Software Asset Management
The SAM as a Service project consists of continual evaluation of the license of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague on the basis of data collection on used IT environments and regular workshops with responsible IT persons.
The goal of the project is to concentrate information on acquired and used software and to ensure the license purity of listed software manufacturers. However, this is not the only goal. The collected data can also be used for investment planning, optimization of licensing, centralization of IT services, or to help with setting up and maintaining organization standards.
Data collection on the actual installation of products using the following products was carried out in the project:
- LANDesk
- Microsoft Asset Management and Planning Toolkit
- AD Info
- RVTool
- Data entered by the person responsible for IT resources
Currently, the project is at a stage where it exposed the risks of non-compliance with licensing rules and pointed out the possibilities of investigation, e.g. based on real-time measurement of real use of software. We recommend taking corrective measures, additional revisions and recommendations leading to cost reduction. The specific recommendations are described in the CZU SAM Follow Up Overview and in the CZU SAM Evaluation documents.
In the future, we recommend continuing to focus on the central management of software assets, specifically:
- Definition of the role of the SAM manager, continuing in SAM as a Service
- Regular maintenance of the LANDesk tool for the needs of the central database on software (Installation/acquisition documents)
- Regular validation of compliance with license terms
- Regular ReSAM – in an annual period
- Licensing consultancy services
- Analyse and evaluate licensing status for other software manufacturers, in particular for software that is not centrally managed, thereby increasing the risk of potential sanctions for non-compliance with licensing conditions; on the other hand, there is a large scope for cost savings here.
- Preparation of documents for negotiating new price conditions with a software supplier
- Measuring software usability
- Centralized licensing for the entire university (e.g. Adobe products)
Licensing
OIKT manages the university-wide licences specified below, deals with their purchasing, license renewal, contracts with suppliers in terms of technical aspects, creation of contractual documentation for potential tenders and, of course, distribution of licenses and installation of licensed SW.
- AutoCad
- Adobe Connect
- ArcGis
- ASPI
- SAS
- SPSS
- Statistica
- Campus agreement
- Corel Draw
- Zoner
- ESET
Evaluation of licensing for individual software manufacturers
- Green – the area is licensed
- Yellow – the area requires a change or attention
- Red - the area requires a change
OIKT also provides consulting and potentially mediation of purchases of other required licenses for individual departments and sections. Users can request the purchase of a licence via a request at the Helpdesk.