This web page is provided as a quick reference guide for SAM practitioners, tool providers and software publishers (essentially any member of the SAM eco-system)who wants to learn more about SAM or improve their overall Software Asset Management process. This web page is essentially a set of links that can be used to help you find the SAM information you're looking for.
This site is currently maintained and hosted by Agnitio Advisors.
Links available from this site:
If you would like to see additional links posted on this web site, please send e-mail to admin@agnitioadvisors.com.
There are a few assessment models available for end-users or service organizations to use when evaluating SAM processes. This are provides links to a variety of sources
Microsoft in association with a number of SAM consulting organizations created an assessment model that's based on the ISO/IEC 19770-1 standard, but that provides a much more practical set of measures for organizations that may just be getting into a SAM program, or still have newer SAM programs under development. This assessment model focuses on 10 specific key competencies each with very specific key performance indicators that give a very understanding of the maturity of an organization SAM program.
| Company | Web site | Description |
| Agnitio Advisors | www.agnitioadvisors.com | This site has a white paper and other information on the SAM Optimization Model. To get access to the whitepaper, register on the site and proceed to the file download section. |
| Microsoft | www.microsoft.com/sam | This site has a lot of information available for SAM programs. Much of the information is provided for download so you can use the tools and access the documents directly from your system. While your on the site, try out the ROI calculator - you may find it helpful to justify your SAM program when working with upper managers. |
| Microsoft Momentum | http://msevents.microsoft.com | Event ID: 1032369765 - this is a recorded presentation providing information about the Microsoft SAM Optimization Model. |
Conformance with ISO/IEC 19770-1 is relatively difficult at the moment since conformance requires that all processes defined in the standard are in place. ISO is working to develop a tiered assessment and conformance model and as those definitions progress, programs to handle the assessments will become more readily used by corporations.
In the mean time, it is beneficial for organizations to assess their SAM processes against the ISO/IEC 19770-1 standard to determine process areas that may provide a larger risk profile than an organization is comfortable with, or to find potential areas for savings! Obviously, improving productivity or increasing corporate agility are also benefits of effective SAM programs and of the best practices defined in the ISO/IEC 19770-1 standard, but the real drivers of SAM programs tend to be based on cost savings.
To do a self-assessment, or when working with a 3rd party to do an
independent assessment against the standard, you should first get a copy of the
standard and understand the details presented in the document. You can find
details on where to get a copy of the standard in the section detailing ISO/IEC 19770-1 information.
After you've purchased and reviewed the standard, you may be interested in checking out the following sites:
| Company | Web site | Description |
| Agnitio Advisors | www.agnitioadvisors.com | By registering on this site, you can get a free personal use copy of an assessment template that focuses on the 27 higher level sections defined in the standard. This template will assist you in any in-house assessment and may also be helpful when working with a 3rd party assessment organization to track your own findings as a comparison to their findings. |
| ISO/IEC Tiered approach to conformance with ISO/IEC 19770-1 | http://www.19770.org/?q=node/8 | Working Group 21 (WG21) is developing a tiered approach to conformance with ISO/IEC 19770-1. Go to the official WG21 web site for the latest information on the tiered approach to conformance. |
| Microsoft Momentum | http://msevents.microsoft.com | Event ID: 1032365106 - this is a recorded presentation discussing the process of doing an assessment against ISO/IEC 19770-1. |
There aren't a lot of areas for practitioners, tool vendors, and software publishers to discuss SAM topics in an environment that's non-threatening, but informative. The following forums and informal groups may be of interest to ask questions, get answers and provoke discussions.
| Company | Web site | Description |
| Agnitio Advisors | www.agnitioadvisors.com | Register on this site and you'll get access to forums discussing everything from ISO standards, to tools to training classes. Registration is open to anyone and there is no restriction other than registration to access the forums and post questions/comments/issues and suggestions. |
| Linkedin Groups | www.linkedin.com | There are at multiple SAM groups that have been
created in linked in:
|
| IAITAM forums | www.iaitam.org/Forum.htm | IAITAM provides knowledge and advice to the IT Asset Management community around the world! This organization is one of the larger user communities focused on IT Asset Management and the forums are hosted for members only. |
Software legal procedures fall under title 17 of US Code - copyrights. Section 106 of the 1976 copyright act provides the owner of materials the exclusive rights to their materials. This includes reproduction of the materials. Software is protected with these ideas in mind and copyright penalties can be very severe.
| Company | Web site | Description |
| US Government | www.copyright.gov | This site provides education, searchable records, details on how to file a copyright and specific links to law and policy information. |
Software publishers want to help their customers stay compliant with software entitlements, but they also need to protect their intellectual property especially if an entity using their software is doing so willfully. Industry trade organizations work as specialists in the intellectual property and copyright areas and help end-users through training, services and marketing. They will also, at times, represent software publishers when required to ensure end-user organizations are honoring the intellectual property rights of the software publisher.
