Software Asset Management (SAM) in ServiceNow is a comprehensive solution designed to help organizations manage their software licenses, track usage, ensure compliance with vendor agreements, and optimize software spend. It is part of the broader IT Asset Management (ITAM) suite, which also includes Hardware Asset Management (HAM). SAM helps organizations maintain a detailed inventory of their software assets, avoid audit penalties, and manage costs associated with software licensing.
Key Features of ServiceNow SAM:
- Software License Management
- SAM enables organizations to track and manage software licenses throughout their lifecycle, from procurement to retirement.
- It helps ensure that the organization has the correct number of licenses and avoids under- or over-licensing situations.
- SAM supports various license types, such as user-based, device-based, and subscription-based licenses.
- Software Compliance Management
- SAM helps ensure that the organization is compliant with vendor license agreements by tracking usage versus entitlements.
- It identifies any gaps between software entitlements and actual usage, allowing the organization to rectify compliance issues and avoid penalties.
- SAM provides detailed audit reports that can be shared with software vendors during compliance audits.
- Software Discovery and Normalization
- ServiceNow integrates with Discovery to automatically scan the network for installed software. SAM uses this data to populate the CMDB (Configuration Management Database).
- SAM then uses a normalization process to standardize software data. This ensures that different versions or variations of the same software are recognized and counted accurately.
- The ServiceNow Software Library helps normalize discovered software by matching it against known software products.
- Software Usage and Optimization
- SAM tracks the actual usage of installed software across the organization to help identify underutilized or unused licenses.
- By tracking usage, SAM helps optimize software spend by identifying opportunities for license reallocation or downgrading.
- It also allows for better planning of software renewals and purchases based on real needs.
- Contract and Vendor Management
- SAM integrates with Vendor and Contract Management to track software license agreements, contracts, and renewal dates.
- It helps monitor vendor performance, ensuring that software is delivered and supported as per the contract.
- Automated alerts notify stakeholders when contracts are about to expire, helping avoid lapses in software coverage or compliance.
- Application Portfolio Management (APM)
- SAM is integrated with Application Portfolio Management (APM) to provide insights into the organization's software applications, their usage, and their value.
- APM helps organizations rationalize their application portfolio, identifying redundant or obsolete software for potential retirement, thereby optimizing costs.
- Reclamation and License Reallocation
- SAM provides automated workflows for software reclamation, which allows unused software licenses to be reclaimed and reassigned to other users.
- This helps organizations avoid unnecessary license purchases by fully utilizing existing entitlements.
- Reclamation workflows can be triggered based on usage data, ensuring that unused licenses are freed up for reallocation.
- Self-Service Software Requests
- Employees can use the ServiceNow Service Catalog to request software through a self-service portal.
- SAM ensures that requests are processed in line with available licenses and compliance rules, avoiding unauthorized software installations.
- Integration with workflows automates the approval and provisioning process, ensuring that software is deployed quickly and efficiently.
- Audit Management and Reporting
- SAM provides robust reporting and audit capabilities, enabling organizations to generate detailed compliance reports and audit logs.
- These reports can be used to prepare for software vendor audits, ensuring that the organization is compliant and avoiding financial penalties.
- SAM also provides dashboards that give a real-time view of software compliance, usage, and spending metrics.
- Cloud Software Management
- SAM extends its capabilities to cloud-based software, allowing organizations to manage licenses and subscriptions for SaaS (Software as a Service) applications.
- This helps manage cloud software usage and costs, ensuring that SaaS subscriptions are optimized and aligned with actual business needs.
- SAM tracks subscription renewals and usage to avoid over-provisioning or under-utilization of cloud services.
Key Processes in ServiceNow SAM:
- Software Request and Fulfillment
- Employees request software through the Service Catalog, where available software options are presented based on entitlements and compliance rules.
- SAM ensures that the requested software is available, compliant, and aligned with the organization's policies.
- Once approved, the software is deployed or installed on the user's device automatically.
- Software License Procurement
- SAM helps track the procurement of software licenses, ensuring that purchase data is captured and tied to specific license agreements.
- The procurement process ensures that licenses are purchased in alignment with business needs and vendor agreements.
- Software Installation and Deployment
- SAM tracks all software installations, linking them to the appropriate licenses in the system.
- It ensures that installations are compliant with license agreements and provides visibility into which users and devices have specific software installed.
- Software License Auditing
- SAM automates the auditing process by generating reports that show the organization's current software entitlements versus actual usage.
- These reports can be shared with software vendors to demonstrate compliance and avoid penalties during audits.
- SAM also tracks historical audit data, making it easy to prepare for future audits.
- Software Reclamation
- SAM can trigger automated reclamation workflows when unused software is identified.
- Unused licenses are reclaimed and made available for reassignment, ensuring that the organization maximizes its software investments.
- Reclamation workflows help reduce costs by avoiding unnecessary license purchases.
SAM Integration with Other ServiceNow Modules:
- Integration with CMDB
- SAM relies on the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) to store detailed information about software assets, their relationships with hardware assets, and IT services.
- CMDB integration ensures that software and hardware assets are tracked consistently and provides a holistic view of the IT environment.
- Integration with ITSM
- SAM integrates with ServiceNow Incident, Problem, and Change Management to link software assets to incidents, problems, and changes.
- For example, when a software-related incident occurs, the associated software asset can be tracked, allowing IT teams to analyze the issue and take corrective actions.
- Integration with Procurement and Vendor Management
- SAM works with Vendor and Contract Management to ensure that software procurement aligns with vendor agreements and contracts.
- SAM tracks vendor performance, contract terms, and renewal dates, ensuring that software contracts are managed efficiently and compliance is maintained.
- Integration with Security Operations
- SAM can work with Security Operations (SecOps) to ensure that software vulnerabilities are tracked and addressed in a timely manner.
- Software usage and compliance data from SAM can be used to prioritize software patching and updates, reducing security risks.
Reporting and Analytics in SAM:
- Compliance Dashboards
- SAM provides real-time dashboards that show the organization's compliance status with software vendor agreements.
- These dashboards display key metrics such as license usage, over- or under-licensing, and compliance risks, allowing stakeholders to take corrective action.
- Usage Reports
- SAM tracks actual software usage across the organization and generates reports that show how software is being used.
- These reports help identify underutilized or unused software, allowing the organization to optimize license usage and reduce costs.
- Cost Management Reports
- SAM provides financial reports that show the organization's software spend and cost trends over time.
- These reports help with budgeting and forecasting, ensuring that the organization optimizes its software investments.
Key Benefits of ServiceNow SAM:
- Cost Savings: SAM helps reduce software spend by optimizing license usage, reclaiming unused licenses, and avoiding over-purchasing.
- Improved Compliance: By ensuring compliance with vendor agreements, SAM helps organizations avoid costly audit penalties and legal risks.
- Better Vendor Management: SAM tracks vendor contracts and performance, ensuring that software vendors deliver on their agreements and supporting vendor relationship management.
- Enhanced Visibility: SAM provides real-time visibility into the organization's software assets, usage, and compliance status, enabling better decision-making.
- Cloud and SaaS Optimization: SAM extends its capabilities to cloud-based software, helping organizations optimize their cloud software investments and manage SaaS subscriptions effectively.
Software Asset Management (SAM) in ServiceNow
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