Getting on top of software Asset Management.

FAST Ltd, a UK authority on Software Asset Management and IT Compliance, providing software, education, consulting and managed services, hosted a CEO roundtable of industry SAM experts at the end of May, the results of which were fascinating. The great and the good gathered together to discuss how best to approach Software Asset Management (SAM) because for savvy companies needing to keep their costs in check, compliance and SAM have become watchwords for regaining control of your licensing estate. The benefits of effective management of software assets are not widely enough appreciated, the participants in this key discussion forum concluded. Despite the economic downturn, companies are still struggling to get buy-in from their Board on implementing effective Software Asset Management. Participants reported that many executives still do not understand the risk to organisations' finances and reputation from failing to take action to achieve software compliance, preferring to 'leave it to IT' to sort out. Software as a Service, however, could take away these licensing headaches that are now familiar to customers of software vendors, the roundtable suggested.

There is already evidence to suggest that the compliance landscape remains challenging for companies. Independent UK research conducted by IDC in October 2008 cited that 52 percent of all companies have been subject to a vendor audit or review in the past 12 months, whilst 23 percent have been subject to three or more audits or review during this timeframe.

The roundtable event, 'Every Penny Counts', part of the CEO Series was hosted by FAST Ltd and included software vendors Microsoft and Staff&Line, together with Microsoft Large Account Reseller, Trustmarque Solutions, Scalable Software, Webroot Software and Bytes Software Services. A key driver for the discussion was the steep rise in FAST Ltd customers requesting the organisation's help in conducting Software Asset Management (SAM) reviews for tier one publishers, where there is deemed to be a high risk of a software compliance failure if an organisation were to find itself subject to an audit. Sam Bramwell, licensing and antipiracy manager for Microsoft, said many organisations still have only a basic understanding of the management of their software estate and agreed that it is important to bring greater clarity to the SAM process to empower organisations to make quick, positive strides towards achieving software compliance.

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