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How can IT asset management tools aid in virtualization era?
IT asset management tools allow businesses to track resources effectively. Platform organization is increasingly necessary in a virtualized enterprise.
Even in the most consolidated and compact enterprise environments, IT asset management can be a complex process that requires automation. Manual accountability management is a thing of the past. With a seemingly limitless collection of devices, organizations need more support than ever before to discover, store information and track usage.
Throw in the inevitable march toward virtualization, along with an increasing reliance on cloud computing, and for most modern enterprises, finding the right mix of IT asset management tools becomes increasingly difficult.
IT organizations need tools that can help identify IT resources, record data and monitor activity on servers, storage devices, computers, peripherals, printers, monitors, applications and other elements. Auto-discovery tools are essential in this kind of an enterprise. IT professionals need to search for either agentless tools that scroll through the environment looking at IP addresses or agent-based tools that run on the networked asset.
Finding software, as well as hardware
In a virtual or cloud environment, this translates to an emphasis on the ability to identify and monitor software-based assets, as well as traditional hardware resources. Traditional commercial software licenses are in a state of profound change. It's crucial to understand where these licenses are being used and to determine what opportunities for cost savings exist.
As organizations go through major changes in how they contract with application providers, IT needs to make sure it doesn't overbuy or consume something for which it hasn't satisfactorily paid.
Additionally, businesses need to shed licenses they aren't using adequately, or at all. This process will help organizations eliminate underused license fees and reduce maintenance costs.
Ultimately, the IT asset management goals in a virtualized enterprise are no different than in that of a more traditional environment: Organizations need to be able to effectively allocate spending for asset purchases, maintenance and ongoing support. Effective IT asset management tools allow professionals to control spending, eliminate waste and become more efficient. Most important, strong IT asset management tools give businesses the ability to predict and plan for future requirements to ensure the most optimal future technology is acquired.