Dear SAM
Quoted Voltaire (hero of mine), because I very often get reminded of it.
I do not wish to say and I do not mean that most people are dumb or idiots per se.
I simply think people today focus on other things, sometimes other things than those at hand… Sometimes because they are simply: “too busy…”
It seems to me, we leave a lot to systems nowadays, perhaps to the point where we get used to not thinking anymore. I use a smartphone, to remind me of small things I will surely forget otherwise. I use it as a convenience to hold my data I wish to have portable, that being boarding cards, pdf’s I might need, insurance certificates, you name it…
I’ve been using a computing device for over 20 years on a more or less a daily basis with the internet. I grew up with a microcomputer, was educated as a programmer in a couple of disciplines. During this entire time, I have surely created lots of shortcuts for myself, not to remember or not perform repetitive tasks, if it can be helped. I like “easy” more than I like “hard” as a method of solving a situation. I still struggle with passwords between devices and accounts. Preferably, one day, I’ll be able to move everything I do to the cloud and the internet and be truly device-independent, perhaps to a point where I don’t need to own one.
And thus consolidating needed actions, services and moving them across platforms makes life easier, but it also seems to do little to stimulate our use of brain functions. Asset management and the need for it is not an exception.
I see many systems and solutions in the subject. All are competent in their areas, however, what is lacking is one system covering all needs. You may deploy your software and devices using SCCM and it will cover 70% of technology and devices. There will always be exceptions, of course. However, tracking licenses with SCCM is not possible.
Most systems to track licenses are either asset registrars or discovery/inventory tools. SCCM can track installs, but we know all how licenses seldom equal an installation. The more complicated deployments and solutions, the larger the need for the ability to track it.
And so you have a Service manager surely able to record what you have purchased. You have SCCM to deploy and inventory (some software). You can also use it to meter how software is used, however, this works in only some scenarios.
If you use concurrent licensing in addition, you will need a tool to do that too. Then you’ll need a reconciliation tool or methods between what is installed and what can be licensed. I’ve heard of a few organizations having them all and still lacking some functionality. If your devices use one manufacturer of operating systems, then that part is relatively easy, but what if you use Windows, Mac, Linux? All at once? All of them use software and believe me, not everything downloadable or even purchased is ok to use in all scenarios.
Luckily the software audits are not done as they could be, or else, most IT departments would be busy every month, each year reporting to the vendors. But I do ask myself, as more and more standardization comes from the law side of things and so do data protection laws as well; how will this affect a segment where not only tools are needed, but also people who can use them effectively? Then is the question of how much time to spend adjusting the tool to existing processes, or redrawing processes around the tool? Time is money folks…
I don’t see much sense in above after all, as things are now. Either we speak of much risk or much cost, or both; and for what benefit? Isn’t it time to change things around a bit?
