Will SAM die out with the growth of subscription-based licensing?

Well qualified SAMs will remain critical to the enterprise as licensing types evolve. Recognize that subscription-based licensing has been the bane of mainframes for decades & only began leaching into the client-server environment at the turn of the millennium.

In fact, studies have consistently found that the prohibitive costs of subscription licensing are one of the top barriers to mainframe growth. Expect the same with client-server. 

The evolution away from perpetual licensing is a result of two factors:

• Sheer greed on the part of software industry players. Gotta keep those revenue streams rolling.
• Legal precedent actions (in some enlightened countries) that have strongly suggested that, if a license is perpetual, it may also be labeled as possessed (as in owned). NOT a concept the software industry players want to take hold.

If you carry the concept one step further, the loss of perpetual licenses is merely a single step toward removing what few licensing controls enterprises have over their software. The next, and even more costly, step is SaaS.

Capable SAMs actually represent the single point of defense enterprises possess when licensing becomes more a process of cash flow than services. Unfortunately, a majority of SAMs have been trained (by SAM programs sponsored or funded by the software industry players themselves) to function tactically (responding to external impetus) rather than strategically (predictively minimizing risks while establishing long range cost reductions & deliverable value).

*(This quick discussion is a response to a post by Rajat Kumar Singh on the LinkedIn group “Software Asset Management Professionals, India.)

Do you know how to calculate the actual costs of a punitive software license audit - BEFORE the audit occurs?

Most software asset managers cannot give their enterprises a "proactive cost-benefit analysis" of exposure to potential punitive audit costs. When we can't clearly define & accurately quantify the risks of software license non compliance, our enterprises will not take those risks seriously - UNTIL the punitive auditors show up. It's little wonder that a majority of SAMs report that management simply ignores their warnings.

But, what if you could actually produce a clear report that demonstrates the actual audit costs & risks to your enterprise bottom line?

One of The Institute's most popular online sessions, "Calculating the Costs of a Punitive Audit," delivers the information you need to help convince management to support. To view a 3 minute sneak preview of the session follow the link below. The slide deck contains audio, so you may want to listen as well:

http://taminstitute.org/images/Flash/open/overview__calculating_actual_costs_of_a_punitive_software_license_compliance_audit_viewlet_swf.html
 
 It's the knowledge you need to succeed!

SAM Standards & Best Practices - Great for the big guys. Not so great for the SME...

I've seen small- to medium-sized enterprises around the globe spend tens of thousands of completely wasted dollars attempting to conform to software asset management and/or software license compliance standards & best practices that had virtually nothing to do with their unique environment.

Evidently, Dogbert agrees. This quote from a recent Dilbert comic:

Dogbert: "I'll teach you the best practices of companies that have nothing in common with yours. Those practices will fit your company like a foot in a glove."

While best practices are useful as general guidelines, they are more frequently too complex, to costly, & too dependent on highly controlled environments & high level technicians to genuinely work.

Tired of throwing away good money attempting to implement global standards or best practices?

Do this: Determine what your actual goals are for your software license compliance, software asset management or systems asset management initiative. Conduct a GAP analysis to identify where you need to apply your efforts. Prioritize the efforts to minimize risks & deliver rapid value. Then, permit the process to work for a month or so to stabilize. 

Once stable, repeat. Don't forget to allow for your unique enterprise culture when you initiate these types of changes. Human & organizational change management are critical to your license compliance, SAM, & ITAM/TAM success. 

Take a look at your personal SCCA & SAM credential roadmaps HERE.  Keep in mind that The Institute delivers the only competency-based credentials in the world. These are the skills that employers are genuinely searching for. Credentials that deliver the knowledge you need to succeed - only from The Institute!