Microsoft Software Asset Management – Cost Savings Opportunity.
Microsoft Software Asset Management cost savings opportunity identified. Offset Microsoft software price increases with US Cloud 50% savings.
Written by:
Rob LaMear
Published Feb 11, 2023
MICROSOFT SOFTWARE ASSET MANAGEMENT
Microsoft Software Asset Management (SAM) professionals have discovered a proven method to offset rising Microsoft software costs at their enterprise.
IAITAM, the world’s leading certification body for Software and IT Asset Management has identified US Cloud’s third-party Microsoft support services as the fastest way for Microsoft enterprise asset management teams to significantly reduce their Microsoft software spend.
What is Microsoft Software Asset Management?
Software Asset Management (SAM) for Microsoft environments is a set of proven IT practices that unite people, processes, and technology to control and optimize the use of software across an organization. SAM can help you control costs as well as manage business and legal risks, optimize Microsoft software licensing investments, and align your enterprise IT investments with strategic needs.
Microsoft Software Asset Management Saves IT Budget
Microsoft SAM provides critical insights into the number of Microsoft devices and applications deployed, along with their location and warranty status, which can significantly reduce unnecessary MS software costs. As a budgetary tool, Microsoft SAM identifies discrepancies between software licenses owned and deployed and ensures enterprises are investing wisely and not paying for Microsoft licenses they aren’t using.
Microsoft Software Asset Management Defends Against Cybersecurity Threats
Enterprises are spending millions of dollars in malware protection, firewall solutions, and security consulting. Yet even with these extensive measures, most are unaware of shadow Microsoft asset threats such as: unsupported or unapproved Microsoft software, abandoned Active Directory IDs, poor Windows password protection, unmanaged Windows servers, etc…
MS Software Asset Management helps enterprises identify and counter potential threats by ensuring that end-of-life Microsoft products get decommissioned and that product updates and security patches are applied in a timely manner.
In fact, Microsoft SAM is helping organizations all over the world achieve more with their limited IT resources. With more than 7,000 employees, Carlsberg Group was expanding and needed to find ways to optimize its IT infrastructure. Their Microsoft Software Asset Management team positioned the company to build an IT roadmap and implement a reliable and scalable solution that has reduced security risks, lowered support costs, and streamlined operations, yielding an annual cost savings of $3,100,000.
MS Software Asset Management Cuts Support Cost in Half
Microsoft SAM and IT Asset Management (ITAM) professionals are sharing their dismay around significant cost increases in the new Microsoft Unified Support model. As an enterprise’s Microsoft cloud services consumption increases so too do the entity’s EA and support costs. In most cases, these cost increases are in the 30-60% range. Software Asset Management tools are showing that the Microsoft software cost per user (MSCPU) is rising 5X faster than inflation in 2023.
In an effort to reduce their Microsoft software cost per user, many enterprises are replacing their Microsoft Premier/Unified Support with US Cloud. The support cost savings is helping technology leaders justify their transition to cloud and offset Microsoft software prices increases.
MICROSOFT ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR THE WIN
Improve enterprise financial security
The complexities of managing Microsoft software assets across an enterprise make controlling costs a big challenge and can leave you feeling financially vulnerable. Implementing a solid Microsoft asset management plan controls your costs with standardization throughout the software life cycle.
You can thereby secure the information needed to choose the most cost-effective licensing programs, provide better enterprise IT forecasting for budgeting, and receive tax benefits associated with Microsoft software depreciation.
Software volume discounts for better Microsoft price points
Software Asset Management teams can help your enterprise save when purchasing Microsoft licenses, improve relations with your Microsoft software resellers, and give you an advantage in future Microsoft negotiations. These benefits and others are possible because a fully implemented Microsoft software asset plan gives you a better understanding of what types of licenses—and how many—your enterprise has purchased and deployed, and what you are using and therefore need.
Should you buy on a per-PC basis, or could you save money through Microsoft volume licensing? Your Software Asset Management plan will provide you with the insights to help you make efficient and effective decisions for the unique needs of your enterprise.
More Microsoft software liability control
A good Microsoft software asset plan helps you avoid financial penalties and legal costs by ensuring that your Microsoft software licenses are compliant, and helps prevent any potential damage to your reputation that could arise from a lawsuit. Software Asset Management can also help you achieve compliance with government regulations that require strict standards of enterprise IT governance and controls.
Smoother enterprise IT operations
Your enterprise IT runs better with effective Microsoft software asset management. Initially, by providing better automation and standardizing processes to help reduce complexity, Microsoft software management optimizes your Microsoft software and IT resources and lets you focus on growing the enterprise.
You also have added peace of mind by ensuring your Microsoft software is genuine and compliant. This provides an extra layer of security and efficiency for your enterprise IT systems and business units.
Microsoft software flexibility for the future
Software Asset Management provides better insight into your future Microsoft software needs and provides a scalable foundation for enterprise growth. Instead of buying all the newest Microsoft software and updates available, you’ll be able to decide exactly what Microsoft software is needed and when you’ll need it. With Microsoft software asset planning, you can manage your future needs now.
Rob LaMear
Rob LaMear revolutionized the tech industry by being the pioneer who first offered SharePoint Portal Server 2001 as a cloud-hosted service. His close collaboration with Microsoft was instrumental in sharing multi-tenant expertise, paving the way for the development of SharePoint Online. Today, Rob's company, US Cloud, stands out as the only third-party support provider recognized by Gartner as fully capable of replacing Microsoft Unified (formerly Premier) support. His unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence ensures that US Cloud remains a trusted partner for enterprises globally, consistently delivering world-class support to organizations reliant on Microsoft software.
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