IT service management (ITSM) and  IT Asset Management (ITAM) can definitely deliver greater business value if they are brought together. At InvGate, we realized the power of this alliance a while ago, when we started offering integrations as a way to let our customers gain better insight into their processes. It all started with integrating our two flagship solutions, InvGate Service Desk and InvGate Assets; then, we moved on to offer our SCCM integration, and now we’re introducing the new FileWave integration.

Topics: Asset Management Software, software asset management, IT Asset Management, Integrations, Request Management, FileWave

If you use InvGate Service Desk, you might have come across a request that was reporting an incident, service request, or change request related to an asset. Say for example, “My desktop PC is not working”, or “I need VPN access on my Lenovo laptop”. Most of the time, the assigned agent will do some research to identify the device in question, but what if it wasn’t necessary because that device is directly linked to the request? What if the agent could see its details  right there on the request and have a faster way to help the customer?

Topics: Service Desk, IT Asset Management, Integrations, SCCM

“Collaboration” might seem an overused management buzzword in IT right now, but there’s a reason why – we will often need to work together, across team and even line-of-business boundaries, to deliver better business outcomes. And IT asset management (ITAM) is definitely an area that will be hugely influenced, in success terms, by the level of effective collaboration involved. To help with your ITAM initiative (or program), this blog offers up five tips for leveraging collaboration when starting out or improving your management of IT assets.

Topics: IT Asset Management

Dealing with a software vendor audit can be time consuming, stressful, and costly exercise. Preparation is key, as is having formal software audit practices and underlying  IT asset management (ITAM) and software asset management (SAM) processes in place. This blog offers some practical guidelines on how to manage a software audit situation without panicking, hiding under your desk, or running screaming from the building. 

Topics: IT Asset Management, Software Audits, ITAM

Following on from our previous blogs in our ITAM 101 series, we’re at a point where – now we understand the IT asset management (ITAM) basics and have our business case in order – we can get started with our ITAM project (notwithstanding the ITAM quick wins covered in my first blog).

Topics: IT Asset Management

In our previous ITAM 101 blog, we gave you an introduction to IT Asset Management (ITAM), along with a list of ITAM benefits and some potential quick wins for a quick start. The next step is to look at creating your business case for ITAM, i.e. your decision-making tool that aligns the case for ITAM to business outcomes and requirements. It’s the best way to succeed with an ITAM initiative, not only in terms of justifying any investments, but also in agreeing the ITAM scope and the metrics used to establish success.

Topics: IT Asset Management

Sometimes IT professionals can focus too much on “the next big thing” rather than on getting “the basics” right; and, believe it or not, IT asset management (ITAM) is one of those “basics.” ITAM is the foundation of any effective IT organization – it can act as the catalyst for incident, problem, change, and configuration management. As well as potentially saving you thousands in licensing fees and helping to prevent a “zombie server apocalypse” (more on this later).

Topics: IT Asset Management

Smart entrepreneurship entails efficient management of an IT infrastructure – which encompasses a wide range of components. Periodic tracking and inspection of hardware and software assets enable organizations to periodically determine the status of their computer systems, and point out flaws that need to be addressed. In knowing the exact nature of the software-related problem, companies are able create a plan of action and deploy that plan to avoid the issues from turning into problems that require complex repair.

Topics: IT Asset Management

The tracking of assets is acknowledged as integral to the process by which organizations manage their IT infrastructure. In the past, this strategy was geared toward reducing an enterprise’s total cost of ownership. The implementation of sound IT management software was, more often than not, associated with cost-cutting efforts in the IT division. In the current enterprise scenario, however, IT management software and solutions are deployed to go beyond TCO reduction. Organizational objectives have evolved through the years to adapt to changing customer needs, and it is only fitting for IT solutions – such as IT asset tracking tools for effective management – to keep up.

Topics: Asset Management Software, IT Asset Management