Software Asset Management Header Image

Software Asset Management: for the efficient use of your licenses

Optimize your software assets with our support and reduce your expenses!Contact us now

Software Asset Management helps you cope with the increasing complexity in the licensing area

Many companies find it more and more difficult to maintain a sufficient overview of the software they use. This is due to the increasingly extensive license models, terms of use and license agreements of software manufacturers. Incorrect estimates can result in serious financial losses. With our professional software asset management consulting, our software asset managers help you to remain legally compliant and audit-proof in the long term, despite increasing complexity. Benefit from the advantages of the different components of our consulting.

What is Software Asset Management?

Software Asset Management (SAM) manages, controls and protects your software and hardware assets at all stages of their lifecycle. It is an important sub-discipline of IT Asset Management (ITAM) and is the counterpart of Hardware Asset Management (HAM).

By actively controlling, automating the acquisition, use, and deployment of software licenses, you can minimize your expenses and optimize your license budget. SAM comprises many components, which means that you can always maintain an overview with our consulting services.

Our Software Asset Management Services

Protect your company from the risk of license violations and minimize the risk of economic impact due to overlicensing or underlicensing. As part of our Software Asset Management Services, we support you with our expertise and many years of experience.

Consulting

We advise you methodically and strategically along the SAM value chain to ensure your project success.

Expertise

Thanks to our technology know-how, we not only deal with the license and compliance perspective, but also take into account the technical requirements of the business departments and IT operations.

Managed Services

To support your ongoing Software Asset Management, we offer suitable Managed Services - from tool maintenance to finished reporting.

Procedure for SAM:

When implementing Software Asset Management, the following steps have become established at our company:

  • Overview of existing contracts and licenses.
  • Identification of existing sources for measuring software usage.
  • Evaluation of the current state of software usage in the company.
  • Creation of a TARGET/ACTUAL overview (license balance) as a basis for sustainable SAM.
  • Selection and implementation of a SAM tool to ensure ongoing compliance with assignment of SW to employee or device.
  • Definition of processes to sustainably anchor software compliance in the company.
  • Access to license costs, software usage and current compliance status at any time.

Your benefits from Software Asset Management:

Compliance

Ensure license compliance and security in vendor audit.

Savings

Cost optimization by avoiding overlicensing and more efficient software use.

Transparency

Transparency regarding your company's software inventory and usage.

Process optimization

Establish processes with clearly defined responsibilities.

Components of Software Asset Management

Asset Management

Better visibility of software as an asset of the company.

Software, or more precisely the rights to use it, represents a high value in the company. It is often - besides personnel - the largest cost factor in IT. These assets must be managed and used efficiently. However, this is only possible through transparency and comparison of current and desired (and audit-proof) software usage.

Lifecycle Management

From implementation to uninstallation. All phases of usage are assessed and documented.

Software assets in the enterprise go through various phases, from planning, purchasing, deployment, maintenance to decommissioning. These phases and their monitoring is important as it significantly affects the value of the software in the enterprise. Over-licensing - if planned - can therefore provide a useful "buffer" instead of unnecessary additional expenditure.

Risk management

Transparency enables risks to be identified and measures to be taken in good time.

The rights to use software are subject to the manufacturer's licensing terms, as well as general copyright law. An infringement - no matter how unintentional - represents a financial risk, sometimes to a considerable extent. Those who know and minimize this risk do not have to fear unexpectedly high costs due to an audit.

Cost optimization

How can the software be used efficiently? We illuminate all aspects of your software usage.

A core task of Software Asset Management is cost optimization. Optimal licensing goes further than "just" ensuring compliance. It is about choosing the most cost-efficient licensing, taking into account technical and administrative requirements.

Compliance

Continuous evaluation of the software in use ensures compliance with licensing regulations. 

Software Asset Management also places high demands on data security and data protection. In some cases, it is also necessary to involve the works council - especially when it comes to user-related software and its evaluation (keyword metering). The goal is always to process as little data as possible, but as much as necessary. This results in improvements for organizations in data transparency and in the central availability of information, e.g., through integration into a SAM tool.

Process Management

Processes and responsibilities must be clearly defined so that no risks arise from errors or ignorance. 

Software Asset Management is itself a continuous process, in which roles and responsibilities are defined and information is passed between people, systems and interfaces. Often, all relevant information for effective SAM is already available, it just needs to be identified, shared and interpreted correctly.