| Company | Web site | Description |
| Business Software
Alliance (BSA) |
www.bsa.org | This site provides information for employers (who are liable for the actions of their employees), maintains a list of resources that can help with SAM and also provides a free audit tool anyone can download and use. |
| Software &
Information Industry Association (SIIA) |
www.siia.com | This site provides information on conferences, training, news and news letters focused on both software and content (i.e. music, video, etc). |
With Software Asset Management being a specialized field, there are few resources available for good, impartial news on the subject. Take a look at the following and send us feedback if there are others you would like to see added to the list.
| Company | Web site | Description |
| The ITAM Review | http://www.itassetmanagement.net/ | The ITAM Review is an online community for worldwide ITAM professionals with a mission to provide independent industry news, reviews, resources and networking opportunities to Vendors, Partners, Consultants and End Users working in the areas of IT Asset Management, Software Asset Management or Software Licensing. |
There are organizations out there working to help their members with details on how to implement and leverage SAM programs.
| Company | Web site | Description |
| International Association of Information Technology Asset Managers (IAITAM) | www.iaitam.org | This site provides a number of papers, presentations, knowledge base, etc for Asset Management in general. SAM is only a portion their focus, they also provide information on hardware asset management. |
| Investors in Software | www.investorsinsoftware.co.uk | This organization is working to "advance professionalism in software asset management and related IT asset management, to enable individuals and organisations to improve effectiveness and efficiency". |
There are some organizations offering training focused on Software Asset Management.
| Company | Web site | Description |
| International Association of Information Technology Asset Managers | www.iaitam.org | This organization provides training for Software Asset Management and IT Asset Management. Courses allow for a certification at the successful completion of a test, but the certification is by and for IAITAM and is not managed by a 3rd party organization. |
| LicenseLogic | www.licenselogic.com | This organization specializes in training for software asset .management and copyright information. LicenseLogic provides a test for certification purposes and certification is provided through SIIA, so is recognized by an industry organization. |
Software publishers provide a lot of detail about SAM processes, procedures and policies. The following is a listing of the larger resources available
| Company | Web site | Description |
| Adobe | www.adobe.com/elicensing/licensemanagement/sam/ | This Adobe site Adobe provides general information about Software Asset Management as well as definitions of tool types, SAM partners, etc. |
| Microsoft | www.microsoft.com/sam | This site has a lot of information available for SAM programs. Much of the information is provided for download so you can use the tools and access the documents directly from your system. While your on the site, try out the ROI calculator - you may find it helpful to justify your SAM program when working with upper managers. |
| Microsoft SAM test review materials | https://partner.microsoft.com/US/40092833?PS=95000124 | Microsoft provides a certification test for partners who decide to specialize with a focus in SAM programs. This test, number 70-673 has a test guide that provides numerous resources to both Microsoft documentation as well as to other references on the web. |
There are a number of standards out there focused on helping with SAM programs. The primary standards available are part of the ISO/IEC 19770 standard.
| Company | Web site | Description |
| Agnitio Advisors | www.agnitioadvisors.com | This site provides information about ISO/IEC 19770-1 as well as basic templates end-users can use to do their own self-assessments. Agnitio Advisors also provides assessment services to help you understand how effective your SAM program is today and how it cam be improved. |
| Investors in Software | www.investorsinsoftware.co.uk | IiS is a not-for-profit organisation limited by
guarantee under English law (Company Number 0542717) with a mission to
support and advance professionalism in software asset management and
related IT asset management, to enable individuals and organisations to
improve effectiveness and efficiency. Investors in Software played a major role in the development of the ISO/IEC 19770-1:2006 Standard. |
| International Organization for Standardization | Order a copy of the standard | ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world's largest developer and publisher of International Standards. ISO is a network of the national standards institutes of 157 countries, one member per country, with a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates the system. ISO is anon-governmental organization that forms a bridge between the public and private sectors. On the one hand, many of its member institutes are part of the governmental structure of their countries, or are mandated by their government. On the other hand, other members have their roots uniquely in the private sector, having been set up by national partnerships of industry associations. |
The SAM Process standard - ISO/IEC 19770-1:2006 is going through a revision cycle to include 4 tiers of conformance. Now, instead of an all or nothing conformance, organizations can address specific process areas and achieve conformance for a specified tier. Along with the tiers new training is available for individuals who want to receive a recognized certification of knowledge - this training is provided by the BSA through its SAM advantage program (http://samadvantage.bsa.org). Finally, various best practice libraries such as the IAITAM Best Practice Library (http://www.iaitam.com) include cross references to the various process areas defined in the 19770-1 standard.
