Gain Transparency and Stay Compliant with Asset Management Software from baramundi

Software Asset Management (SAM) is all about properly managing software licenses across your organization. That means knowing what software is installed, how it's being used, and whether license terms are being followed. The goal: reduce costs, ensure compliance, and maintain transparency in your IT environment.

A SAM tool is specialized software that automatically detects all installed programs, matches them with existing licenses, and provides usage insights. This helps identify unused licenses, avoid over- or under-licensing, and generate audit-ready reports at the push of a button.

IT Asset Management (ITAM) covers the entire IT infrastructure—hardware, software, networks, and cloud services. Software Asset Management (SAM) is a subset focused exclusively on software. In short: ITAM is the big picture; SAM is the specialized focus on software.

Top benefits include:

• Cost control: No more unnecessary licenses.
• Audit readiness: No unpleasant surprises during vendor audits.
• Efficiency: Employees get exactly the software they need.
• Security: Shadow IT and outdated software are detected early.

The process typically involves several steps:

1. Inventory of all software in the organization
2. Comparison with existing license inventory
3. Analysis of actual usage
4. Optimization (e.g., uninstalling unused software, adjusting license agreements)
5. Reporting & audit preparation