Skilled VARs urged to cash in on SAM growth
software licensing skills a bonus as asset management market set to boom
Resellers with software licensing skills are best placed to take advantage of growth in software asset management (SAM) this year.
New research conducted by asset management specialists Centennial Software and Business Continuity Services (BCS) has revealed that 42 per cent of UK companies have not audited the software running on their network in the last 12 months.
Tony Kingston, marketing man-ager at VAR Deverill, said: “I’m surprised the figure is as low as 42 per cent. Our experience shows it to be more, especially among SMEs – it is rare to find SMEs with a SAM system in place.
“2005 was a growing year for us with SAM. People are definitely becoming more aware of it. This year SAM will certainly become a better revenue opportunity for resellers,” Kingston added.
The research also found that only 25 per cent of firms conducted a regular monthly audit of the software in use on their servers and PCs. Another 25 per cent audited their PCs once a year, while just eight per cent checked their installed software once a quarter.
Matt Fisher, vice-president of Centennial Software, told CRN: “The research also showed that companies recognised their limitations in terms of managing their software and realised that they can’t manage it themselves. They need experts and consultants to help them.
“SAM is a good growth area at the moment. We’re seeing more demand for these types of service, but in the UK there is a shortage of resellers qualified for SAM. However, there are resellers out there that have made money out of licensing consultancy and these skills are definitely transferable so they should look to get into selling SAM,” he added.