There’s a common misconception that, when an organization deploys a SAM or ITAM tool, the service wrap provided by the vendor constitutes a managed service.
Tool vendors do provide some exceptionally high standard services that are designed to help organizations get their solutions up and running. After all, it’s in the vendor’s best interests to ensure that its tool is deployed as far-and-wide across the client’s infrastructure as possible, as that’s how it will maximize revenue.
These services educate the in-house ITAM teams on the basics of configuring and using these tools, and will help the company ascertain its overall Enterprise Licensing Position (ELP). In short, they provide a solid understanding of what licenses have been deployed and by whom, as well as how often they are being used.
While these service wraps undoubtedly help organizations in the early days of their SAM tool deployments, in no way can they be considered true managed services. For that, they need to deliver considerably more than a decent starting point.
Here’s how true ITAM managed service providers can add value:
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By ensuring tools always provide an accurate picture
When it comes to their IT estates, most organizations find themselves in a constant state of flux. M&A activity, digital transformation programs, adoption of cloud-based services; these are just some of the reasons why IT infrastructures never stand still.
Changes such as these will of course impact an organization’s ELP so SAM tools need constant management and regular reconfiguration to ensure they are always able to ingest data from across the entire infrastructure. This level of day-to-day management represents a vast undertaking, and one that in-house teams can struggle with, especially as this activity requires highly specialized knowledge. This is exactly where a managed service provider can deliver tangible benefit.
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By unlocking data insights to optimize costs
Managed service providers can also help by interpreting and demystifying the reports produced these tools. By analyzing this information, they can derive valuable insights and make practical recommendations about how a company can adjust its licensing position in order to optimize costs. This process alone has the potential to save companies millions of dollars, rising to tens of millions for larger organizations.
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By permanently reducing the risk of non-compliance
There’s an additional benefit of managing ITAM on day-to-day basis. By continually checking to ensure licensing entitlement syncs with actual usage, organizations can reduce their risk of non-compliance on an ongoing basis. If a vendor or cloud provider does elect to conduct an audit, there will be no need to panic and no hefty fines or back payments.
Learn more about Livingstone Group’s managed services
While vendor service wraps certainly make initial deployments easier, specialist, longer-term assistance is required to ensure these tools are always correctly configured and managed, and that the information they produce is properly interpreted and acted upon. This is exactly where Livingstone Group comes in.
Our independent consultants already act as trusted advisors to many of the world’s largest and most complex organizations. In each of these engagements, we aim to make our customers’ ITAM teams true centers of excellence, where there is always a high degree of confidence that licensing spend is optimized and that exposure to risk is kept to a minimum.
For more information, please email us on info@livingstone-group.com or fill out the form on this page and one of our contract experts will be in touch.
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About the Author
David Gemuenden, Vice President, Global Operations
David is a senior technology executive with over 20 years hands-on experience in developing strategy and vision for organizations that align IT solutions with business needs. He is well versed in setting clear goals and building team-based cultures of participation and accountability resulting in increased employee efficiency and loyalty. David's technical and leadership foundations formed by years of experience in full lifecycle solutions architecture, marketing, delivery and support give him the breadth of experience combined with a track record of success. He brings a unique perspective and has the ability to bridge customer requirements with business realities, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effective organization.