You may be familiar with one or more of the terms Software Asset Management (SAM), Information Technology Asset Management (ITAM), and License Management (LM). All of these terms primarily refer to a platform that can be used to monitor and regulate all the software installed throughout your organization and its infrastructure.
While it may seem quite straightforward, these topics are vast and require a lot of knowledge and experience. But where can you find resources to keep up with these domains?
We have put together a list of resources that you can use to learn about LM and keep up to date with its ever-changing trends.
Our Top Resources for License Management
1. The ITAM Review – Certifications
The ITAM Review is a pioneer in the domain of IT Asset Management and hosts a lot of conferences and webinars about SAM and LM. However, it’s most well-known for its more practical approach to training. The Practical ITAM Certification is just one of their key training programs. It is available both as a formal certification as well as a self-paced online course via LISA.training.
The specialty of the PITAM certification is that it covers LM in-depth, with topics like software recognition cataloging, LM RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) matrices, and LM Auditing. At the same time, it also ensures a broader understanding of IT Asset Management. So this training is ideal for both those new to the domain as well as those who want to formalize their knowledge.
In addition, it also provides access to many online training programs, guides, and assessments. Some of its resources are available as offline files or even physical books on-demand. Video training is available on-demand with the first month free.
2. Software Asset Management – Blog
Software Audits are something that LM and IT asset management professionals face regularly. This particular article on Cynthia Farren’s Blogspot page covers all the bases of preparing for such an audit, a long list of common pitfalls, and some general advice that can go a long way. She even offers to be of assistance directly via email.
Cynthia’s Blogspot has been around since 2006 and has a wide variety of articles on SAM and LM. It is no surprise with the author being a consultant in this field. It is quite up to date, and you will find many posts regarding the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic on the industry. She also offers insights regarding many mainstream LM platforms and their pros and cons.
3. Matrix42 – Webinars
License Management for SaaS applications can become quite complex as they are hosted outside the organization’s infrastructure and don’t always provide the data and access necessary to manage licenses easily. This webinar on Matrix24 addresses these very topics and provides a broad understanding of IT Governance, LM cost optimization, and a few other tips and tricks.
You can also check out their other webinars on many related topics here.
4. ServiceNow – Blog
COVID-19 has created a new paradigm in all domains. IT Services Management is one of them, with many organizations encouraging remote work and digitizing as many of their processes as possible.
ServiceNow is known for its ITSM and LM solutions and is now doing its part in educating LM professionals on adjusting to the “New Normal”. In addition to the main link given earlier, which is specific to North America, you can also refer to their resources for other regions here.
5. OpenLM Youtube Channel and OpenLM Blog
OpenLM Youtube channel has this Vlog which is excellent for anyone new to LM. There is a lot to learn, and the video takes a detailed and straightforward approach to explain LM and License Servers. While it is meant for newcomers, even experienced LM professionals can learn a thing or two.
In addition to this Vlog post, there are many other Blog articles on OpenLM’s resources page. One good example is the article Measure what Matters – Software License Metrics that covers the impact on LM due to the innovations of SaaS, Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
6. ITAM Channel – Assessments
In this webinar, Rory Canavan of the SAM Charter explains the benefits of the ITAM Maturity Assessment, which is available in two flavors. The first is the Free light assessment consisting of 20 questions that provide a high-level understanding of an organization’s ITAM situation, and the second is the full assessment containing 100 questions. Additional questions can be made available based on ISO and other requirements.
Both assessments are available online and can be completed flexibly. Don’t forget to have a look at the SAM Charter Process Toolkit as well.
7. International Business Software Managers Association (IBSMA)
The International Business Software Managers Association (IBSMA) is well known for its certifications related to many general and vendor-specific certification programs. The PCSLA is one such certification that is conducted as both a classroom course as well as an on-demand online course. It covers LM and SAM in detail and touches on current topics like SaaS, SLAs, and virtualization.
You can also find many of their vendor-specific certifications here. In addition, they also have a SAM Assessment Scorecard.
8. ITAM Channel – Articles and Webinars
This article on the ITAM Channel is just one of many about remote working and the impact of COVID-19. There is a lot of content about how organizations have managed their work and teams without being overcome by the pandemic’s challenges.
The ITAM Channel’s long list of webinars will also prove useful as it consists of many timely topics.
9. SAMS Europe – Events
Conferences and physical events are not the most popular types of events at present due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. However, SAMS Europe is one of the most established conferences for LM and ITAM.
Don’t worry about booking early. If you are unable to attend due to reasons related to COVID-19, they will provide a full refund of your tickets. More information can be found here.
Conclusion
This is not an exhaustive list. There are many more excellent online resources for SAM. However, these are some of the most commonly used ones. We have tried to make this list as diverse as possible, offering both online and offline resources ranging from guides, webinars, and blogs to conference events. A few other honorable mentions are SCHWINDT and Heise Online. They are originally in German but offer English pages.
Happy learning!
