Blog
ISO 19770-1: 2017 SoA
ISO 19770-1: 2017 - SoA: In an exercise for a recent review of content of ISO 19770-1, I came across the need to have a Statement of Applicability (SoA) called out as a deliverable of…
Fantasy Football League 2023/24
Hey all, further to my previous dalliance with the egg-chasing fraternity at Twickenham last month, normal service has been resumed with the start of the new football season in the UK. Times are good, and…
ITAM Review Wisdom 2023
ITAM Review - Wisdom 2023. It seems like forever since I gave you a glimpse behind the curtain to the world of SAM Charter! The crew at ITAM Review were kind enough to provide me…
Death to SAM Suites!
Death to SAM Suites! I was giving thought to this nerdy discipline within IT (i.e. SAM!) and I got to thinking about SAM Suites. Why do we call them SAM Suites? I guess it's due…
What do your ITAM KPIs look like?
So I just had a late Christmas present arrive - swanky and expensive Asics trainers to mentally blackmail myself to get back into the gym – so I thought I would write another blog! In…
What does your ITAM Policy look like?
What does your ITAM Policy look like? My brain was aching trying to think of something new to write about for ITAM in 2023(!) So I thought I would revisit an aspect of ITAM that…
ITAM Accelerate & Licenseware
ITAM Accelerate & Licenseware Some timely news I can share about our collaboration with the great team at Licenseware is that our first app: The Supported Software Catalogue is now live: Too often, we ignore…
ITAM Accelerate & Licenseware: A New Hope
ITAM Accelerate & Licenseware - A New Hope: People might call it “The Force”, others might suggest a certain commercial gravity is in place. Whatever the name, this half of ITAM Accelerate is proud to…
ISO 19770-1: 2017 – Don’t tell me, show me……
ISO19770-1: 2017 - An Introduction In June, Kylie Fowler and I completed the overhaul of the ITAM process kit to bring it into alignment with ISO 19770-1: 2017. I figured this would be a sprint…
FinOps – Where SAM Needs to go
I have to thank Ron Brill of Anglepoint for a recent presentation he gave on FinOps and SAM during the WG21 plenary. He highlighted the roots of where FinOps had come from and where it…
Out now: Hardware Asset Maturity Assessment
A new Hardware Asset Maturity Assessment has arrived to help shape your business in a post-covid world. Covid has sent a cultural bow-wave through IT, highlighting that with sufficient swell, such lurches can impact IT…
SAM Pro – Workflow Analyzer
Introduction In the world of ServiceNow ™, SAM Pro is a major weapon in the fight for good IT management. SAM Pro can act as a filter on what data and CI’s should reside within…
ITAM Accelerate – So what’s it all about?
ITAM Accelerate – Taking ITAM Coaching to the Next Level Some years ago, Kylie Fowler approached me with the great idea of creating a Hardware Asset Management Process kit that could augment the SAM kit…
SAM Charter: C-Suite Cheat Sheet
By Rory Canavan I created the SAM Charter C-Suite Cheat-Sheet because of requests for help to justify SAM/ ITAM in a business case. In step with ISO 19770-1, I have looked to guide you to…
Bolton Wanderers Football Club
Would you believe my childhood ambitions became a reality when a football club recently came knocking on my door?! Before I completely run away with myself, Bolton Wanderers Football Club were looking for sponsorship. I…
SAM & Entity Relationship Management
I had a strange flash-back about SAM & Entity Relationship Management and my uni days some time ago. It occurred was when I was attempting to deconstruct the nature of this discipline that I find…
Centrepoint – Rowing for Charity
Centrepoint - Rowing for Charity: Nobody say mid-life crisis! As ever, a New Year rolls around and pledges of fitness pop up like a tray of Ferrero Rocher that just beg to be eaten before…
SAM and Lean IT
SAM and Lean IT: Off the back of our Whitepaper “Using SAM to Create and Maintain your CMDB” I suspect the prospect of tagging every piece of software in a retrospective capacity might be making…
We have a Winner!
We have a winner! Many thanks to all those who took part in the SAM Charter All Stars Fantasy Football League. Austin Harvard nosed ahead in the final weeks of the league, and so nominated…
SAM and the Best Use-Case to Invest in
When I was thinking about SAM and The Best Use-Case to invest in, I recalled a question my girlfriend asked me: “So Rory, what is it you do?”. (I’d only been going out with her…
ITAM & COVID-19
It wasn’t too long ago that I was deriding someone for linking ITAM with Covid-19 as a desperate means of riding the wave of the current news cycle. How short-sighted of me…. Of course, what…
Managing your SAM Service Provider
Managing your SAM Service Provider. Full-on SAM can be a hard-core engagement and perhaps one that demands too much of your staff or your budget to do well. The great temptation might be to “kick…
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
In case you didn’t know already, Data is the new gold Happy New Year! And as of tomorrow (at least if you live in California) “the man” no longer has an assumed right to play…
Hang Ten with HCL…..
