SAM and SAM Pro

Priyanka16 · ‎03-07-2023

Hi Guys,

I require ServiceNow's SAM and SAM Pro features, differences, benefits and drawbacks.

Can any one help me.

Sai Shravan · ‎03-07-2023

Here are the difference between SAM (Software Asset Management) and SAM Pro

Feature	SAM	SAM Pro
License Management	Tracks software license compliance and usage	Tracks software license compliance and usage, and provides optimization recommendations
Software Discovery	Discovers software installed on devices	Discovers software installed on devices, including cloud instances and containers
Hardware Asset Management	Tracks hardware assets	Tracks hardware assets and provides asset lifecycle management
Contract Management	Tracks software licenses and contracts	Tracks software licenses and contracts, including renewals and expiration dates
Financial Management	Provides cost information for software assets	Provides cost information for software assets and enables chargeback
Software Reclamation	Identifies unused software and reclaims licenses	Identifies unused software and reclaims licenses, and also automates the reclamation process
Compliance Management	Tracks compliance with software publisher regulations	Tracks compliance with software publisher regulations and provides remediation recommendations
Software Usage Analytics	Provides basic usage metrics for software assets	Provides advanced usage analytics for software assets, including optimization recommendations
Integration with ServiceNow Platform	Integrates with other ServiceNow applications	Integrates with other ServiceNow applications and enables custom workflows and reporting

The benefits of ServiceNow's SAM (Software Asset Management) and SAM Pro:

Benefit	SAM	SAM Pro
License Compliance	Helps ensure compliance with software licensing agreements	Helps ensure compliance with software licensing agreements and identifies opportunities for license optimization
Asset Visibility	Provides visibility into software and hardware assets	Provides visibility into software and hardware assets, including cloud instances and containers
Cost Optimization	Provides cost information for software assets	Provides cost information for software assets and enables chargeback, as well as identifies opportunities for cost optimization
Risk Management	Helps identify and mitigate risks related to software asset management	Helps identify and mitigate risks related to software asset management, including compliance risks and security risks
Increased Efficiency	Automates manual processes related to software asset management	Automates manual processes related to software asset management, such as license reclamation and software deployment
Integration with ServiceNow Platform	Integrates with other ServiceNow applications, providing a single source of truth for IT operations	Integrates with other ServiceNow applications and enables custom workflows and reporting, providing a unified approach to IT service management

Below are the Drawbacks

Drawback	SAM	SAM Pro
Complexity	Implementing and configuring SAM can be complex	SAM Pro can be even more complex to implement and configure due to its advanced features
Cost	ServiceNow licenses can be expensive, and implementing SAM and SAM Pro may require additional resources and expertise	SAM Pro is typically more expensive than SAM due to its advanced features and capabilities
Learning Curve	Users may require training to fully utilize the features and functionality of SAM and SAM Pro	SAM Pro has a steeper learning curve due to its advanced features
Customization	Customizing SAM and SAM Pro may require development resources and expertise	Customizing SAM Pro can be even more challenging due to its advanced features and complexity

Regards,

Shravan

Regards,
Shravan
Please mark this as helpful and correct answer, if this helps you

View solution in original post

Ray Martinez · ‎07-10-2023

Hi Priyanka,

This solution was highlighted to me by one of my customers. I just wanted to clarify that Hardware Asset Management is a separate solution and not part of SAM or SAM PRO. There is a basic ITSM Hardware Asset core capability, but this is part of ITSM and not SAM PRO. There are a few other discrepancies here such as discovery, SAM nor SAM Pro provide discovery capabilities. Discovery is obtained via ITOM Visibility or integration with a 3rd party discovery solution. I always recommend confirming solutions against the ServiceNow Docs Site and/or your ServiceNow account and SC team.

Hope this helps

Ray

Peressildur · ‎09-29-2023

SAM is the basic version, great for managing software licenses and compliance. It helps you stay on top of your software assets and their usage. SAM Pro takes it up a notch. It adds more advanced features like automated discovery, enhanced reporting, and vendor management. This can be super helpful for larger organizations with complex IT environments. Both versions help you save costs by optimizing software licenses and ensuring compliance. They boost efficiency by automating many tasks and reducing manual work. As for drawbacks, SAM Pro might be overkill for smaller businesses due to its complexity and cost. For a deeper dive, you can check out IT Asset Management Software like Bluetally. It's not ServiceNow, but it could be a good fit, depending on your needs. Here's the link: https://bluetallyapp.com