Hi Paulsylo,
ITAM and SAM
Though they seem similar, the terms ITAM, SAM are not interchangeable. While closely related, each area focuses on a particular area of asset and application management brought about by changes in the evolution of tech and IT procurement.
Information Technology Asset Management (ITAM)
All IT assets: hardware and software
ITAM encompasses the financial, contractual, and risk management of all IT assets, both physical and digital. It is the overarching umbrella of all asset management and includes hardware and software.
While SAM has become a more popular topic of discussion (because of the shift to software license management and audit potential), it’s important to remember that software cannot exist without some physical assets, making ITAM’s overarching focus a continued priority within the business.
Software Asset Management (SAM)
All software: on-prem and cloud
SAM is the practice of managing software, both on-prem and in the cloud. It includes the monitoring of software usage, procurement, deployment, risk management, licensing, and compliance throughout the lifecycle.
Because careful software asset management has the power to uncover huge cost savings for the business and increase utilization of key applications, SAM is shifting from a “nice to have” role in the company to a core business function.
SAM for On-Premise vs. SAM for SaaS
While SAM encompasses both on-premise software and SaaS, these two elements and the way they’re managed are very different. For instance:
With SaaS, you only pay to provision the licenses you need. The cost is more flexible than on-prem software because of this, but the contracts often auto-renew, regardless of how the licenses are used, if they are not proactively managed.
Because you’re essentially accessing the SaaS licenses via the cloud, no hardware, in-house training, or maintenance is required. The vendor hosts the application and monitors its security for you as part of the cost, but it’s hard to control what data employees store in the cloud apps without a governance strategy.
If my answer helps you please mark as correct/helpful.
Regards,
Monali Patil
