Publisher optimizations for Microsoft

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Publisher optimizations for Microsoft

    The Microsoft Publisher optimizations feature in ServiceNow helps customers manage and optimize their Microsoft software licenses, particularly Microsoft 365 subscriptions and on-premises licenses. To access the full range of licensing optimization reports and recommendations, customers must activate theSoftware Asset Management Professional for Microsoftplugin and install theSoftware Asset Management - SaaS License Managementapplication from the ServiceNow Store.

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    Key Features

    • Microsoft 365 Subscription Details: Reports active, inactive, and unassigned Microsoft 365 subscriptions, grouped by software models. Users can drill down into subscription activity, including last active dates and unassigned license counts.
    • Subscription Assignment Details: Displays assigned Microsoft 365 subscriptions over the past six months with detailed information about users, products, and subscription profiles.
    • Potential Savings by Type: Identifies monthly potential cost savings through recommended license downgrades, consolidation, reclaiming overlapping licenses, and low usage reclamation candidates. Users can view detailed candidate information to take action.
    • Optimization Recommendations: Provides monthly counts and details of licenses eligible for downgrade or reclamation, helping customers optimize their Microsoft 365 license usage and reduce costs.
    • On-Premises License Optimization: Offers potential and realized cost savings for physical hosts and clusters using Microsoft licenses such as SQL Server, BizTalk Server, Windows Server, Core Infrastructure Server, and System Center. Reports include recommended licenses, rights, and spending.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Gain visibility into detailed Microsoft 365 subscription usage and assignment, enabling informed license management decisions.
    • Identify and act on cost-saving opportunities by reclaiming or downgrading underused or overlapping Microsoft 365 licenses.
    • Optimize on-premises Microsoft licensing costs by leveraging tailored recommendations for core-based licenses and client access licenses (CALs).
    • Track realized savings from implemented optimizations to measure the impact of license management efforts.
    • Leverage integrated reports for continuous monitoring and improvement of Microsoft software asset utilization.

    Important Requirements

    • Activation of the Software Asset Management Professional for Microsoft plugin (com.snc.samp.microsoft).
    • Installation of the Software Asset Management - SaaS License Management application for Microsoft 365 subscription optimization reports.

    View licensing optimizations for Microsoft by selecting Microsoft from the Publisher drop-down list.

    Important:
    To view the recommended licensing optimizations for Microsoft, you must activate the Software Asset Management Professional for Microsoft plugin (com.snc.samp.microsoft) on your ServiceNow® instance. To view the recommended licensing optimizations for your Microsoft 365 subscriptions, you must also request and install the Software Asset Management - SaaS License Management application from the ServiceNow Store.
    Report Source Description
    Microsoft 365 subscription details
    Note:
    This report appears only if you request and install the Software Asset Management - SaaS License Management application.
    • Active and inactive subscriptions: Software Subscriptions [samp_sw_subscription]
    • Unassigned subscriptions: Purchased Subscription Details [samp_purchased_subscription_details]

    Number of active, inactive, and unassigned user subscription details for Microsoft 365 products, which are grouped by software models.

    Select a data point to view more details about the user subscriptions for a software model.
    • Select the Active subscriptions bar to view the active user subscriptions, where the last activity date is equal to or less than 90 days.
    • Select the Inactive subscriptions bar to view the inactive subscriptions, where the last activity date is empty or was before 90 days.
    • Select the Unassigned subscriptions bar to view the number of available rights or user subscriptions that are unassigned.
    Microsoft 365 subscription assignment details Software Subscriptions [samp_sw_subscription] Number of assigned Microsoft 365 subscriptions. This report displays assigned subscriptions for the last six months.

    Select a data point to view the details of the assigned subscription such as Publisher, Product, User, User principal name, Software model, and Subscription profile.
    Microsoft 365 potential savings by type
    Note:
    This report appears only if you request and install the Software Asset Management - SaaS License Management application.
    		 Removal Candidate

    [samp_sw_reclamation_candidate]

    Potential monthly savings for your Microsoft 365 licenses that are based on recommended downgrade, overlapping, consolidate, and low usage candidates. This report displays potential savings for the last six months.

    Select any bar to view more details about the recommended downgrade or dual license candidates for a given month.
    • Select the Low Usage bar to view the list of Microsoft 365 low usage reclamation candidates. Select a candidate to view the details, software installations, subscriptions to reclaim, and subscriptions to assign.
    • Select the Downgrade bar to view the list of candidates that can be downgraded to a previous version of Microsoft 365 and Office 365. Select a candidate to view the details, software installations, subscriptions to reclaim, and subscriptions to assign.
    • Select the Overlapping bar to view the list of Microsoft 365 overlapping reclamation candidates. Select a candidate to view the details, subscriptions to reclaim, and subscriptions to assign.
    • Select the Consolidate bar to view the list of Microsoft 365 consolidate subscriptions reclamation candidates. Select a candidate to view the details, subscriptions to reclaim, and subscriptions to assign.
    Microsoft 365 optimization recommendations
    Note:
    This report appears only if you request and install the Software Asset Management - SaaS License Management application.
    		 Removal Candidate

    [samp_sw_reclamation_candidate]

    Number of licenses per month that can be downgraded or reclaimed based on recommended downgrade, overlapping, consolidate, and low usage candidates. This report displays data for the last six months.

    • Select the Low Usage bar to view the list of Microsoft 365 candidates that can be reclaimed based on low usage.
    • Downgrade: Select the Downgrade bar to view the list of Microsoft 365 and Office 365 candidates that can be downgraded. Select a candidate from the list to downgrade the associated license.
    • Overlapping: Select the Overlapping bar to view the list of Microsoft 365 overlapping reclamation candidates. Select a candidate from the list to reclaim the associated license.
    • Consolidate: Select the Consolidate bar to view the list of consolidated Microsoft 365 optimization candidates. Select a candidate from the list to reclaim the associated license.
    On-Premises potential savings by optimizing licenses Potential Savings by Optimizing Licenses

    [samp_license_optimization_summary]

    		 Potential cost savings for licenses on your physical hosts and clusters based on recommended licensing optimizations.
    Note:
    This report is available only for the following Microsoft license types:
    • Per core licenses for Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft BizTalk Server
    • Per core (with CAL) licenses for Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft Core Infrastructure Server, and Microsoft System Center
    Select the report to view details about the recommended licensing optimizations and associated cost savings for each host or cluster. Licensing optimizations include the recommended license, recommended rights, and recommended spending.
    On-Premise optimization realized savings Microsoft Core License Optimization Reports

    [samp_ms_optimization_report]

    		 Cost savings that you have achieved for licenses on your physical hosts and clusters based on recommended licensing optimizations.
    Note:
    This report is available only for the following Microsoft license types:
    • Per core licenses for Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft BizTalk Server
    • Per core (with CAL) licenses for Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft Core Infrastructure Server, and Microsoft System Center
    Select the report to view details about the cost savings that you have achieved for each host or cluster.