Central Control is Often Thwarted

With thousands of Servers, PCs and hand held devices, spread across multiple locations, managers are often frustrated in their efforts to centrally control all the hardware and software on their networks.

Even in the most tightly controlled organisations there are 100s of PCs and other devices that don’t appear on the network manager’s radar and consequently are high risk in terms of unforeseen licensing, support, or compliance issues.

Controlling An Evolving Network

Every day the network changes, with new down-loads, purchases and configurations made by different departments and users across the organization. Although these changes have implications for the IT costs, compliance and security they often evade central control.

For example, new users are added to an application causing licensing drift, or new hand held devices (that increasingly mix business and personal use)  give rise to copyright infringement issues.  These everyday actions can go unnoticed and take place beneath the radar of traditional network audit / inventory tools.

Managers Don’t Have 100% Confidence

Little wonder most managers, in spite of significant investments in SAM and ITAM, don’t have 100% confidence regarding all the hardware and software on their networks. The principal reason is that they don’t have a full, accurate and up-to-date inventory of all devices and software on their networks.

The Implications

While industry analysts suggest that IT software and hard ware inventories can overtime be out by as much 20%, only minor discrepancies can have a major impact on costs.  The implications in terms of cost, risk and compliance, include:

· Leases being paid on machines that are redundant, or have been retired

· Machines, or devices that are underutilized, require an upgrade, can be virtualized, or can be re-deployed

· Machines, or devices that are out of compliance, in terms of desktop standards, anti-virus software, patches, etc.

· Overpaying for IT support on machines that are not in use, or conversely underchanging for machines previously unaccounted for in internal charging

· Software that is un-supported, under-used, or unlicensed

· Exposure to risks in terms of copyright infringement (if someone downloads a movie, you might be liable).

The Solution

What is the solution to the illusion of network control?  Well, it starts with a more accurate, detailed and up to date inventory of of all hardware and software on the network and how it is used.  Then it requires daily monitoring to track changes and automatic alerts where licencing, security and other issues arise.

This can be cost effectively achieved through the use of iQuates tools.