The ‘Barium Manifesto’ back in December stated the need to ‘Shake things up’ in the software licensing industry and create an industry regulator. We’ve been busy building since then. I’m pleased to share with you that since January we have: Created a legal entity (not-for-profit limited by guarantee) Written a manifesto (Thanks to Kylie Fowler, Rory Canavan and Martin Chalkley for their... 

Cloud or bust? At this week’s MAX conference – Adobe revealed more information about their plans to move their products, and their customers, to the cloud. They started their journey last year with their Creative Cloud for Individuals and took the next step in early 2013, with the introduction of Creative Cloud for Teams (CCfT) on VIP licensing. The announcements this week have moved Adobe,... 

Editor’s Note: News that an ITAM Review reader was fired due to a license shortfall attracted considerable interest and debate on the LinkedIn group. In this article the IT Asset Manager shares her story in her own words. If this situation arose in Europe my uneducated guess is very good grounds for unfair dismissal (Having seen the e-mail history and performance review documentation). Unfortunately... 

This is the first in a new series of articles entitled “Ask the Expert“. ‘Ask the Expert’ sessions put a specialist in a particular field in the spotlight to share their expertise with ITAM Review readers. This month I’m very pleased to welcome Thomas Trappler. Thomas is a Director of Software Licensing at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) and an Instructor and Advisor... 

Software Asset Management - The First Ninety Days I am in the process of writing a book on SAM with Simone van Sambeek and Kai van Hoeckel. Our book in entitled ‘Software Asset Management – The First Ninety Days‘. Our goal is to help new SAM professionals learn the territory and begin to plot their strategy. Book Objectives Highlight the benefits of SAM Allow the reader to assess... 

This article has been contributed by Rob Horwitz of Directions on Microsoft.  Customers who acquire a license for a particular product version and edition may deploy an earlier version or different edition in its place under certain circumstances. These licensing rules, called downgrade rights vary not only by sales channel where the license was purchased but also by the particular product line,... 

Click to Enlarge This is the third and final article digging into feedback from Partners and Suppliers for our research study with Stephen Mann from Forrester. See also: Which services do SAM Partners offer? and Business Drivers for SAM Adoption Blockers to SAM Progress For this section we asked: What are the biggest blockers to progress with SAM? Participants were asked to provide general feedback... 

Barium: with clear visibility and transparency of the insides of the patient, the Doctor can make an informed prognosis. The Mega-Vendor Arab Spring In my experience the vast majority of businesses are enthusiastic about technology and are happy to pay a fair price for it. However, software licensing is complex. Software licensing is a hindrance to the adoption of new transformative technology and... 

This is the second article from my SAM research project with Stephen Mann from Forrester Research looking at the partner / supplier element of our research. See also ‘Which services do SAM partners offer?‘. This time we simply asked suppliers/partners and resellers “In your opinion what is the biggest driver for organizations adopting SAM?” As you can see the three strongest... 

Microsoft Licensing Bootcamp, Munich, June 3-4, 2013 What? Directions on Microsoft Licensing Boot Camp. “Two days of graduate-level training to develop your own Microsoft licensing expertise and equip you with the critical knowledge you need to drive maximum value from your company’s Microsoft software investments.” When & Where? San Diego, Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2013 New York, March 20-21, 2013 London,...