You Can’t Win the Game if You Don’t Play
Expensive science and engineering software products like Autodesk, Bentley or Vectorworks often require the use of built-in or third party tools to manage concurrent use or “floating” licenses, prevent unauthorized use, and potentially even monitor and bill for overages. As a result, many IT and software procurement professionals think their organizations have no need for internal Software Asset Management (SAM). But as any admin whose users have unintentionally used more copies of Bentley than they originally paid for can tell you, FlexNet Publisher and similar license management tools do not exist to help IT managers automate the administration of an organization’s digital assets; rather, they are there to help the software publishers capitalize as much as possible on their intellectual property.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Software publishers write software to make money, and they make money when end users pay to license and use their products. But even though the license management tools publishers use to protect their IP and increase revenue aren’t there to help you prevent overages or tell you when you’ve paid for more than you need, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a product available that works on your behalf to help reduce costs, monitor and manage use, and automate the administration of your digital assets. K2 KeyServer from Sassafras Software works for you.
Your Best Move: Software License Optimization with K2 KeyServer
Even if you must use specific license managers for various products you buy, consider layering K2 control and reporting on top. K2 works on your behalf in many ways:
1. Actively prevent overuse – By monitoring usage and preventing or notifying you about overages in realtime, K2 helps you avoid the expensive fees and penalties associated with spending more time with a tool than originally anticipated. You should never be surprised by preventable overages or fined for unmanaged usage in compliance audits.
2. Reveal underuse – At the other end of the spectrum, you should also never pay for software you don’t need. K2 has the ability to monitor installation and track usage for any kind of software, on every single computer on your network, helping you identify opportunities to cut costs by eliminating or reallocating unused or underused assets.
3. Schedule reserved licenses – By instituting specific, customizable rules for who, when and where managed software can be launched, you can increase efficiency and harmony within your organization without paying for more entitlements than you actually need. Use K2 to reserve software for specific groups or computers during certain hours or days, or set aside licenses for key users, making sure they always have access to tools they need.
4. Consolidate reports – Efficiently managing all of your software licenses in one place provides you with better, more dynamic reporting options. Why rely on limited reporting from three or more vendor-sponsored license managers, when you can have a wealth of compliance, usage, and license/cost optimization data all in one place?
In summary, there is a lot more to SAM than simply complying with licensing rules or protecting the IP of software publishers. Whether arming your organization with valuable information as insurance against potential audits, optimizing licensing and utilization needs for cost reduction, or simply managing day-to-day use for efficiency and frictionless operations, K2 is in your corner for all of your Software Asset Management needs.
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