Software Portfolio Management - Benefits, Challenges and Solutions

Having a well-managed software portfolio can offer a wide range of benefits, particularly protection from overspending and auditing fines. As more and more software is run in the cloud, it has become increasingly difficult to keep track of the software actually in use. We shed some light on the challenges of cloud computing for software portfolio management and presents three new services that can help to overcome them.

Recent research from analysts IDC revealed annual software spending will surpass $600 billion by 2021. With the continuing adoption of cloud computing, much of this software will be Software-as-a-Service (SaaS); particularly as SaaS software can be purchased with ease by employees outside of the IT department. With so much software deployed – both in the cloud and on-premise – it is increasingly difficult for organizations to keep tabs on the applications installed.

According to Gartner, companies can reduce their software expenditure by up to 30% through simple, but effective, software portfolio management and optimization. Effective software asset management (SAM) can provide businesses with a detailed insight of all the different applications that are in use, so that they can identify applications which are redundant or carry out similar functions, and determine whether they are actually at all needed.

This level of transparency not only empowers businesses to make informed decisions on the software they use, but also ensures they are better prepared for licensing renewals and impromptu audits – particularly to avoid costly penalties! A further benefit of software asset management, is that it enables organizations to identify unauthorised and outdated applications, which can expose organizations to security risks. With an extensive overview of the software in use, including the version and patch level, organizations can recognize which applications are no longer supported by the supplier’s in-built protection; allowing them to identify vulnerabilities and risks, and take preventative action to strengthen information security.

When all applications were run on-premise, it was easier for organizations to keep track of the software used, but this is no longer the case; companies are increasingly migrating workloads to the cloud. Gartner forecasts that by 2020, 24% of enterprise IT spend will be cloud-based as businesses look to increase scalability, but reduce costs.

Without deep visibility into the software running on their cloud platform, businesses are exposing themselves to both security risk and unnecessary costs. As a result, it’s essential that organizations have the ability to monitor which employees are accessing which applications, and for what purpose. By monitoring their IT estate, companies can also track the performance of the platform and intervene to minimize outages, should bottlenecks occur.

This ability to track which employees are running what software is essential, because moving applications from an on-premise environment to a cloud platform can drastically affect the licenses required. For instance, many End User Licensing Agreements (EULAs) prohibit the use of a program in a public cloud environment.

Without visibility into where applications are being used, an organization may be at odds with the licensing agreements without even realising, and find themselves obliged to repurchase the correct license at significant expense.

1. We optimize software costs by providing comprehensive visibility into the programs and licenses in use. This enables companies to avoid unnecessary purchases, cancel or reassign unused licenses and adapt subscriptions to usage.

2. We provide detailed data on cloud consumption, broken down by employee and department. This data can be used to create a forecast of cloud usage so companies can make an accurate projection of future costs, and budget effectively.

3. Finally, we enable organizations to manage the applications an employee can access, to bolster security. Our support  also allows organizations to check the performance of the cloud itself to improve availability and to optimize efficiency.