The revision work is available for an extended public review process that will continue from now until March 1, 2011. To download a free copy of the preview, visit the websites of the following organizations each of which is a liaison to the WG 21 team:
Please ensure that all feedback is provided through the survey link specified in the documet, or though e-mail to enquiries@19770.org All associations working to develop this standard are working with WG 21, and the Development Group and are recommending feedback go through the survey site. In particular, neither the US TAG, nor any of it's members have any mandate to consolidate feedback for this development effort at this time.
For further information about downloading and the review process, please visit the official website of WG21 at http://www.19770.org/Tiered-SAM-Review.
Refer to one of the liaison companies (all of which are listed above) who are helping to move SAM standards forward in a productive and effective manner, download the draft copy of the revision to this important standard and provide your input directly to the working group!
Note - the ISO/IEC 19770-2 draft specifying software identification tag structures was submitted as a final draft international specification (FDIS) in May of 2009. It is expected to be in FDIS status for 2 months followed by a vote by all SC7 national specifications bodies. If the FDIS version is approved, ISO editorial will then provide final ISO edits to ensure the document meets ISO standards, then the document will be published and available for purchase. It is expected that the 19770-2 draft will be available as a published international standard in 2009.
| Company | Web site | Description |
| Agnitio Advisors | www.agnitioadvisors.com | Steve Klos from Agnitio Advisors was the convener of
this standard and provided played a major role in the development of
the standard. The Agnitio Advisors web site has information regarding
this standard. The standard will become a final committee draft (FCD) in September of 2008. At that time, distribution of the draft standard is no longer allowed. After ISO reviews the standard, votes on it and eventually improves it for publication, the standard will be available from the www.iso.org site. |
| Amazon | Order a printed copy of the standard | Amazon.com will provide printed copies of the standard. If you prefer to get the electronic version, you can purchase it from ANSI, or ISO. |
| Investors in Software | www.investorsinsoftware.co.uk | IiS is a not-for-profit organisation limited by
guarantee under English law (Company Number 0542717) with a mission to
support and advance professionalism in software asset management and
related IT asset management, to enable individuals and organisations to
improve effectiveness and efficiency. Investors in Software played a major role in the development of the ISO/IEC 19770-1:2006 Standard. |
| International Organization for Standardization | Order an electronic copy of the standard | ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world's largest developer and publisher of International Standards. ISO is a network of the national standards institutes of 157 countries, one member per country, with a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates the system. ISO is anon-governmental organization that forms a bridge between the public and private sectors. On the one hand, many of its member institutes are part of the governmental structure of their countries, or are mandated by their government. On the other hand, other members have their roots uniquely in the private sector, having been set up by national partnerships of industry associations. |
| TagVault.org | www.tagvault.org | TagVault.org is a non-profit organization formed under the structure of IEEE-ISTO. TagVault.org is a membership driven organization designed to be the registration authority for ISO/IEC 19770-2 software identification tags (SWID tags). TagVault provides a forum for information sharing resources among software publishers, tool providers and SAM practitioners. TagVault will provide a shared library of technical knowledge and software tools including consistent cross-vendor, cross-platform APIs. |
| Working Group 21 | www.19770.org | Working Group 21 (WG21) - officially, this is ISO/IEC JTC1 SC7 WG 21 - is the working group responsible for Software Asset Management specifications. This web site provides the latest information on SAM standards currently available and those under development. |
| Company | Web site | Description |
| ISO/IEC 19770-3 other working group | www.sassafras.com/iso | John Tomeny is the convener of the other working group developing the ISO/IEC 19770-3 draft standard on software entitlement tags. The web page hosted on the sassafras web site provides details on how to join the OWG as well as some details and status about the development of the standard. |
| Working Group 21 | www.19770.org | Working Group 21 (WG21) - officially, this is ISO/IEC JTC1 SC7 WG 21 - is the working group responsible for Software Asset Management specifications. This web site provides the latest information on SAM standards currently available and those under development. |
There are multiple organizations focused on the development or administration of IT based standards.
| Company | Web site | Description |
| Official ITIL web site | http://www.itil-officialsite.com/home/home.asp | ITIL stands for Information Technology Information Library. ITIL provides whole eco-system centered around setting up and managing the best practices of service management. |
| Official ISO web site | www.iso.org | ISO provides standards on a wide range of topics. Of particular interest to SAM eco-system members are ISO/IEC 20000 and the ISO/IEC 19770 series. |
| Official web site
for the ISO/IEC JTC1/SC7 Working Group 21 (WG21) (Software Asset Management) |
www.19770.org | Working Group 21 (WG21) is the working group responsible for Software Asset Management specifications. This web site provides the latest information on SAM standards currently available and those under development. |
| Official W3C web site | www.w3c.org | This website provides an extensive array of recommendations for internet based standards work. Information on how to define XML Schema document (XSD's), and how to use XML based data can be found on this site. |
| Official IETF web site | www.ietf.org | IETF provides standards that cover a wide range of network and Internet items. |