Hang Ten with HCL. News on the grapevine is that HCL are wasting little time in seeking to make good on their purchases of IBM titles from last year. (see our blog IBM & HCL…
IBM & HCL: Just who owns what….
IBM & HCL: Just who owns what.... Recently, I needed some details on IBM support & maintenance. That was when a pop-up appeared and informed me of the transition of that support to HCL. What…
ITSM: Breaking Down the Jargon
In this blog, we look to tackle ITSM: Breaking down the Jargon, so you can move forward with better Service Management practices. The purpose of an IT Service Management (ITSM) solution is to ensure that…
13 FACTORS WHEN CHOOSING A CRM Suite
CRM is Customer Relationship Management. A CRM system brings the customer's complete history with your business exists with a list of your emails, notes, and appointments in one unit. Companies can gain real-time notifications when…
SAM Policy Template
Introduction: Your SAM Policy Template: Many of the issues that can plague SAM results from the failure of a company to align its IT operations and Business strategies. We have put together a series of…
SAM & HIPAA
SAM & HIPAA – How HIPAA can lean in…. SAM & HIPAA: An Introduction: One topic that is dear to all our hearts (and the rest of our body!) is that of health, and the…
NASA’s HAM Sandwich Nightmare
Introduction: NASA's HAM Sandwich Nightmare: With the recent launch of the latest Raspberry Pi, comes a story of “shadow IT” rearing its ugly head in California: NASA’s jet propulsion lab in Pasadena lost 500 Mb…
SAM Charter Process Kit
SAM Process Kit – Introduction: It’s been a while since I put pen to paper in respect of the SAM Charter Process Kit. I thought it would be worthwhile to let you know what’s changed,…
Success is a culture not a vacancy
Introduction Success is a culture not a vacancy #mikedrop. I’ve noticed over the last 12-18 months a trend within the job market to slip the word “success” into someone’s job title, and this led me…
Cloud Asset Manager – A New role for ITAM?
Cloud Asset Manager – A New role for ITAM? I recently published a blog on LinkedIn (which you can find here) where I spoke about the IT Asset Management Skills shortage and whether it’s a…
Using SAM to Create & Maintain your CMDB
Using SAM to Create & Maintain your CMDB – Introduction: Hot on the heels of having created the SAM Global Report for 2018, SAM Charter is looking to strengthen its relationship with Service Management Technology…
SAM Charter SAM Global Report 2018
SAM Charter SAM Global Report 2018 – Introduction: It’s been too long since I took the time to write a blog and catch you all up on what new content we have created at SAM…
Partner Profile: SCC
Name Stuart Pomfrett How long have you been in SAM? 13 years Area of Focus/ Specialism(s): Everything that affects the technology lifecycle from SAM compliance risk assessments, stakeholder management, strategic development integrating the…
Software Asset Management – What’s missing?
Seemingly a life-time ago, I was sailing the high seas on HMS Nottingham – a Type 42 Destroyer. As a member of the white mafia (aka the Supply & Secretariat Branch) it was my job…
SAM Audit Survival
SAM Audit Survival - let's go! Software Asset Management (SAM) professionals are used to audits. External vendor audits, ‘SAM/Compliance Engagements’ or visits from the likes of the Business Software Alliance (BSA) are part and parcel…
Contract Management
With SAM and contract management, we can lose sight of what’s important to the business. Particularly if we are chasing an implementation to generate ELP's for vendors we fear will come knocking asap. If you…
ITAM Review UK Conference
Martin Thompson and the fine crew at ITAM Review have kindly granted me a space to talk at the UK Conference to be held at Mercedes Benz World, Weybridge on 5th & 6th June. I…
Partner Profile: Levy LeGette
Partner Profile: Levy LeGette How long has your company been in SAM? 22 Years Area of Focus/ Specialism(s): Software License Negotiations What is the biggest change you’ve seen in SAM since you started in this…
The Ego has landed!
The Ego has landed! Despite me asking in a post on LinkedIn for people not to nominate me for ITAM Professional of the Year, I got nominated – and to top it off, I then…
SAM + PMO = Collaboration
SAM + PMO = Collaboration - or at least it should. Organisations around the world start, deliver and pay for a number of projects throughout the financial year. Projects can range from “standardising our printers”…
Silver Bullets
I recently heard that someone asked the question if they knew of where they could obtain a good guide on SAM processes. The response offered was to consider the ITAM Accelerate Process Kit – to…
IT Procurement – How can SAM Help?
