PART ONE of 5.X2:There is enormous business value to be achieved when you take full
control of your IT asset management processes—the entire life cycle
of hardware as well as software. Traditionally, small- to
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have purchased the following technology goods & services:
hardware,
operating systems, software, support,
and other related assets in a very costly ad
hoc manner. For decades business technology consumers have given
little or no thought to cost-effective technology life cycle
management or proactive technology asset management techniques. When you discipline yourselves to eliminate the tech hype and take a more
structured & strategic business approach to
acquiring and managing these critical assets, you can easily reduce
our IT costs by as much as 35%—while you continue to deliver the
same, or even better, services.
Read on for the first in nearly a dozen proven methods of cutting technology
costs—methods that will cost you nothing more than a little brain
power to implement.
The software you purchase in office supply store--and from many other resellers--is generally referred to by software asset managers as shrink wrap. I'm sure you've seen it on the shelves--and you have probably also bought your share, too. (Hint: It's covered in plastic...)
Here is your software asset management benefit bottom line: Shrink wrap is THE most expensive software on the market. It also ranks among the top five worst licenses you can possibly bind your company to.
Does your company have a formal step by step process for identifying, sourcing, testing, negotiating, and evaluating the functionality of a new software package?Do you blindly purchase any product that the software industry dubs “standard”?
Do you purchase hardware that the hardware builder has arbitrarily loaded up with software?Do you carefully control and monitor the entire acquisition process to ensure a good investment and positive business value return?Read on for an 18 point checklist that an effective asset manager can follow to maximize the quality of a given IT purchase.
The idea, here, is to SAVE money--not spend more on non-solutions. Our goal for this program is to put more cash IN your pocket, not take more out.
