A Complete SAM Tool built for the SAM Manager
2020/06/11

By Alex Geuken. June 11, 2020.

First, we need to understand the challenges for a SAM manager

  1. Audits and Compliance (control and complexity of license rules and metrics)
  2. Cost Reduction (decrease software spend)
  3. Shadow IT
  4. Inventory (hardware, software, users, cloud and usage)

Xensam Goals

Xensam is striving to become the world’s best SAM solution. With more than 70 years of experience between the founders, we looked at the market and where existing SAM tools needed to change. We now bring “the Cloud Experience” to the industry.
We believe that a SAM tool developed for the SAM managers must focus on:

  1. Automation (inventory automation, license allocation and prebuilt reports)
  2. Simplicity (compliance is complex we want to make it easier)
  3. Cost Savings (don’t pay for something you don’t use)

This is primarily achieved with trustworthy data, that’s why we have the best software normalization/recognition on the market, as well as the best software usage metering in the SAM industry.
We also have the simplest and best user interface. So, no need for employee training certification after three days of training to be able to use Xensam Xupervisor. No back-end system that needs support, nor regular maintenance required. Leaving you to focus on optimization, cost savings and strategic decisions. We want to empower you with data, control and visualization.

Use The Data

The most common mistake in SAM is that people try to gather data manually, ending up with untrustworthy data and time-consuming processes. Trying to normalize applications on data from LANDesk, SCCM or any other data source, won’t provide good enough data. Applications, version, and editions of applications will be missed. No Web Apps, and no Usage. In contrast, the Xensam systems come with pre-built Reports, which you can easily subscribe to or share with colleagues or managers. Xupervisor’s userinterface column system is also built for custom reports, so you can create your own reports from anywhere you are in the system.

Automation

Recognition of 50,000 vendors, 333,000 applications, 14,000 Web Apps, 10,000 suites and 1.5 million SKUs with more than 7 million SKU mappings. Default license metrics, upgrade and downgrade paths, with Maintenance/Software Assurance resulting in automated license allocation. License auto-allocation extended to even complex SQL server and Windows server in the Data Center (read more here: https://www.xensam.com/2018/04/03/taming-the-data-center-with-xensam/). For your convenience, there are also prebuilt reports for compliance, cost savings, inventory of software, hardware and users as well as optimization reports of specific vendors and applications.

Simplicity

Xensam comes with an unrivalled user-interface; a column-based system that doesn’t hide any data in a complex navigation system. SAM tools are information systems, gathering and analyzing data (Software normalization) and presenting the data. We collect data from several different sources, combining the data and presenting the data in prebuilt reports or in our column system where you can customize that data to fit your need. This minimizes your manual workload. You don’t need complex training, examination or certification to use Xensam’s simple solution, you can elevate your knowledge of licensing and sam-processes instead. On top of that you get “the cloud experience” simplest implementation with only needing to install the agents and connectors – most implementation is done within 2 weeks. No backend software to install, update, maintain or support and all hosted securely in the cloud and updated up to 3 times per month."

Cost Savings

How do we drive cost savings with our SAM solution? Cost Savings and Cost Reductions are usually the driving point of the investment of a SAM tooling. Of course, license compliance and avoiding unbudgeted costs in an event of an audit, are other major factors. We start by looking at all applications installed but unused, here you can discover applications that are unused so you can stop paying for the license. The second step is to look at all applications with low Active Usage. This means that an application is being used but not to an extent that is worth paying for, or it can usually be replaced with a free version or downgraded to a cheaper version. This is important especially for SaaS subscription software and learning how much are you may be overspending on O365, Adobe, Salesforce and so on. Active Usage is also extremely relevant to more expensive CAD applications like Autodesk, Dassault and Solibri. The level of cost saving opportunities relates back to trustworthy data, if you don’t have normalized applications with accurate and advanced usage data your SAM tool won’t be able to drive cost savings. Additionally, if you don’t have trustworthy data it is also a risk if you get an audit and your SAM tool is showing incorrect data, or worse, not showing you any relevant data. You could end up paying both for audit costs and for the cost of the SAM tool.

Xensam: A Complete SAM Software Solution

With Xensam you get a complete SAM software solution! Managing an immense quantity of vendors and applications, Web Apps (SaaS and IaaS), Data Center, virtualization, remote applications, users, hardware and true usage. There’s no need for alternative data sources that are not built for SAM inventory, nor will you need to manually gather specific data. As is often the case with Xensam competitors, you won’t need to purchase a second tool for Web Apps or engineering applications. You won’t overlook tier 2 and tier 3 applications. How will you inventory parts of your infrastructure where you don’t have SCCM or other inventory tools (linux environment)? Xensam remove the need for manual inventory or developing your own system in excel to manage office365 or other applications. You get a complete SAM Software Solution covering all hardware, software (all applications and vendors), webapps in the same solution. You then also need to manage 3-4 different solutions and don’t get a complete overview not to speak about the cost. Purchasing 3-4 different solutions, implementing 3-4 solutions and maintenance of 3-4 solutions.

Why a complete solution?

Ever tried to build Lego without all pieces? It is impossible! There is a reason why all the best experience comes from a complete solution. E.g., the iPhone: Apple controls both hardware and software, whereas Google Pixel is widely accepted as the best Android experience with Google controlling both hardware and software. Tesla – manufacturing almost all parts of the car by themselves instead of purchasing parts and then assembling the car. With SAM tooling if you don’t own the inventory data (the source of the raw data) you won’t be able to manage the entire process. In essence, you are missing critical parts of your lego car! Applications will be missed, editions and version will be missed, no Web Apps and no Active Usage

Image 4 (1)

We live and breathe SAM

It doesn’t matter if you speak with someone from Sales, Support or R&D teams, Xensam’s employees understand SAM and licensing and we specifically develop our product to improve the outcomes of SAM. When we develop improvements or new functionality, we look at the value it will bring to you as a SAM professional. What is the business value of this function, can we automate it? How easy is this data to view, edit or share?

Support

The Support function can be accessed directly via to the tool and response time is usually within 4 hours, with most issues being resolved within 24 hours. Constantly evolving with improvements, new functionality and bug fixes, which are released seamlessly several times per month. Another benefit of “the Cloud Experience”.

Image 5

Summary

If you want control, quality trustworthy data, advanced usage metrics, prebuilt reports and automation, if you want to do more SAM and achieve fast ROI and enhance optimization, Xensam is the best SAM software for you. Abolish the need for system maintenance or the manually checking the quality of the data or normalization of applications.

Contact us now for a demo info@xensam.com

Your Comprehensive Guide to Software License Audits

Learn everything your company needs to know about software license audits and how to prepare for them. Stay in control of your sof

Xensam x Wisdom North America by ITAM Review

Wisdom North America Presented by ITAM Review

SAM Product Digest Webinar: Automation and Collaboration

Learn how to spread SAM intelligence faster and further through your organization with Xensam’s software asset management platform