I’ve headed this blog with a very powerful quote from John F Kennedy. This literally can be applied to anything in life, but for SAM (Software Asset Management)/software licensing; this particularly rings true. I have spent the majority of my life around software audits from the likes of Microsoft, SAP, Oracle, VMWare etc. etc. And today, my friends, I come to you with prescription for that Audit Phobia keeping you awake at nights….you simply need to get out in front of it and embrace it head on.

You will know from my previous blog ‘Software Vendor Audits: Keeping a Low Profile’, that there are things that you can be wary off in terms of audit triggers. Things like:

With the growth in popularity of platforms such as TikTok and a lot of the ‘life hacks’ that this social media application circulates, I thought the title of this blog might appeal to those of us that crave the satisfaction that is called the ‘hack’.

It is at this time of year that we approach the financial year end of some of the bigger software giants, so there isn’t a better time to remind everyone of the powerful hacks available to you:

July this year marks the expiry of the extended support on Microsoft’s SQL Server 2012 product. This just shows you what happens when you blink – 10 years go by! So what does this mean? Well, according to Microsoft’s Fixed Lifecycle Policy this means that:

It is at this time of year when relationships so infamously come into focus. And the reality of the situation is that relationships are HARD. All relationships. So whilst you are taking the time out to spend a quick minute on your personal relationship this month, I suggest that it might be time to put some of your business relationships under the microscope too.

You might have heard of the SAMplicity MOT service that we provide. The service is designed to give everything SAM (Software Asset Management) related the once over to highlight any gaps. What we are finding is that a lot of the time, relationships with customers’ tool vendors, and sometimes, managed service providers are at the heart of a lot of the disappointments discussed.

Often the gut reaction to this disappointment is to replace the perceived problem relationship with another, which we can all relate to personally. My grandmother used to say that it is a problem with the current generation, where everything is replaceable and therefore no one ever wants to fix anything. And she is right. We often see organizations ripping out technologies that they had spent an invaluable amount of time selecting and deploying, only to replace it with a very similar toolset with different challenges.

On the flip side, we also see people so invested in a solution/service that they are so determined to make it fit, despite clear indication that it never will. If you will forgive the crude analogy…’flogging a dead horse’. In either example, time is precious folks. It is the one thing that you can never claw back and therefore remains the most valuable commodity in my books.

So, like the couple too quick to call it a day or the couple trying to make things work purely to refute failure; my humble advise to you is this…an outside view is often a clearer one. If you are doubting a process, a toolset, a deliverable, don’t self-diagnose without getting a second opinion. If it is not me and EasySAM, there are tons on tons of professionals out there that can validate your concerns and bring focus back to the important desires and goals.

Have a Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

After her recent successful appearance on the TBSC ‘SmarterCloudTalk’ podcast, our Director May Turnbull was invited back – this time to explore Microsoft’s New Commerce Experience (NCE).

During this talk, May discusses the CSP, why Microsoft is making the change to NCE, key dates, and things to look out for to prep your business for the change.

May has a wealth of knowledge regarding the SAM industry, with 11 years’ experience under her belt in on-premise and SaaS offerings. After joining EasySAM in 2015, her passion for SAM compliance and optimisation has seen her progress from a Senior Software Asset Management Consultant to current day Director.

May sees the new SaaS climate as something easily mis-managed and therefore believes that the average organisation can see more than the 30% Gartner suggested savings if your SaaS is managed well and is eager to share some tips and tricks with anyone that can benefit.

Take a listen today, and don’t miss her written blog post on the subject too!

It isn’t very hard to be confused about the upcoming changes to Microsoft’s CSP program or even not be informed. With explanations seemingly targeted mostly at Partner-Level or being a little too complex, I thought I’d do what I do best and crunch the data for you:

In celebration of all of the ‘Women in Tech’ this month, our own SAM Director and expert May Turnbull was invited to join TBSC in their recent #SmarterCloudTalk Podcast to talk about being a woman in the IT industry and SAM space, as well as share some of her pearls of wisdom.

May has been a member of the EasySAM team for 11 years now and spends most of her days advising clients on how to gain the best from their software investment but also managing the EasySAM business. Through well-earned experience May shares some hints and tips on how to navigate the world of tech and how to progress successfully through the industry.

Why not grab a coffee and listen in?

Join EasySAM and Addleshaw Goddard as we discuss the top advice regarding negotiating software agreements, exiting software agreements as well as how to avoid making your company a target for an audit.

With EasySAM’s wealth of knowledge around software licensing and Addleshaw Goddard’s experience in assisting people through the legalities involved in the contractual side of things, this makes for a very strong alliance to have behind you.

So whether you have had a bad audit experience in the past, are absolutely dreading the prospect of one, or simply want to build your ‘house upon the rocks’ – this is the webinar for you.

Join EasySAM and Addleshaw Goddard as we discuss the top advice regarding negotiating software agreements, exiting software agreements as well as how to avoid making your company a target for an audit.

With EasySAM’s wealth of knowledge around software licensing and Addleshaw Goddard’s experience in assisting people through the legalities involved in the contractual side of things, this makes for a very strong alliance to have behind you.

So whether you have had a bad audit experience in the past, are absolutely dreading the prospect of one, or simply want to build your ‘house upon the rocks’ – this is the webinar for you.

Whilst I by no means profess to be being technically savvy when it comes to inventory tools and their client agents, there are a couple of things I have picked up in my years of dealing with inventory data that I thought I’d put out there into the universe.

When deploying client-based inventory solutions, one would be fooled to think that once you have deployed the software…that that is the end of that chapter. Client agents that once reported fine can fall-over, so these do need to be monitored.

At EasySAM we report monthly on 90-day inactive devices within customers’ inventory tools and depending on their industries; this report can often consist of hundreds of devices.

Now bearing in mind that I’m referring to client agents that did in fact successfully report in the first place and that you haven’t changed anything major (like firewalls) …here are EasySAM’s two insights regarding troubleshooting these client agents: