How do you measure the benefits of SAM?
As we have just seen on the previous page, cost avoidance is the first area to recognise.

Some challenge the cost avoidance benefit as not being a benefit but rather a mitigation of risk.  Whichever way you want to look at it, make sure it is included in any assessment of what a SAM programme will deliver.

There can be no argument however with listing the following as benefits....

Reduction in software costs
The size of cost savings for all of the areas listed below depends entirely on what is currently in place and what isn't.

As guidance you should expect the following:

Also, specific Microsoft savings can be achieved where existing licences grant additional rights that could cover a significant proportion of your Microsoft software estate or be worth £1000+ per person.

You just need to know what to look for - Reduce Microsoft costs...

Mitigating risk
The specific cost of suffering an audit from one of the software authorities will of course depend on your current situation, but as guidance you should expect the following:
  • Cost of licensing following an audit = £100+
  • Cost of carrying out an audit = 25 days +
  • Fines for under licensing = £10k+

We go into more detail in Non-compliance costs

You can of course avoid all of this expense by implementing some simple steps:

And if that fails there are ways of handling the authorities that are better than others - Handle the authorities

Controlling SAM costs
Quantifying the precise cost savings to be found in our three levels of controls is difficult as they have far reaching benefits, but you will enjoy savings of at least £100+ per machine when all is said and done.

From a cost savings perspective these controls create a solid base from which licence management can take place efficiently and tools can be relied upon to provide data so that licence optimisation can happen with a degree of accuracy.

Licence optimisation which done well and often can easily decrease costs by 10%+ on an already well managed estate and by 50%+ on a chaotic estate.

From a compliance perspective these controls will dramatically reduce the costs incurred to buy new licences where an audit uncovers unlicensed software.

We have seen customers avoid un-budgeted expense of up to 50% of their entire annual software spend.

We now look at the need to define your objectives....