The ITAM Executive: A Podcast for IT Asset Management Professionals

Building an ITAM program from the ground up is a daunting task for any organization. That’s the exact situation our guest, Evan Vafidis, found himself in just five years ago. Evan is the Head of License Management at Uniper, which has thousands of employees and facilities dispersed across 40 countries.Unknowingly, Evan “volunteered” to establish an ITAM program at Uniper after being frustrated with the lack of accuracy and transparency their license management data was providing. Fast forward to today, reports that used to take six months to generate now take six minutes. Listen as Evan shares his strategic approach to that tectonic shift in data reliability and efficiency.We discuss:How to actually empower your team through constructive constraintsWhy customizing products is a no-win strategyThe high cost of bad dataWhy reading the Terms & Conditions is worth your timeFinding answers through the ITAM community to reach a deeper level of transparencyStart BIG, not smallIf you’re interested in learning more about Evan and his work at Uniper, connect with him on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-vafidis-48773b63/).Dig into more insights from ITAM executives by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The ITAM Executive in your favorite podcast player.

In this podcast, Mari Petersen, Chris Hayes, and Ryan Krueger discuss the similarities between SaaS management and SAM, leveraging SAM concepts to excel at SaaS management, and building a business case to have SAM play a role in SaaS management. They also explore considerations for managing SaaS licenses, integration with existing systems, and strategies for managing SaaS and developing a governance framework.

The technologies utilized in business are an ever-moving target when pursuing competitive advantage. As technology evolves, so does the way it’s managed. With the shift from on-prem to the cloud, software sprawl or decentralization within organizations is more rampant than ever. In this episode, long-time SaaS expert Lance Giles can empathize with teams and departments who are simply seeking solutions to make their work more productive. However, there are constructive ways to manage the wild, wild west of the www.SaaS providers have intentionally made software solutions easier for businesses to purchase. With a few clicks and a credit card, a company's spending can unintentionally skyrocket—something Lance feels is more disconcerting than an audit. Regardless of industry pivots, the overarching goal of an IT Asset Manager is the same: pay for what you use.We discuss:Core philosophies and strategies for managing SaaSManaging risk on both sides of the ledgerShifting your mindset from deployment to financeNormalizing the raw spend details to have visibilityBuilding relationships that drive business outcomesQuantifying assets to simplify decision making If you’re interested in learning more about Lance and his SaaS management experience, connect with him on LinkedIn or email him directly at lgiles@zylo.com.Dig into more insights from ITAM executives by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The ITAM Executive in your favorite podcast player.

This episode of The ITAM Executive podcast is an excerpt from a webinar hosted by Anglepoint and Converge. View the complete webinar here: https://www.anglepoint.com/blog/software-asset-management-strategic-benefits/As noted by Gartner, SAM is a discipline that supports strategic business development. Here are the 4 main strategic benefits of SAM:Reduce RiskData collected from SAM allows organizations to identify IT security risks, finding faulty and/or unsupported software. You’ll know which/how many software assets need patches/security updates.SAM reduces compliance exposure. When auditors come knocking, they’ll find that you are paying for what’s being used; eliminating the need for potential hefty, business-changing fines.The reduced risk from practicing good SAM will save your organization from any and all potential legal, financial, and reputational damages/liabilities.Reduce SpendThis is a major benefit! Many of our clients see actionable savings of 20% or more in year one.Good SAM monitors usage on an ongoing basis, allowing you to identify re-harvesting/re-use opportunities. It’s (obviously) important that you don’t spend more money that needed.Ongoing usage monitoring also empowers organizations to purchase software assets based on their true usage and future needs. - Additionally, SAM helps limit rogue purchases and potential chargebacks.Maximize InvestmentsThrough configuration management & standardization and change control & business continuity, organizations get the most out of what they have.Take advantage of IT optimization opportunities, i.e., virtualization, server consolidation, etc.Having the right people and processes in place allows you to realize the full benefits of your SAM tool(s). Many organizations fail to take full advantage of this.Negotiate StrategicallyIf you know exactly what you have and exactly what you need, you can negotiate from a position of power. This gives you confidence and makes life much easier.SAM data allows for dialed-in and precise decision making.Having a SAM managed service provider in your corner gives you the publisher-specific expertise needed to negotiate. This detailed publisher knowledge allows for focus on key contract asks and advantageous terms.