Webcast: "Goodbye IBM Audit - Maintaining Compliance Proactively and Cooperatively with IASP Software".

With the IBM Authorized SAM Provider Program (IASP), IBM has created the possibility to permanently ensure your correct licensing within the framework of a service provider contract. IASP is therefore an interesting alternative to IBM compliance audits. Together with IBM and Anglepoint, we have organized a webcast on this topic, which you can now watch here.

Watch webcast free of charge

A selection of our customer projects

In numerous customer projects we have already implemented individually to software license advised. Read the reference stories here:

TIMETOACT
Referenz 8/24/23
Referenz 8/24/23

Less risk and cost for HDI with ISO/IEC 19770-1

HDI AG was the first end-user organization worldwide to be certified according to ISO/IEC 19770-1 in February 2023. TIMETOACT GROUP accompanied HDI with ITAM maturity analyses, identification and implementation of optimization measures as well as in obtaining the certification.

TIMETOACT
Referenz 8/22/23
Referenz 8/22/23

Managed service support for optimal license management

To ensure software compliance, TIMETOACT supports FUNKE Mediengruppe with a SAM Managed Service for Microsoft, Adobe, Oracle and IBM.

TIMETOACT
Referenz 6/9/23
Referenz 6/9/23

Heras: Microsoft cost savings despite price increase

in order to save costs for Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365, Heras chose the TIMETOACT cost optimization approach for Microsoft.

TIMETOACT
Referenz 5/11/23
Referenz 5/11/23

N-ERGIE bypasses costly IBM audits with IASP program

The management of IBM licenses poses challenges for companies. By participating in the IASP program, N-ERGIE Aktiengesellschaft avoids time-consuming IBM license audits.

TIMETOACT
Referenz 3/30/22
Referenz 3/30/22

License and software consulting from a single source

TIMETOACT has been supporting the sports retailer for more than two years, not only for the support of the ILMT, but also for consulting on IBM Cognos - which was part of the IBM audit, among other things.

TIMETOACT
Referenz 11/3/21
Referenz 11/3/21

Mix of IASP & ILMT support for optimal license management

To minimize financial risk and personnel time, UTA resorts to proactive management of the license inventory (IASP) by TIMETOACT. In this way, not only will IBM license audits be avoided in the future, but TIMETOACT will also ensure compliance-compliant use of the ILMT as part of license management.

TIMETOACT
Referenz 10/4/21
Referenz 10/4/21

Support for IBM software licenses and ILMT for GLS

TIMETOACT not only takes over the support of the ILMT for GLS IT Service GmbH and assists with the compliance of license requirements, but also advises in the future on questions regarding licensing and license acquisition.

TIMETOACT
Referenz 6/1/21
Referenz 6/1/21

Continuous license support pays off

If IBM software is used, the compliance-conforming use of the IBM License Metric Tool (ILMT) plays a decisive role. TIMETOACT ensures compliance with IBM regulations for a city administration in North Rhine-Westphalia and continuously monitors the correct licensing.

TIMETOACT
Referenz
Referenz

Custom licensing

MARKANT Handels und Service GmbH (MARKANT) is fully exploiting the potential of its IBM software licenses with this year's license renewal. Instead of relying on IBM's traditional Passport Advantage model as in the past, MARKANT is using a licensing concept specially adapted to the company for the first time.

TIMETOACT
Referenz
Referenz

Introduction of Jira to Hamburger Hochbahn

The Hamburger Hochbahn AG controls the development of its new mobility platform "Switchh" via the Atlassian project management tool Jira – introduced, administered and hosted by the TIMETOACT GROUP.

TIMETOACT
Referenz
Referenz

HOCHBAHN Managed Services

A high-performance and transparent IT forms the basis for being able to react quickly to new requirements. The IT specialists of TIMETOACT GROUP take over the managed services for the entire IBM WebSphere platform of Hamburger Hochbahn AG (HOCHBAHN).

Contact us now!

We would be happy to advise you in a non-binding conversation and show you the potential and possibilities of Software Asset Management. Just leave your contact details and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

* required

We use the information you send to us only to contact you in context of your request. For this purpose, we store your data in our CRM for up to 6 months. You can find all further information in our Privacy Policy.

News about Performance Strategy and ITAM

Want to learn more about Performance Strategy? We offer you exciting content on the topic - browse through our blog posts, webinars and news here!

Feel free to contact us!

Meriton Rama
Meriton Rama
TIMETOACTContact