IT Procurement – How can SAM Help? With greater aplomb than Procurement thinks is the glib answer I would give. It is with deep regret that I have experienced too many organizations who place the…
Do you have a SAM System?
Do you have a SAM System? In a recent series of emails, I was presented with the notion that the SAM Process Maturity Assessment Platform we have at SAM Charter was very difficult to align…
SAM & Digital Transformation
Hello all, it appears that the marketing types have demanded their time at the corporate-creative keyboard once more, and come up with the phrase “Digital Transformation”. As yet, Webster’s or the OED haven’t yet got…
Why is the JML Process your best friend?
and Before I start, I’d like to point out that the benefits of the Joiners, Movers and Leavers process are huge with the subscription and Cloud environments. For the purpose of this blog I’m going…
SAM and your Technology Weave
SAM and your Technology Weave: The expertise and level of attention to detail required in producing an Effective Licence Position (ELP) for a software vendor is not to be under-estimated, and requires a flexibility of…
Ignorance is no defence in the eyes of the law
Ignorance is no defence in the eyes of the law, But you try telling the Dutch Police this. The land of easy-going attitudes and impossibly-good footballers, saw its police force requesting a rebate from Microsoft. …
Is it time to rewrite the ELP?
Is it time to rewrite the ELP? The recent court case concerning Diageo and their errant use of SAP software brings into sharp focus the matter of perspective that is needed when taking intangible purchases…
The Next “Uber” Event for SAM?
While at a get-together of speakers at an IT Conference in Florida, I turned to the organizer (Martin Thompson) and said “I have your next article for you – What is the next Uber event…
Could you run SAM from your mobile phone?
Could you run SAM from your mobile phone? Picture the scene: In the not too distant future, a CIO is “networking” (i.e. out playing golf!) – when walking between shots with his phone set to…
Process of the Month – Software Change Management Process
Process of the Month – Software Change Management Process: Hi all, and my apologies for not keeping you updated with notifications of what’s going on in the world of SAM Charter; it’s been quite a…
Process of the Month – Software Rationalisation
Process of the Month - Software Rationalisation: Welcome to the vlog of Process of the Month in support of the relaunch of the ITAM Accelerate Process Kit. We have launched a ten minute presentation that…
Process of the Month – Maintain a Supported Software Catalogue
Process of the Month – Maintain a Supported Software Catalogue: Welcome to the vlog of Process of the Month in support of the launch of the SAM Charter Process Kit (Version 2). So that we…
It’s official – SAM Charter has its first Evangelist!
It’s official - SAM Charter has its first Evangelist! As if her ringing endorsement wasn’t enough, Janet Coetzee (see previous blog) was kind enough to model this year’s latest fashion must-have(!) whilst posing with the…
Volkswagen and the over-riding of SAM
Volkswagen and the over-riding of SAM: For those that might have been living under a rock for the last fortnight, Volkswagen have been found guilty (and have admitted their guilt) in regards to installing software…
SAM Charter – a ringing endorsement!
SAM Charter – a ringing endorsement! As part of end-user acceptance trials of the SAM Process Maturity Assessment, I reached out to a few trusted colleagues to run through the assessment to make sure everything…
Call for Partners – SAM Process Maturity Assessment
Call for Partners – SAM Process Maturity Assessment: SAM Charter is pleased to announce the completion of a world-class partner-friendly Software Asset Management Process Maturity Assessment. Best-practice Software Asset Management has been inter-woven with core…
Darwinism comes to the Channel
Darwinism comes to the Channel: Evolution, and survival of the fittest have long been documented as the manner by which species prosper, and this is no truer than in the IT channel. If we consider…
Process of the Month – ITAM Review
Process of the Month - ITAM Review: Happy New Year one and all! I hope you have made your New Year’s resolutions and are sticking to them with gusto! For my part I am walking…
Happy New Year
Happy New Year: Greetings one and all – I hope your Christmas Day and Hogmanay was everything you hoped it would be. As we enter 2014 with recharged batteries and new ambitions to conquer, I…
Release Management & SAM – Slickey
Release Management & SAM - Slickey: Rather than bang my own drum this week, I would like to draw your attention to one of the newer (and possibly less heard of) products on the marketplace…
Process of the Month: Maintain a Supported Software Catalogue
Process of the Month: Maintain a Supported Software Catalogue: This is another one of those lightning blogs to promote an article I have recently penned for ITAM Review. ITAM Review - Process of the Month…
SLO is dead – Long live ITAO
SLO is dead – Long live ITAO: In last week’s article we examined the question of the difference between Software Asset Management and SLO; a quick re-cap: Software Asset Management is typically embodied by the…
Savings as a Service
Savings as a Service: I was recently at a BCS Software Asset Management Networking event, and the time-honoured spectre of cost-savings raised its head. Paul Davis of Merlin Corp Ltd raised the question during a…
Process of the Month – Corporate Governance Process
Just a quick note this week to say that I have written an article for The ITAM Review which includes a process map for a Corporate Governance Process. I have written previously on the importance…
Anyone for Applocker?