Learn more here -- www.anglepoint.com  Software Asset Management is all about People, Process, & Technology.People Defined as the personnel (dedicated or not) and associated roles involved IT & Software Asset Management (ITAM/SAM).  Process Defined as the activities and workflows developed to implement policy and facilitate ITAM/SAM strategy.  Technology Defined as the software, tools, or systems leveraged to drive automation, scalability, and repeatability.  People, Process, & Technology: This is SAM nirvana – a sustainable, scalable, and consistent program.Learn more about Anglepoint's approach to People, Process, & Technology at Anglepoint.com/services/sam-program-development/

Choosing the right SAM technology can be a challenge.How do you differentiate among the multitude of technology providers and ensure that what you choose matches up with your own unique use case?In this episode, Kris Johnson, Executive Vice President, and Steve Hastings, Vice President of Global Business Development, both with Anglepoint, talk about how to navigate the challenges of the RFP process and ensure you end up with a tool that will meet your needs for years to come.We discuss:The pitfalls of selecting a SAM tool providerWhether proof of concept for tools should be part of the processThe importance of verifying technical capabilitiesWhy effective implementation is so importantAlso check out Episode 19, The Broken RFP & How to Fix It.Dig into more insights from ITAM executives by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The ITAM Executive in your favorite podcast player.

At only 26-years young, Brandon Smeets early career successes may seem like something he magically pulled out of a hat, and in a way, he did. As a side interest, Brandon has been performing magic across Europe since the age of 15, which has taught him how to captivate an audience through thoughtful messaging and storytelling.We discuss:How to get buy-in from key stakeholders through listeningLooking beyond a win/loss toward a compromising win-winsAttaining and maintaining buy-inConnecting strategies to outcomesHow to team up vs. tear down To see Brandon, speak/perform in person, be sure to check out Wisdom EMEA 2022 this June 15-16. Also be sure to stop by and speak with Anglepoint as we’d love to learn more about the challenges and triumphs you’re experiencing at your organization.Dig into more insights from ITAM executives by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The ITAM Executive in your favorite podcast player.

Vereinfachen und optimieren Sie mit dem IBM Authorized Partner Program (IASP)Da die Branche weiterhin in die Cloud vordringt, ändert sich die Art und Weise, wie Softwareanbieter Audits durchführen. IBM ist bestrebt, es seinen Kunden zu erleichtern, die Vorschriften einzuhalten, indem sie sich für die Teilnahme an ihrem kürzlich eingeführten IBM Authorized SAM Partner Program (IASP) entscheiden.In dieser Folge spricht Kerstin Tammling von Anglepoint mit Peter Singer, Projektmanager bei IBM Global Services, über das IASP-Programm und wie auch Ihr Unternehmen davon profitieren könnte.Wir besprechen:Was ist das IASP-Programm und welche Vorteile bietet es den teilnehmenden UnternehmenWie sieht der IASP-Prozess aus?Wie kann Ihre Organisation teilnehmen?Was sind die Voraussetzungen, um IASP-Partner zu werden, und was zeichnet Anglepoint aus?Wie viele Unternehmen beteiligen sich bereits an der IASP-Initiative?Um mehr zu erfahren, sehen Sie sich die Erfahrungen der Firma Bottomline mit dem IASP-Programm an.Wenn Sie daran interessiert sind, an dem Programm teilzunehmen, vereinbaren Sie einen Gespräch unter https://www.anglepoint.com/schedule/ or https://www.ibm.com/about/software-licensing/verification/iaspHolen Sie sich weitere Einblicke von ITAM-Führungskräften, indem Sie Apple Podcasts, Spotify oder wo immer Sie Podcasts hören, abonnieren.Sie hören auf einem Desktop und können die Links nicht sehen? Suchen Sie einfach in Ihrem bevorzugten Podcast-Player nach „The ITAM Executive“.

The open-source nature of Java has made it ubiquitous throughout the software industry. Since Oracle’s acquisition of the tech roughly 10 years ago, most of Java’s features remained free. Near the end of 2018, however, that began to change as Oracle began charging for nearly all use cases.What started as simple “soft audits” in 2019 have evolved into full-blown audits. What does this mean for your organization? In this episode of The ITAM Executive, we discuss the ramifications of these changes with Anglepoint’s own, Scott Jensen, Sr. Manager & Oracle Practice Lead.We discuss:What Java audits look like and how to prepareCalculating the financial impact of these changes for your orgWhen you do and don’t need to pay for Java licensingHow to save millions through SAM managed services  Learn more at https://www.anglepoint.com/blog/oracle-begins-to-audit-java/Dig into more insights from ITAM executives by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The ITAM Executive in your favorite podcast player.

Becoming a master at SAM and ITAM procurement is not a walk in the park. It takes time, effort, and really digging into the process so you can show up prepared.In this episode, our guest Ariane Proulx, Team Lead Manager, IT Contracts Operations Management at Desjardins, sheds light on key strategies to approach your next contract negotiation to make sure you’re getting the most out of the assets your business is paying for.We discuss:· Why working with your suppliers is key to successful negotiations· Negotiating as a team effort· The importance of being a people person· How to enter negotiations prepared· Working closely with internal teams to gather key information· Using data as decision making currencyDig into more insights from ITAM executives by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The ITAM Executive in your favorite podcast player.