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IT Asset Management
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What is IT Asset Management?
IT asset management establishes
a lifecycle management process
for all IT assets, including
governance and infrastructure,
including products, processes
and people that assist in
monitoring and managing a
company’s IT hardware, software
and license assets. Asset
Management, an ITAM (Information
Technology Asset Management)
discipline, still provides the
basis for important ITIL
processes like service level and
configuration management and is
required for service catalog and
Configuration Management
Database (CMDB) development.
Why Develop an IT Asset
Management Program?
Many times, asset management
projects are triggered by events
that highlight an organization’s
lack of information about their
assets. For example, data center
moves or expansion, failed
audits, overhaul of procurement
processes, large inventories,
restructuring as a result of
growth, merger or acquisition,
cost cutting dollars on
computing resources or software
licensing renegotiations are all
factors that may trigger an
asset management program, and
provide the basis for developing
a business case and ROI
analysis. Asset management
programs may also be implemented
as a basis for identifying
assets for development of
configuration management,
service catalogs or a CMDB.
What is the Business Case for IT
Asset Management?
Good IT asset management
programs yield sustainable
reductions in costs, offer
improved management of risks and
optimize operational
efficiencies, through:
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Establishing consistency and
control over procurement,
receiving, maintenance and
equipment retirement
processes. |
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Establishing a centralized
repository for IT assets
that can reduce costs for
storage, maintenance, taxes
and other expenses.
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Better tracking and
reclamation of assets,
through the elimination of
costly physical inventories
and reactive software and
hardware re-negotiations and
through the consolidation of
redundant asset
repositories. |
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Proactive contract
re-negotiations with vendors
due to better visibility to
centralized IT asset data.
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Reduced risks and costs
associated with failed
audits, better compliance
with Sarbanes Oxley and
demonstration of control
over IT assets. |
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Improved quality of service
delivery due to better
helpdesk data on assets.
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Asset Management can
significantly reduce security
threats (through having the
capacity to track all
information technology devices
that could contain sensitive
information). It can also
mitigate potentially damaging
legal issues, such as security,
intellectual property and
licensing compliance breaches,
as well as regulatory concerns.
Quantifiable financial benefits
that may be used for calculating
ROI include:
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Consolidating maintenance
management for different
hardware classes.
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Eliminating/retiring unused
or underused
software/hardware products.
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Retrieving software licenses
from retired hardware.
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Saved dollars on storage,
maintenance and taxes on
unused hardware.
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Enhance asset management and
control from acquisition to
retirement.
What hardware and software
assets are currently in place
across your enterprise? Where
are they located? How much are
they costing you? Are they
configured for maximum
productivity and ROI? Are they
underutilized? Are there
money-wasting redundancies you
could eliminate? Are
non-approved software
applications installed?
Managing your client-computing
assets throughout their
lifecycle is essential for
making informed
technology-related business
decisions, optimizing your
existing infrastructure, cutting
your support costs, and planning
your overall capital
expenditures. ESI's Asset
Lifecycle Management services
give you flexible, innovative
management solutions extending
all the way from initial
procurement to final disposal.
We'll help you architect, build,
and deploy the most effective
asset management system for your
specific requirements.
ESI Asset Lifecycle Management
services can encompass:
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Solution assessment and
design
- Get started right with
expert needs evaluation,
asset management system
recommendations, and
solution deployment
planning. |
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Project management
- Streamline asset
management solution
deployment and enhance your
results with pilot
implementation, solution
rollout, and ongoing
consulting and support
services. |
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Inventory and asset tracking
- Synchronize assets
enterprise-wide through a
central repository of
detailed information on your
hardware, network, and
software. |
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Configuration management
- Dynamically track and
manage technology
configurations, owners,
users, and locations. |
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Financial management
- Keep tabs on capital
costs, purchase dates,
incremental costs, ownership
status (lease or purchase),
and other key expense data. |
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Automated reporting
- Access detailed,
custom-tailored reports to
stay up-to-date on
asset-related developments
as they unfold. |
The bottom line: With ESI Asset
Lifecycle services, you'll
always have a scalable,
complete, accurate accounting of
your IT assets. You'll be
positioned to derive maximum
value from your technology base.
You'll have the financial
clarity you need to make better
decisions on current and future
IT issues. And you'll have the
control you need to align IT
more closely with your strategic
business goals.
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