Software Asset Management (SAM) is a proven process and best practice that can help organizations control costs as well as business and legal risks, optimize software licensing investments, and grow IT systems with your company’s expanding needs. SAM Tools are a key part of every good SAM plan. Microsoft’s Inventory and Asset Management Tools make up a portfolio of solutions designed for IT Professionals to discover, inventory, and manage IT assets, helping you to better secure, control, plan, and manage distributed IT assets throughout the various stages of the IT life cycle.

Implementing SAM

In order to successfully manage your software licensing agreements you need to know exactly what software is running in your organization, to develop a complete, accurate view of all your software licenses, and understand how your software inventory and licensing data relate to each other. A well-executed SAM process helps you achieve these insights. You can implement SAM in your organization by following four basic steps:

Microsoft has a collection of asset inventory and management tools that help organizations of all sizes with your SAM efforts. Some tools are licensed for on-premise use through programs like Open, Select, and Enterprise Agreements, while others are hosted services available through subscription.

Available tools include: