IT Asset Management: Saving Money, Reducing Risk

ContentsExecutive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Why Track and Manage? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3What Is IT Asset Management? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4How Does ITAM Work? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5A Snapshot of IT Asset Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Strategy for ITAM Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
ITAM Is Essential to Meeting Compliance Mandates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Evaluating an IT Asset Management Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8The NetSupport Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Hardware Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Software Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Hardware and Software History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10User Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Software Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Application Metering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Internet Metering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12About NetSupport, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12IT Asset Management: Saving Money, Reducing Risk 3
Executive Summary
Without a IT asset management controls a company's IT assets from budgeting andcomprehensive planning through end of life. With today's budget restrictions, hiringmanagement freezes, and increased cost-cutting pressure, monitoring IT assets is aprogram in place, classic case of being forced to do more with less. Without a comprehensiveIT assets can cost far more management program in place, IT assets can cost far more than necessarythan necessary. through waste and redundancy (direct costs) and overly complexmanagement and maintenance (indirect costs). By implementing aneffective IT asset management program, companies can view every assetin their enterprise, allowing them to control and manage IT assets,eliminate waste and redundancy, and comply with ever-tighteninggovernment compliance regulations.
Why Track and Manage?With constant pressure to reduce costs, the growing frequency of softwarevendor audits, and government regulations, managing IT assets is a vitalcorporate function-and a potential liability if not performed properly.Inadequate or inaccurate reporting no longer simply wastes money; it canopen a company to legal action. Regardless of a company's size, it mustcomply with software licensing requirements and, as it grows, increasinglystringent government regulations.State and federal lawmakers have introduced numerous legislative acts tosafeguard data integrity and business assets and to ensure consumerprivacy. Compliance is mandatory; violators will be prosecuted. If acompany does not have systems in place to meet these legislativerequirements, how will it demonstrate compliance while carrying on its day-to-day business?From a cost-saving standpoint, knowing the inventory of IT assets is criticalwhen deciding whether to ... [download for more]