ITAK Volume 4 Issue 1 Official publication of International Association of IT Asset Managers, Inc.    Download the complete magazine ITAK Volume 4 Issue 1 (2.75 MB) - Acquisition Management   Cover Story   Are You Receiving Economic Stimulus for Your ITAM Program? - The Answer Is Most Likely NO, But You Could! By: Barbara Rembiesa, President of IAITAM  Prior to the economic downturn, IT Asset Managers had a difficult job in achieving buy-in from their executives for the ITAM Program. The economy has changed but the need to gain buy-in apparently has not. The economic downturn though has created one noticeable change for the IT Asset Manager; executives are now looking for solutions in every business unit. This is the time for IT Asset Managers to truly shine - quantify and show savings for the organization. Over the course of the next few months, this column will focus on each Key Process Area within an IT Asset Management Program and how to turn it into an economic stimulus package for your organization. We will focus on one Quick Success Project (QSP) for each Key Process Area within the ITAM Program that will bring success to your ITAM program yielding immediate ROI for the organization. These QSPs are taken directly from IAITAM’s Best Practice Library.   Read More... Feature Article The Acquisition Process - A "Must Have" In a Tumultuous Economy By:  Dan Ingouf, Content Development Manager for IAITAM When we think of acquisitions, a wide range of thoughts and actions should come to mind.  On one side of the spectrum would be the news worthy acquisition of a major banking organization, purchased by an even stronger financial institution. Such an acquisition would include the recent actions of Wells Fargo acquiring Wachovia. Acquisitions such as this are becoming the daily norm in today’s business environment where the competition is fierce, and business woes are compounded by an economy that is in a bleak condition. The other side of the acquisition spectrum might be portrayed in our daily existence and needs such as the acquisition of personal goods including food, lodging and automobiles; all of which are directly affected by our current economy.  Read More... Establish Sustainability - First Things First: Building Your Sustainability Baseline By: Robert Houghton, President of Redemtech, Inc.  People seem to like the idea of “green” IT. In addition to its implied promise of wholesome goodness, green IT is supposed to use less power, produce less waste, and be somehow better for our companies and our planet. Ask IT professionals to quantify their green results, however, and they usually point to data center savings in terms of kilowatt hours, and not much else. So far, green IT works best for selling things—IT hardware and services in particular. Sustainability, on the other hand, suggests a host of things we can measure and manage. We are sustainable when our use of resources does not permanently deplete or damage our supply, including natural resources, energy, and capital. Companies that adopt sustainability as their goal will improve not only their environmental impact—achieving truly green results—but their financial performance as well.  Read More... Are You Covered – Why Insurance Should be a Part of Your SAM Program By: Paul Paray, Senior Vice President for Willis HRH    Being a crucial component of any IT asset management program, a properly run software asset management (SAM) program provides significant value to a company.  Indeed, according to Gartner Group, “organizations can realize cost savings of between 5 percent and 35 percent [from their IT budget] by implementing focused software asset management practices.  “1It goes without saying, in the midst of a down economy; the ability to trim expenses becomes a critical survival strategy for just about any IT department head.  This article focuses on four reasons why your SAM program would get a critical boost if your company purchased an insurance policy that reimburses it for infringement claims based on the use of unlicensed corporate software.  In other words, this article outlines why buying software infringement insurance benefits your company’s bottom line and indirectly your job security.   Read More... Get to the Point – Exercising Your Communication Skills By:  Jenny Schuchert, Independent Consultant  Communication is a large part of any job and IT Asset Management is no exception.  IT assets are important to almost everyone in an organization, requiring IT Asset Managers to have a broad repertoire of communication skills.  Communication is required to define, manage, enforce, cajole, educate and problem solve across hierarchy levels, departments and locations.  Communication is paramount to overall success. Business professionals like IT Asset Managers typically have natural ability, training and experience as the basis of their communication skills.  However, continuing education, webinars and professional conferences rarely focus on it as a topic.  The simple explanation is that everyone thinks that they communicate well.  They understand how to run a meeting, give a presentation and develop a communication plan for a project.  It is a rare individual that analyzes their communication skills, tries new techniques, or is open to revisiting the basics as a refresher.   Read More...  View ITAK Online  Subscribe to ITAK  Advertise in ITAK  Author in ITAK