What is Civica’s Integrated Software Asset Management Solution?
ITIL Best Practice for SAM – Software Asset Management is all of the infrastructure and processes necessary for the effective management, control and protection of the software assets within an organisation, throughout all stages of it lifecycle.
Civica’s Integrated Software Asset Management Solution (ISS) is a service built on the principles established by ITIL Best Practice. Following the lifecycle of software use within an organisation from beginning to end, ISS establishes a layer of management process over existing software processes. Such a structure enables a service that gives you control of your business’s software assets (licences, agreements, contracts) throughout their lifecycle from procurement to retirement.
Working with your Software Lifecycle
ISS is designed to improve and complement lifecycle processes already extant in your organisation:
Procurement – at a basic level it is important that purchases of licences are correct in order to match the software that has been installed. It would also be advantageous if purchases were made from the right source at the right price. ISS will enable all of these points as well as ensuring the maintenance of proper licence records so that all contractual obligations are met.
Deployment – ISS will establish exactly what software is installed on machines so that basic licence compliance can be understood and maintained. With such information, your organisation can then set about making sure that only installation of the most appropriate software in line with business needs takes place. The ISS process would then promote communication with procurement data to ensure maximum levels of efficiency, for example enabling a check on licence availability at the time of installation of software.
Operation – ISS complements existing procedures supporting and maintaining software on your network to understand and maintain usage information. Only when usage of software is being measured can a true picture of your software needs be understood. Why pay for licences on software that is not used or under utilised?
Retirement – It is vital when maintaining software assets that all retirements of machines and the software on them are recorded appropriately. Only then can the decision as to what should happen to your assets take place, either to be written off or recycled/transferred to other departments or organisations.
What Does ISS Deliver?
The ISS Service consists of the following features:
• Inventory of your software
• Licence Entitlement Analysis
• Gap analysis to establish a “Baseline”
• Defining and implementing licence strategies
• Establishing optimal procurement routines
• Training
• Comprehensive reporting
• Regular ISS Business Reviews (IBR)
• Maintenance of purchases and entitlement
• On-going advice with licence queries/issues/problem escalation and management
Establish a baseline
1. Analyse which software titles used on the organisations computers by performing an initial software inventory – software installed
Civica ISS collects information from all installed software across the organisation and structures the data in customised reports. This process will identify the number of PCs, laptops and servers the organisation has in use and the type of software installed on each machine.
2. Create Licence Entitlement
Civica would obtain a Letter of Authority permission document from the customer which will allow us to access licence consumption reports directly from the vendor. We would also ask for you to collate physical licence evidence. A Licence Entitlement will then be created using these two sources of information.
3. Reconcile Licence Entitlement to Software Installed
Compare Installed Software to Licence Entitlement to establish the “Base line” (GAP analysis).
Develop Ongoing Service
4. Develop Lifecycle Processes to enable ongoing ISS service
To maintain all relevant data, certain processes will have to be developed to ensure smooth communication with the ISS interface. We will work with you to ensure that with the minimum of effort, all channels of communication are established and maintained in the most appropriate manner.
Output Analysis and Reporting
5. Determine whether additional licences are needed and which licensing solution is the most appropriate
Account for any licence deficiencies and acquire necessary licences to bring your organisation into compliance. Analyse the different Volume Licensing Agreements available to determine the most cost effective solution for your organisation.
6. Cost Analysis
Civica would then complete a cost analysis based on the relevant license agreement options (including software maintenance) and then present the cost analysis proposal and a recommendation to the customer.
Typically the cost analysis is based on a nine year projection, which gives the customer a strategic roadmap allowing them to make informed purchasing decisions.
7. Comprehensive Reporting
Automatic reports are made available 24 x 7 via the ISS portal. You can choose from a number of pre-defined reports. Additional customised reports can also be added to the platform.
8. On-going advice with licence queries/issues including problem escalation and management
We will establish regular review process meetings to go through the following:
• Gap analysis
• Inventory ‘spot-checks’
• Licensing and contract changes
• Product and licensing updates
• Review and update SAM related documentation
Service Options
Additional Software
Software Vendor’s products not detailed in the standard software list can be included in the ISS service.
Training
Guidance and Training can be provided around Lifecycle Processes and Procedures where required.
Lifecycle Process Development
Existing Processes will only be developed as part of the service where it is necessary in order to enable ISS to function.
It will always be recommended that to maximise efficiency, the maturity of all processes should be developed further in line with complete ITIL and ISO 19770 standards.
Civica’s Process Experts can develop all processes within your organisation’s Software Asset Management Lifecycle to achieve such maturity.
Certification
ISS is a BSA approved/accepted identification technology. The Developer of the platform software which is used within ISS was one of the founders and leading members of the ISO 19770 initiative. Axel Kling, their CEO, has been a member of the initial ISO 19770 "task force" since its inception more than 3 years ago.
