What is software license management?
Software license management refers to the process of tracking and controlling the use of software licenses within your organization. It involves keeping an inventory of software licenses, monitoring their usage, and ensuring that they are used following the terms and conditions established by the software vendors.
Software license management enables organizations to optimize their usage, reduce costs, and avoid legal and financial penalties associated with non-compliance. It involves managing licenses for different types of software, including proprietary, open-source, and cloud-based applications.
5 best practices for software license management
1. Conduct a software license inventory
One of the first steps in effective software license management is to conduct a thorough inventory of all software licenses within your organization.
This involves creating a comprehensive list of all software applications, including the version number, license type, and terms and conditions of use. The inventory should also include information on the number of licenses purchased, the number currently in use, and the number of licenses that are not being used.
By having a clear understanding of the software licenses in use, you can identify areas where licenses can be consolidated or optimized, and ensure that you are not paying for licenses that are not being used.
Software license inventory management can be done manually, but it is often more efficient to use specialized software asset management (SAM) tools that can automatically track and manage software licenses across multiple devices and platforms.
2. Verify Conformity of Software Licenses
Once an inventory of software licenses has been established, the next step in effective software license management is to verify that all licenses are being used in compliance with the terms and conditions set by the software vendors.
This includes ensuring that the number of licenses in use does not exceed the number purchased and that the licenses are being used on the appropriate number of devices and for the intended purpose.
You should also ensure that you are using the correct license type, as some software licenses may have different usage restrictions and limitations. To verify conformity, you can conduct regular audits of your software licenses, either manually or using specialized software asset management (SAM) tools. These audits can help to identify any discrepancies or areas of non-compliance and enable organizations to take corrective action before they incur any legal or financial penalties.