Germany: Case Studies

3 ©2008 Insight. All rights reserved. INSIGHT is a registered trademark. All other trademarks are the property of their respective organizations. Insight makes no warranties, expressed or implied, in this summary. In every company, says Mevenkamp, "There is overlicensing as well as underlicensing, at the same time. Bochumer Verein was underlicensed for some products and other products were bought beyond their use, and so were overlicensed—and both issues are considered." After purchasing the needed licenses, Bochumer Verein is considering consolidating different versions of a program to a single version—for example, one version of Microsoft Office instead of the two it now has. The company stays up to date with licensing changes by running its inventory and reconciliation tools quarterly. Benefits The Insight SAM assessment provided Bochumer Verein with software license legality and transparency, while improving IT management and lowering costs. "The huge benefit," says Thamm, "is that we know where we stand with our growth structures. We know that we are legally secure with our licensing, and we are able to say where we have been underlicensed or overlicensed in order to then be able to rectify the situation." Legal Security The project has given Bochumer Verein the legal assurance that it needs to provide manufacturers with proper licensing documentation and to move forward with confidence. "The biggest advantage of the SAM project is the legal security," he says. "We have regained control," says Thamm Total License Visibility Before the SAM assessment, Bochumer Verein had no idea how many software licenses it owned; now it has complete visibility . "Every manufacturer has the right to conduct an audit," says Mevenkamp. "Some customers try to do their inventories manually and fail, on a regular basis. It is necessary to have some specialized knowhow. For example, we have a system that compares the technical software inventory with the commercial inventory—because often the technical product is called something entirely different than what it says on the product's license." The system lists all global manufacturers, all product names, all product versions, and the historical update phases. "Such a knowledge-base system provides a level of accuracy and visibility that a manual assessment could not," says Mevenkamp. Better IT Management The SAM project also provided Bochumer Verein with better IT management practices. The company now runs a tool to reconcile its software licenses every three months, and it continually reviews the efficiency of its purchase practices. "The customer now uses the insights and know-how gained to manage IT more efficiently," says Mevenkamp. "For example, the customer is able now to buy only what is actually needed, rather than buying on gut instinct, or simply buying because it's a new year. The transparency is important." About Insight Insight is one of the world's leading, single-source providers of top named brand business-to-business IT solutions and services. We help companies control their IT spend by easing the burden of selecting, purchasing and managing software assets throughout their lifecycle. For over two decades, Insight has been delivering value-driven technology solutions globally through sales and operation centres in North America, Latin America, Europe and the Asia- Pacific region. Customers include large, multinational enterprises from the Fortune and Global 500, as well as mid- sized organizations from a wide variety of industries. No matter what your business size, we understand your needs. Small and medium businesses enjoy the benefits of personalized customer service including pricing quotes, volume licensing, notification of licensing renewals, and efficient product delivery to maximize your cost savings. Strong relationships with more than 3.700 software publishers representing a 80.000 products portfolio and a high level of certifications know-how make Insight a "Trusted Advisor" and preferred partner. Whether you need local service or a global solution, an Insight representative is available in your city or region, ready to assist. As part of our Software Asset Management (SAM) strategy we offer a comprehensive portfolio of solutions and Professional Services. For more information please visit www.de.insight.com Insight Technology Solutions GmbH Gutenbergstr. 1 D-85737 Ismaning Phone: +49 (0) 89 94 580 0 Fax: +49 (0) 89 94 580 900 info.de@insight.com www.de.insight.com

• Cover