Gain Board level buy–in with a tailored and credible Return on Investment assessment for Software Asset Management in your organisation

Organisations looking to reduce the risk and cost of running software estates can now make use of a free software asset management (SAM) return–oninvestment (RoI) tool available from the Software Industry Research Board (SIRB) at www.sirb.co.uk/tool.

As part of its commitment to provide independent advice and guidance to organisations seeking to operate efficiently and legally in the management of software, the SIRB has developed the RoI tool for IT managers, SAM professionals and business managers. The tool will enable organisations to calculate the financial benefits of an effective SAM programme, allowing them to put the investment case to the Board.

John Lovelock, Chief Executive of FAST IiS and founding organisation of the SIRB, stated: “Just as with any IT initiative, the decision to invest in SAM often rests on the ability to create a compelling business case. So to help organisations make the right decision, and understand the full benefits of SAM, the SIRB is offering the SAM Impact & Opportunity Model, Return on Investment tool as a free download – www.sirb.co.uk/tool..”

“This tool will help organisations create a tailored and credible RoI calculation, giving them the information they need to help create the business case for SAM,” he continued.

IDC defines SAM as the IT practice of acquiring, optimising and retiring software licenses throughout the software life cycle. It is a series of business processes, policies and procedures that can be deployed to manage software assets and optimise IT expenditure.

“We continue to champion the message that SAM needs to be a Board level responsibility. Organisations large and small can reduce their software costs – as well as diminish other business risks – by implementing the right SAM processes, policies, procedures and tools. Companies simply cannot afford to over–purchase software licenses in these straitened economic times or run the risk of legal, operational or reputational damage caused by a lack of control. These are the most compelling reasons for adopting a SAM programme,” John added.

According to Gartner, the introduction of an effective SAM programme has the potential to reduce company IT costs by up to 30 per cent. In research recently commissioned by the SIRB, 75 per cent of companies believe they have a SAM programme in place however 38 per cent admitted they had only a basic understanding of it. This lack of understanding and transparency seems to indicate that UK businesses may be paying no more than lip service to SAM.

John Lovelock concluded: “These figures prove there is still work to be done to help organisations understand what SAM is and show them the benefits that can be achieved as well as the risks that can be mitigated through the successful implementation of an effective SAM programme.”

The free RoI tool can be found at www.sirb.co.uk/tool.

About the SIRB

The Software Industry Research Board was established in 2008 and its members include organisations that are amongst the most influential in the IT industry today. They have come together to research common issues around Software Asset Management (SAM), Software Licence Management (SLM), compliance and emerging technologies.

The SIRB conducts an annual survey in conjunction with international analyst house IDC, targeted at both private and public sector organisations to assess their current understanding of licensing practices, their attitudes towards buying software, their perception of new technologies and to understand where they will make changes to benefit from a more cost–effective and riskfree environment in the future.

www.fastiis.org/about_us/SIRB/