compass, so you can rest assured we won’t be sharing your data with anyone else.

2. Analysis

After the data is uploaded, the SAM Compass will do some data normalization. Then the Compass provides visual reports for your software deployment data concerning all products and all vendors that are found in your environment. This allows for a deeper understanding of your software environment. Presenting this data visually helps drive more decisive and information-driven decision making. It’s rare to find a SAM tool that can provide this much depth and this much range of knowledge, since SAM tools on the market today usually provide an examination into only a single product or vendor.

Our tool doesn’t just tell you that a license or a product is there, it can tell you different things about them. The Compass can tell you about the type of tool by category (e.g. A productivity tool, a pdf tool etc.), where it is found, what version it is, what license type it is, whether the product is supported, when the support date ends, what you’re currently spending on support, what type of entitlements you have, how far out of compliance you’d be if presented with an audit, the device’s information where the product is being hosted including its number of cores and CPUs, plus even more.

3. Action

Now that you have the data, you can begin to use it with the help of our SAM experts. While our SAM tool is available to purchase on its own, our customers get the most value out of our engagement if we are there to help analyze the tool’s findings. Our experts have spent years mastering the fine art of software licensing, contract negotiation, and software vendor specialization.

While we have a wide variety of experts on staff, we always build out a custom team for each client, tailored to your specific needs. Our experts will walk you through the Compass’s findings in multiple workshops that are usually an hour in length, and together we will come up with solutions to your SAM issues based on your timeframe, your budget, and your company’s goals. If you’re interested in meeting some of the team you’ll be working with, take a look at our team page here.

Continuous learning
with SAM Compass.

Throughout your SAM Compass engagement, your organization will learn the best practices for Software Asset Management in your company.

Our team has unparalleled expertise dealing with the biggest software vendors in the industry (Microsoft, Oracle, and IBM) and smaller vendors alike, gained through negotiating more than 1.5 billion dollars in software contracts over the years.

Furthermore, our website is full of quality content to help improve your skills as a Software Asset Management expert, including our and free monthly webinars and access to our online courses. If you’re interested in working with a team of dedicated SAM professionals with no ties to software vendors to turn the tables on your software vendors, click the button below to start your SAM Compass engagement call today. 

Gain Control

Optimize Licenses

Limit Security Risk

Ensure Compliance

Minimize Cost

Protect Investment

Enhance
Productivity

Improve Planning & Decision-Making

Get Started With SAM Compass Today