Translating software inventory into business intelligence
Among the most challenging tasks facing enterprise IT managers is maintaining accurate information about all the software installed on desktops throughout the organization. This information is critical for everything from license compliance and policy management to migration and true-up planning.
Microsoft Asset Inventory Service (AIS), a core component of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance, provides a comprehensive view of your enterprise's desktop software environment. AIS helps reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) and improve license compliance through advanced software inventory scanning and by translating inventory data into actionable information.
Microsoft Asset Inventory Service: Advantages
Ensure compliance to reduce risk
By getting the most complete view of the software installed on enterprise PCs, you can determine whether licenses have been deployed. You can also tell whether all software is compliant with license agreements, key industry standards such as Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPAA, and corporate policies. By identifying applications that are out of date or that don't comply with corporate policy, Microsoft Asset Inventory Service can help IT staff find unapproved applications that may be causing conflicts.
Improve forecasting and budgeting
Data can be gathered on all software assets in a single query—it takes just seconds per system and doesn't interrupt people using their computers. Microsoft Asset Inventory Service captures a comprehensive list of all the applications installed on each machine. Then the inventory data is reconciled against the AIS Application Knowledgebase, which contains hundreds of thousands of software titles, to create a detailed inventory of the software that is in use in your organization. This information can be transformed into browser-based reports that help your IT staff manage software assets and forecast future needs. The service also analyzes how Microsoft Volume License agreements are deployed to help you more easily manage true-ups, renewals, and license reallocation.
Implement easily, cost-effectively, and more securely
Microsoft Asset Inventory Service was designed for ease of use. It can be set up in just a few hours. And because it is offered as a service, inventory data is securely hosted by Microsoft, so there are no servers for you to maintain. Microsoft helps ensure that the data gathered in this hosted service is secure and remains confidential to your organization.
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