 IT AssetControl
- Asset Tracking |
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“Even
though most enterprises will have implemented the basics
of tracking and co-ordinating (IT asset) changes by 2004,
less than 35% will successfully implement the type of proactive
change management required to lower TCO
and will be out of compliance on 30%.”
GartnerGroup
LAN
based inventory tools will lower the annual ownership costs
of a helpdesk operation by $25-$141 per PC, which translates
into annual savings of between $188,000
and $1.06M for a 2,500 PC environment”
GartnerGroup |
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Asset tracking software is used
to ‘discover’ and track hardware and software assets over
a network using a variety of techniques.
Such software is often used in snapshot auditing
projects but it’s most powerful application is when it is
deployed as permanent monitoring and scanning technology.
In this mode the software is able to recognise new installs,
moves, adds and changes to the asset estate.
Used properly this technology provides crucial business support
information and can feed management information systems and
change control processes. It also acts as a powerful source
of configuration information for helpdesk, deskside support
and break/fix maintenance activities.
Asset tracking technology is related to systems and network
management technology. However, asset tracking tools are typically
much faster and easier to deploy, easier to use, they have
more advanced software recognition algorithms and much more
comprehensive reporting capabilities.
Most systems management and software distribution tools such
as SMS, HP Openview and Novadigm have an underlying ability
to derive a basic ‘inventory’ of devices and files over a
corporate network, but few of these tools have the ability
to intelligently ‘discover’ assets, and if they can they tend
to do it in a very labour intensive way.
Systems and network management tools are designed to support
IT operations, not to provide business support information
such as licence compliance data. For example, such tools tend
to find files such as word.exe but they do not easily recognise
‘products’ such as Microsoft Office XP or pick up detailed
product version information. ‘Teaching’ them to differentiate
between files and products and to properly detect software
versions in more than a few cases is not normally cost justifiable.
Classic asset tracking tools include Centennial’s Discovery
and Opsware's Asset Insight, amongst others. Each product
has it’s own strengths and weaknesses and should only be seriously
considered for selection once clear business requirements
have been established.
The advantages of asset tracking and the data it provides
are substantial, but there are drawbacks too.
Asset tracking software does not track procurement, financial
or contractual information. Unless Opsware's Enterprise Insight
is used. As a result many potential cost savings are missed
when asset tracking software is deployed ‘stand alone’. Asset
tracking also tends to produce a high volume of operational
data which must be further processed before it can be used
as true management information.
The next stage of asset management involves managing the asset
through the lifecycle, from procurement request to disposal.
This is known as
Asset Lifecycle Management.
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Why get ITAssetControl involved?
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There is no one
‘best’ asset tracking software product. The ideal technology
will depend on your particular requirements, priorities, LAN
topology, cost objectives and other factors.
Every technology has features the others
do not have. We can help you select the best for your purposes,
and then tune it, deploy it and support it for you.
We can also link the use of asset tracking technology to other
services such as licence compliance, break/fix, lease tracking
to ensure you get the best return on your investment.
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