What is SAM?

Specific steps to implement good SAM practices in your department:

	SAM for IT
	SAM for Purchasing Departments
	SAM for Management

Since quality software is so crucial, it's surprising that so little attention has been given to its management. Software Asset Management protects your organization's software and helps you recognize what you've got, where it's running, and any licensing overlap. SAM is essential in today's business world.

Implementing SAM in your organization is easy and we’re here to help. Often SAM can be accomplished through four easy steps:

	1. Perform a Software Inventory Begin by taking a survey of all the software installed on your company’s PCs, workstations, servers and other devices, and collect the information in a report. You can choose to do this manually or you can use a software inventory tool to perform your inventory automatically.

	2. Match Software to Licenses Once you’ve identified which software titles you’re using, the next step is to match your license documentation to the software itself. It will be easy to see if you are over-licensed or under-licensed for certain software titles.

	3. Review Policies and Procedures Now that you’ve identified what you have and where it is, the next step is to review and/or write policies and procedures that your employees can use to ensure proper software asset management. Sample topics may include software acquisition, deployment, use and recovery.

	4. Stay the Course The final step is to establish an ongoing plan, construct a library for your media licenses and keep up your company’s documentation up-to-date.