Software license management, or SLM, is part of overall software asset management (SAM) capability and involves the process
of reducing, documenting, and controlling total IT costs. DigitoWork helps you monitor and maintain all your organization's various
software licenses, cost and compliance.
We manage various license types. Few are the following examples of a License types:
- Per device or CPU: only intended for a single machine whether it is an end user or data center device
- Per user: restricted to one specific user who can use it on multiple devices (like their desktop and laptop), requires the user to log in to confirm their identity
- Per network: covers all machines that are on a single specific network
- Per subscription: managed by a subscription for user or device, usually has an expiration date
- General Public License (GPL): covers software that comes with no charge and can be used, shared, copied, and modified for free (freeware)
Database: While often aligned to device, database licensing types demand special consideration due to the high cost and complex licensing constructs that differ by vendor and may include number of servers or cores, running versus installed databases, all you can consume licensing and others. Compliance and true-ups are also complicated by the deployed models that include high availability, fail-over and pluggable databases.
We keep upgrading our models frequently and staying in tune with the marketplace to ensure ongoing compliance can be time an arduous, ongoing task
Benefits of Software License Management
A huge advantage that we provide your company to have all software licenses under control is to save money.
By tracking and monitoring all purchases, clients are ensured that each license is accounted for and is being used.
The biggest benefit of DigitoWork SLM is that we ensure all software products have following compliance with software licenses
(also known as an End-User License Agreement, or EULA). We completely understand that if one device that is using unlicensed software, or is not following specific guidelines set by the EULA, our esteem clients could be in for some hefty fines or even legal trouble.
Software License Management Best Practices and Practical Considerations
DigitoWork
ensures that your company does not take unnecessary risks when it comes to managing all your software licenses. Here are some software license management
best practices:
- Strong Policies: Create a software management policy that is clear and explicit that helps you to establish clear controls needed to effectively manage your software assets as well as avoid common pitfalls.
- Clear Controls: At a minimum, set enforce-able controls regarding software usage within the company and
outline strict guidelines on who is authorized to install or purchase software. A good practice here is to control the front
door through digital storefronts and restrict the ability for users to download or install software. With today's handheld
and mobility revolution and end-user app-stores, this becomes more of a risk to the enterprise and your company.
- Process and Governance: Establish roles and processes to manage the hardware and software lifecycle. Effectively communicate, implement and manage the software asset policy and enabling processes.
- Automated Discovery: Regularly discover your hardware and software in all network environments and audit every type of software that is installed on employees desktops. Physical audits should be established in addition to automation. Data quality is an underpinning capability to success.
- Asset Management and your CMDB: In addition to discovery, manage the lifecycle of your assets to ensure data quality. Ensure your CMDB and Asset systems contain a robust data model that meets the needs of all your hardware and software assets.
- Automated Provisioning and Audits: Perform regular checks and deploy the latest software updates.
- Software Refresh: Strong License Management helps in proper software update and upgrade process combined with patch management.
- Cloud: Reduce the cost, risk and complexity of server & cloud licenses
- Trace-ability: Keep track of how applications are being used and who is using them. Integrate this usage with your on-boarding and off-boarding processes. A good practice here is to ensure your provisioning automation for both end users and the data center not only records the software usage and owners, but also initiates ongoing discovery to enable comparison of your book understanding to a discovered understanding.
- Contracts Integration: Utilize or integrate your contractual databases or procurement records to establish a clear understanding of your licenses.
In DigitoWork , be sure to know your license types, quantity, and expiration dates.
- Measure Your Outcome: Set targets and measure progress against license cost saving goals.
Software License Management: preventing out of compliance situations
Software License Compliance and Optimization
Top 3 benefits of DigitoWork Software License Management:
- Costs you control
Minimize what you spend on licenses, and maximize how you save
- Automation you need
Instantly calculate the licenses you need for servers, virtual servers, and cloud
- Compliance you trust
Get accurate analysis that shows how your usage matches your contracts
DigitoWork Software License Management
We pick up where other technologies leave off. The service has endless options to optimize the software you use, finding great efficiency and cost savings across personal devices, cloud and data center. With strong process we let you analyze and report software compliance metrics.
- Inform stakeholders
Report critical information about software usage to stakeholders, to help their business decisions.
- Simulate servers
Experiment with efficient choices across cloud platforms, virtual machines, and on-premises systems.
- Forecast costs
Look at your future needs and budget by analyzing your license history and software trends.
Optimize what you have today
The platform analyzes endless options to find great cost savings and efficiency across all your licenses. It keeps a constant eye on the cost-benefit analysis, especially for server management and dynamic data centers.
- Do a deep strategic analysis
Review technical servers, virtualization layers, and hardware properties to identify the minimum license needs.
- Get one-click saving potential
Look at what different license models will cost, and see what's available in your license pool.
- Stop expensive installations
Compare the license costs of a specific installation to the average cost of installations.