Unlocking the power of Software Asset Management (SAM) managed services

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, managing your software assets efficiently is crucial for businesses aiming to optimise their IT investments and mitigate risks. Software Asset Management (SAM) managed services offer a comprehensive solution to this challenge, providing organisations with the tools, processes, and expertise needed to manage their software assets effectively.

As a practice, SAM is considered one of the most effective ways to cut IT costs when budgets are under pressure. Gartner’s research entitled ‘Cut software and cloud costs with the right SAM and FinOps managed service’ stated that, “Well-defined software asset management and FinOps services can materially reduce costs and control risks.” What should not be overlooked is the word ‘well-defined’ as only then can you fully realise the financial, contractual, legal and commercial benefits.

Join us to explore the key aspects of effective SAM managed services and highlights the critical methodology elements behind their successful implementation and output.

The complexity of SAM

Software Asset Management is a complex business practice that involves managing and optimising the purchase, deployment, maintenance, utilisation, and disposal of software applications within an organisation. SAM is particularly important for large corporations, as it helps in redistributing licenses and managing contractual risks associated with usage rights, software license ownership, and expiration. Effective SAM practices can eliminate legal costs associated with license agreement violations and enhance a company’s reputation management strategy.

Software Asset Management needs to accommodate and manage complexity for maximum efficiency. But why is managing your software license estate so complicated?

Learn more about SAM as a methodology and why people, process and tools are imperative to an effective SAM practice in the video below.

2% High customer ROI

On average, the cost of our license optimisation services is only 2% of what we generally save for our customers

82% Financial risk reduction

Our optimisation expertise helps to deliver financial risk reduction of over 82% on average during audit scenarios

£100k Reduce £17m to £100k

When engaged our customer was facing a bill of £17m, but through our help, this amount became £100k

<h2 id="anchor2">Benefits of SAM Managed Services</h2>

SAM managed services offer numerous benefits to organisations; helping you maximise your financial investment return, minimise risk and cost, and ensure peace of mind.

Cost reduction

SAM services can deliver significant financial risk reduction over the lifecycle of a managed service. It’s our experience that SAM services have been shown to deliver on average, a 69% reduction in financial risk. In the delivery of SAM services, organisations save millions of pounds by avoiding unnecessary costs and optimising your software license usage.

Risk reduction

Effective SAM practices help organisations avoid financial penalties and legal costs by ensuring that licenses are compliant. This not only protects you from potential lawsuits and reduces the risk of a vendor audit, but also enhances your business’s reputation.

Improved vendor relationships

SAM can help you save money when purchasing licenses, improve relations with software resellers, and provide an advantage in future negotiations. Volume discounts and better vendor agreements are some of the tangible benefits of effective SAM practices.

Operational efficiency

SAM optimises software and IT resources, allowing you to focus on business as usual. By providing better automation and standardising processes, SAM helps reduce complexity and improve overall operational efficiency.

Future flexibility

SAM provides better insight into future software needs and offers a scalable foundation for growth, particularly if you are considering a move to the cloud. This flexibility ensures that you are well-prepared for future changes and challenges

<h2 id="anchor3">The three pillars of successful SAM</h2>

People

Managing a software license estate requires a unique set of skills and a specific methodology. These skills are acquired over years of exposure to vendor licensing policies on different platforms. Executive sponsorship is also crucial, as it provides the vision and support needed to embrace the SAM methodology.

Process

Your implementation of a SAM strategy is unique to your circumstances. Defining your requirements and understanding risks are essential steps in ensuring a successful SAM program. A well-defined process helps you to manage software assets effectively and provides a scalable foundation for future growth.

Tools

Simply buying a tool is not enough to achieve successful SAM results. The right tools, combined with the necessary experience and deep product knowledge delivered by service providers, such as Version 1, are essential for supporting a complete SAM implementation. Tools should provide accurate data and insights to help you make informed decisions about your software assets.

Software Asset Management methodology

Your SAM methodology should underpin the launch and running of your SAM processes and support all components necessary to build and execute a modern SAM function.

Regardless of whether your SAM service is managed in-house, as part of an outsource arrangement or a hybrid scenario, is managing one vendor or several, the following phases should be a key part of any SAM methodology:

Define

Your define phase establishes the scope and boundaries of the service to be provided. This includes writing service policy and strategy documents that articulate high-level policies for managing software assets.

Design

In your design phase, the process for measuring the installed base should be established for each in-scope vendor. This recurring activity helps keep track of your software use and ensures accurate measurement of the installed base.

Develop

Your develop phase involves configuring, developing, and rolling out the SAM managed service. This includes integrating data-load modules and writing custom scripts to gather license usage information for in-scope vendors.

Deliver

Your deliver phase commences once the software usage measuring methodology has been deployed and the entitlement has been established. The service can be launched using a ‘big bang’ approach or on a phased basis, depending on your organisation's needs.

SAM managed services offer a comprehensive solution for organisations looking to optimise their software assets and mitigate risks. By focusing on the three pillars of people, process, and tools, and leveraging your SAM methodology, you can achieve significant cost savings, reduce risks, and improve your operational efficiency.

With over 20 years of experience in running SAM and license consulting services, Version 1 is well-equipped to help organisations achieve realistic results and measurable ROI from your software licensing and management activities.

£10m £10m saved

Our SAM Service Team’s expertise delivered a cost avoidance opportunity of just under £10m for our enterprise customer

£60k Reduced £5m to £60k

Our SAM Managed Services delivered Database license reduction for our client from over £5m to just under £60k

69% 69% reduction

Our SAM Managed Service delivers financial risk reduction of 69% on average over the lifecycle of the service

Version 1 control and SAM4D

Our Control and SAM4D methodologies underpin single or multi-vendor SAM managed services and offer a comprehensive solution to the complexity of software asset management, providing you with the tools, processes, and expertise needed to manage your software assets effectively.