Preparing For Your Software Asset Management Journey

Developing and implementing a software asset management plan is one of the most important initiatives any institution can undertake. Aside from preparing for the inevitable audit, a Software Asset Management (SAM) plan can create greater consistency of technology services, lower overall operating costs and safeguard the institution's data resources through consistent lifecycle maintenance. By evaluating and standardizing institutional software processes, Pima Community College stepped on the path of discovery by initiating a dialog that nurtured greater opportunities for collaboration and coordination between faculty, staff and Information Technology (IT). The increased dialog among stakeholders enabled the institution to identify and consolidate individualized software, improving the student experience and consistency of resources. With penalties of an audit as high as $150,000 for each software title infringed, the college hoped to prevent the installation of illegal software across its complex technology infrastructure, but discovered so much more on the road to safeguarding its assets. This presentation will describe the challenges of managing software assets in a multi-campus setting and provide an electronic copy of Pima Community College's plan, which can be used as a starting point for any organization. Shedding light on a SAM journey filled with adventure, the presenter will engage in an active dialog to discuss best practices and lessons learned along the way.