Featured Article from Software Licensing

The opportunity to monetize software is one of the key drivers for those companies producing solutions. In an always-on economy where users have access to apps through a number of different channels, the monetization process within software licensing is changing. As the process becomes more complex and the challenges continue to mount, having a proven partner by your side might be worth consideration.

At the same time, companies using software have a considerable burden to carry when they don’t have all of their ducks in a row when it comes to software licensing management. A clear understanding of the process and obligations can save considerable time and money, yet many companies get bogged down in the processes they need to have in place to operate and quickly overlook their obligations when it comes to licensing. As a result, software license audits become complex and costly.

One company found this to be especially true. A small business computer service company faced a few challenges, including expensive software audits, the complex management of vendor relationships and contracts, a lack of transparency to support showback, chargeback, etc., overspending on software licenses, tracking and understanding of licensing entitlements and time-consuming manual processes for the management of the software estate.

Requesting that their name be blinded in the case study to protect confidentiality, the computer service company needed to make some changes and evaluated Flexera Software License Optimization as a potential solution. In the discovery process, it was determined that the company spends as much as $1,000,000 annually on software. Such a spend requires a closer look at the management of licensing to ensure the best return on the investment and lower costs moving forward.

Using the FlexNet Manager Suite, the company was able to optimize the following vendors: Adobe, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle (News - Alert), SAP and VMware. With Flexera Software License Optimization, the company was able to save 41-80 hours per month as a result of automation of the software assessment management tasks. The return on investment was realized through savings in labor, a reduction in software maintenance costs and the reuse of software. At the same time, the company also realized a 250 percent return on their investment in the FlexNet Manager Suite.

In this case, the company achieved a return on its investment in the FlexNet Manager Suite in six to nine months, making it a worthwhile investment. If you’re spending a considerable amount on software and audits are eating your profits, it may be time to pursue help from a software licensing solution provider able to get you on the right track.