SAM Advantage

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COMING SOON!

Save money. Reduce risks. Manage your business better.

Coming soon, BSA SAM Advantage is the new world-class approach to software asset management (SAM). BSA SAM Advantage will be the first and only global SAM program that is: 

  • Built on the basis of global standards published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), including official cooperation with the responsible ISO/IEC working group; 
  • Vendor-neutral and sponsored by an independent nonprofit organization, the Business Software Alliance (BSA);
  • Recognized and developed by many of the world’s leading software companies; 
  • Customizable to each organization’s specific needs and abilities; and
  • Delivered in a consistent fashion by a variety of professional partners, resellers and practitioners. 

BSA SAM Advantage will be geared to provide all parties with the knowledge and support they need to adopt world-class practices in software asset management through a flexible, step-by-step process.

Pilot programs will begin soon with wider implementation to follow in 2009.

 

What is SAM? What are the benefits?

SAM is the business practice of managing and optimizing the purchase, installation, utilization, maintenance, and replacement of all software assets within an organization. Organizations adopt SAM for several reasons, including avoiding legal problems, saving money and time, and reducing security risks. (See Figure 1.)  

Find out how you can apply BSA SAM Advantage in your organization

Figure 1. Why do organizations implement SAM?

Why do organizations implement SAM?
Source: ISO/SC7 Market Needs Study, May 2008

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How will BSA SAM Advantage work?

Until now, the task of achieving full conformance with the ISO/IEC 19770-1 global SAM standard was daunting, requiring a large commitment of time and resources to implement a complex set of rules. There were no standardized methodologies for SAM implementations and no independent benchmarks for measuring success.

To make it easier for organizations to understand SAM and begin improving their IT operations step-by-step, BSA is developing BSA SAM Advantage as a four-tiered framework for progress (see Figure 2). Because it is aligned with the global standard, organizations can adopt the approach with confidence that it will apply wherever they operate around the world.

Figure 2. Four Tiers of BSA SAM Advantage

Tiers Results
Tier 1
Trustworthy Data		 Provides the basic framework for effective, reproducible software asset information and gives an organization complete visibility into the software on its network, as well as an accurate account of its license compliance requirements.
Tier 2
Control Environment		 Effective SAM and compliance procedures are managed through consistent processes that allow management to evaluate risk and take the necessary action.
Tier 3
Key Operational Processes		 SAM is integrated into key operational processes to keep information current and improve the organization’s negotiating position – making SAM easily repeatable and available upon demand.
Tier 4
Complete Systems Integration		 Full conformance with the ISO/IEC 19770-1 standard. Once an organization has achieved Tier 4, SAM processes are fully integrated into all of its management and operational systems and processes.

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How can my organization get started?

Pilot programs will begin soon with wider implementation to follow in 2009.

For now:

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