Wednesday, October 16, 2013

SAM & ITAM Certifications Are WAY Below Standards!

At what point in our history did we determine that an individual with less than 12 hours of training is a fully qualified software asset manager? At what point does an individual with little or no experience in the industry become fully qualified to manage the entire IT asset management portfolio with fewer than 16 hours of training?

We need to change the framework under which we qualify professionals in our fields. The software asset management certification started with the CSM (offered by the Software & Information Industry Association). The program was a good "start" but tended to focus more on SIIA's perspective of software compliance management than on life cycle management. Other SAM-related programs have literally exploded on the scene since 2003 - many of these are no more than a new extension of the classic software industry efforts to shape & control our management of software goods, services, & contractual relationships.

When I developed the original SAM & ITAM certification programs in 2000, the plan was to evolve the programs according to the needs of practitioners & to keep pace with global industry changes. The certifications - massively unique at the time - were intended to build the profession as a "standard" for asset management (whether SAM or ITAM). We also committed to keeping the price reasonable so that practitioners around the world could "afford" to attend. Unfortunately, the SAM / ITAM training industry remains well behind the times in terms of the sophistication of their programming.

So? Let's change the model. Through the Institute for Technology Asset Management we have re-sculpted the traditional certification into a significantly more progressive program of credentialing - one that meets & most frequently exceeds such generic standards as ISO 19770 & ITIL. While we "do" continue to train asset managers in the traditional basics of the industry, we also recognize that "basic" no longer translates into "professional."  The asset managers trained in the typical overnight programs developed in 2000 simply do not have the competencies necessary to compete in today's (2013+) technology environments.

Examples: Fewer than 1 in 6 SAM certification programs provide any degree of training regarding "cloud" licensing techniques, risks, & methodologies. Only Institute programs help asset management professionals understand such management tools as business case analysis, cost/benefit, business process management and other methodologies critical to gaining & maintaining effective business controls over the software, hardware, & over-all IT portfolio. Only the Institute delivers core competencies in over 42 common software license types, along with license terms & conditions detailing necessary to clearly understanding your rights & responsibilities.

It's time for change. It's time to evolve to the next level. It's time to look seriously at The Institute for Technology Asset Management credentialing programs.. Look over the Institute program roadmaps (yet another first in the industry) HERE. You may also want to scroll down the page to watch / listen to a sample series of our online training SAM & ITAM sessions.