Software Asset Management

What Does Software Asset Management Mean?

Software Asset Management (SAM) is a business process in which an organization’s overall business investment in software solutions is maximized for optimal value and impact. The SAM model is used for the purchase, budgeting, management and use of software in an organization. SAM is important to any business that uses software, especially large enterprises.

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Techopedia Explains Software Asset Management

SAM is geared toward reducing overall IT investments by maximizing the efficiency of software, IT response times and users. SAM also facilitates organizational processes, such as tighter software license management controls, identification of software assets and enhanced security and compliance in the software market.

SAM is an ongoing and evolving concept that is not based on time implementation, unlike other management concepts. SAM evolved from critical organizational factors, including intellectual property (IP) and audit risks, such as the unauthorized use of software.

Key SAM benefits include:

  • Reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) for software
  • Software asset inventory control
  • Optimized and well organized software licenses
  • Increased employee productivity
  • Maximized Return On Investment (ROI)
  • License and audit compliance
  • Building of knowledge bases and best practices
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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…