A1. Who are ITAMS?
We are a UK based vendor independent niche consulting and software firm specialising in end-to-end IT asset management, software licence management and IT service management. Our clients are varied, covering all types, sizes and industries in both private and public sector. Currently, our smallest client is 70 employees and largest 120,000.
A2. Do you have references?
Unrivalled. Our clients include BP, Bank of England, Houses of Parliament, Deutsche Bank, LloydsTSB, Honda F1 Racing, many city and county councils, fire brigades, police forces etc.
Most clients are happy to offer occasional telephone or face to face references for us. We actively encourage dialog between existing and prospective clients, not only as a means of checking our credentials, but also as a means of providing value to prospective clients by helping accelerate their understanding of the problems other similar organisations have faced.
A3. What services does ITAMS offer?
We provide independent best practice advisory and process consulting, project management, technical knowledge and specialised ITAM / SAM including licence administration / ITSM resources and many types of software to help our clients resolve their IT asset management, software licence management and IT service management related challenges. We are commonly used by our clients to help them select the best software for their varied challenges.
Typical engagements include assisting with business case, drafting and facilitating RFI/RFP, analysing functional requirements, analysing and reworking asset related processes, comparing technologies, designing technical architectures, running workshops, deploying, integrating, configuring, customising, supporting and providing training on ITAM, software licence management and IT service management related software tools.
These skills are applied in areas such as asset discovery, licence management and reconciliation, asset database, software packaging and distribution, barcoding and asset tagging , often in the context of ITIL configuration, change and release management best practice.
A4. Do you supply ITAM / SAM / ITSM software?
Yes. We believe we provide the largest range of specialist IT asset management, software licence management and IT service management related software on the UK market, covering most major vendors and product types. Where software is required we offer unbiased analysis of requirements and scored/weighted comparison of the best fit technologies.
A5. What is ‘ITAM’?
Our definition covers the core areas of discovery technology, software distribution technology, software/licence management, asset repository & CMDB, physical asset management (including barcoding and auditing) and all of the related ITAM/SAM processes (e.g. request, moves, adds, disposal, changes inc joiner/leaver).
A6. What is ‘SAM’?
Software Asset Management typically involves software discovery and usage monitoring, optimised software recognition, licence entitlement and contract management, licence reconciliation and the various processes connected to software request, distribution and licence harvesting / reallocation.
A7. Do you supply volume software licences?
No. We only supply software which assists in matters connected to ITAM, SAM and ITSM.
A8. Do you work with or for volume software vendors ?
No, in the sense of any relationship which would compromise our position with our clients. We have been asked on many occasions to become auditors or resellers for major software vendors but have consistently declined.
This differentiates us considerably from the majority of Microsoft Large Account Resellers and Investors In Software member organisations who offer Software Asset Management services, but actually have an ulterior motive to sell or influence the sale of Select and Enterprise Agreements.
We feel we are precluded from tight partnership with major vendors due to the role we play for our clients.- this would make us a ‘servant of two masters’. However, in order for us to access knowledge of licensing schemes etc we often maintain an authorised status, and are a Microsoft Certified Partner.
A9. Do you have connections with regulatory bodies, industry monitors, auditors or directly or indirectly vendor sponsored groups such as BSA, IiS, FAST (now CS Group)?
We are deliberately not members, nor do we share any information with these groups. However we are very aware of their position, practices and methods. This is mandatory since we are frequently working on behalf of a client to defend against or build capabilities to minimise the risk of audit challenges from these organisations.
A10. Why should my organisation work with ITAMS?
If you have IT asset management, software licence management or IT service management related challenges – and most organisations do in one form or another - there are many reasons.
Experience. We are without doubt one of the most experienced firms in this niche in the UK.
Confidentiality. Our work is confidential and free of the ulterior motives of Microsoft LARs and other organisations strongly connected to major software vendors.
Independence. We are vendor / product independent
References. Our references are unrivalled.
Complete Solutions. We provide a complete set of services and software products – a broader deeper set of solutions than any other similar organisation in the UK in the ITAM / SAM / ITSM space.
Synergy. We will work with the investments you have already made to leverage maximum ROI.
Practicality. We are very practical in our approach (see our tag line), which means we deliver maximum ROI from projects for our clients
Knowledge. Our knowledge of best practices, standards, technology and the industry is very substantial and can be brought to bear free of charge to clients in the pre-sales phase.
A11. What do you mean when you say you are independent?
In simple terms, since we have the ability to provide, deploy and support software tools from most major vendors this means we are not biased when it comes to product selection.
A12. Why would I not just outsource my asset management?
We are regularly engaged because outsourcing organisations have not delivered their asset management obligations. Also, given that outsourcers often bill on the number of assets under management, giving them the responsibility for IT asset management is a little like handing over your chequebook. We strongly recommend good ITAM practice as a control mechanism for outsourcing…don’t give it away!
A13. What are the real business benefits of IT asset management?
Fundamentally, if an organisation does not accurately know what IT assets are deployed and how they are configured and being used there are many vulnerabilities and inefficiencies. Support, migration, licensing, security, planning, control, management information, trends etc – are all positively effected by good ITAM.
A14. How do I get my senior management team to support an ITAM, SAM or ITSM initiative?
Several obvious ways :
1) We can link you to other organisations who have been there / done it.
2) There is a huge amount of research data – the business case and recommendations are generally very strong and we can connect you to this.
3) Examine just one aspect such as better control of licensing and just this one aspect will probably cost justify the investment in tangible avoided costs by a factor of 5-10.