Anyone for Applocker? Some time ago, I was attending a Microsoft Licensing Boot-camp run by Directions on Microsoft. While covering off the variations of Windows 8 (Enterprise) operating system, the course tutor happened to touch…
User-Centric SAM Design
User-Centric SAM Design: If you have the luxury(!) of being asked to design your Software Asset Management/ITAM Management System, then you might perceive to set about designing a framework that is focused around the results/reports…
Gartner ITAM Event – London (11th-12th Sept 2013)
Gartner ITAM Event – London (11th-12th Sept 2013): I have just spent two days at the Gartner ITAM event at the Westminster Plaza, London. The sensory highlight had to be the evening hospitality laid on…
Process of the Month
Process of the Month: Dear All, Another short blog this week as the “conspiracy of life” keeps me well away from my blogging responsibilities. I just wanted to write a few words to promote a…
Creating SAM Objects
Creating SAM Objects: We know that Software Asset Management is, by definition, the right blend of systems, people and processes to effectively manage software and software-related assets through every aspect of their IT lifecycle. Much…
Culture is King
Culture is King: I was fortunate enough to catch up with Martin Chalkley the other evening, (www.consultandomi.com) and he was commenting on the differences in the way in which people from Ghana, the Middle East…
SAM Process Maturity Assessment
SAM Process Maturity Assessment; “People, Systems and Processes”, and this is the mantra that is the foundation for Software Asset Management (and, indeed many other IT projects and programmes). The world of Software Asset Management…
Prism
Prism: Will this see the spiraling of shadow IT and Flag of Convenience Data-centers? It’s enough to make George Orwell feel very smug from the great beyond, yet Prism has ably demonstrated that fear and…
Security & Software Asset Management
Security & Software Asset Management: As business drivers go, we almost take for granted that the notion of IT security is “someone else’s bag” or that username and password validation is sufficient straight out of…
The changing face of SAM
The changing face of SAM: With Adobe’s recent announcement that future provision of its Creative Suite will solely be cloud-based; and Dell also recently posting quarterly downturns in the region of 79%, are we in…
The Problem with SAM
The Problem with SAM: In a former article I wrote about push-button responses to the potential IT woes in life, and how anything that didn’t occur at the drop of a hat could induce sighs…
Energy and the role of IT
Energy and the role of IT: I was fortunate enough to attend the Energy Manager’s Association EnPC conference at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers earlier this week. Incidental to the primary topic at hand (the…
SAM and Software ID Tags
SAM and Software ID Tags: If we take a step back from the keyboard and think about why we put ourselves through the IT assault course that is Software Asset Management, then very quickly we…
SAM – Gaining Senior Management Buy-in
SAM - Gaining Senior Management Buy-in: As part of your role in IT, you may have been handed the mantle of “Software Asset Manager” in an attempt to drive away a software vendor; or perhaps…
Do you have a removals policy?
Do you have a removals policy? Having been in Software Asset Management for as long as I have, it has always astounded me that we focus with a passion on consolidation of contract data, and…
“RTFQ”
RTFQ: This was sound advice I was offered in preparation of an exam: “If you are in any doubt as to what to write – Read The Question.” And so, with this sage advice ringing…
Joiners, Movers and Leavers
Joiners, Movers and Leavers: Many IT frameworks consider the value (and rightfully so) of tracking and monitoring the movement of IT assets within an organisation. The fundamental requirement to understand where a device is located,…
Continuous Improvement and SAM
Continuous Improvement and SAM: If you are reading this blog, hopefully you will have implemented your Software Asset Management system, and have the appropriate processes and people in place to derive the reports and data…
SAM Implementation: 6 Areas to Consider
SAM Implementation: 6 Areas to Consider: So you’ve reached that stage where you have policies and procedures in place, and your system selection has already been made and acted upon. The next step is to…
Welcome to SAM Charter
[caption id="attachment_806" align="alignright" width="175"] Rory Canavan, SAM Charter[/caption] Welcome to SAM Charter. Hi all, for those of you who don’t know me, my name is Rory Canavan and I have been occupying various jobs in…
Roles and Responsibilities: SAM
Roles and Responsibilities: SAM: Having gone through the exercise of scoping your Software Asset Management Program, you will next be required to do some further planning prior to embarking on actually starting the work schedule…
Scope and SAM
Scope and SAM: So you’ve bitten the bullet and decided to make the pitch to senior management as to why a Software Asset Management Programme will benefit not only IT, but the business as a…