Ingram Micro has taken the covers off a Software Asset Management(SAM) strategy backed by Microsoft designed to place resellers in the positionto certify user software licenses.
Software licences are confusing at the best of times andthings have become harder for companies as they shed staff through therecession and often end up paying for software they no longer require.
Under the Ingram programme resellers will be able to certifycompanies with 250 seats or below for a 12 month period with information beingprovided to dealers via a SAM portal set up by Ingram.
Apay Obang-Oyway, head of software and mobility at IngramMicro, said that users wanted to be able to prove they were compliant to avoidbeing found on the wrong side of the law.
“We believe that businesses will see clear, tangiblebenefits from adopting a SAM strategy, they can typically save 20-30% on softwarelicenses in the first year while being in greater control of their softwareassets,” he said.
Karen Wale, SAM partner manager at Microsoft UK, said it wassupporting the Ingram campaign because it backed moves to make it easier forsmaller companies to understand licensing.
Elsewhere in the SAM industry a similar line was taken withMatt Fisher, director of marketing at FrontRange Solutions, commenting that anyattempt to raise the issue of SAM and the benefits of controlling licensing wasa positive.
But he added a note of caution that a portal might notprovide the same level of expertise as a dedicated team of experts could.
“You need human interaction because licensing is verycomplicated and a lot of expertise is in the heads of a small group of people,”he said.
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