Request a demo for it asset managerDecember is IT Asset Management (ITAM) Awareness Month, so amidst the craziness of the holidays, we know you’ve secretly been the most excited about your assets getting the love and attention they deserve this season. I know, you’re probably anxiously waiting for the night before Christmas so you can hang your IT assets by the chimney with care (but actually, don’t do that, it’s dangerous). We’re just happy to be part of the magic of the season.

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If you’re seeing this, you probably know that we kicked off the month with an awesome effort on our blog. Like a flurry of snow, the 12 Days of ITAM came and went. And much like those snowflakes in the flurry, each of our 24 blogs was unique and beautiful in its own way. That’s right, for the past 12 workdays, we’ve posted two blogs daily highlighting ITAM best practices, key ITAM skills, shadow IT, CMDB, ITAM and the cloud, and more.

Here are 10 of my takeaways from the 12 Days of ITAM.

1. Control Management Databases are on everyone’s mind

We’ve talked a lot about CMDBs, from discussing how to find them to posing the question if you even need ITAM if you’re using a CMDB. We learned from Marcel Shaw that “both ITAM and the CMDB are critical for any organization using technology to operate their business. IT assets providing services to the organization need to be tracked using a configuration management process as per ITIL best practices.”

2. Head in the clouds? So is ITAM.

Rich Gibbons, from the ITAM Review, wrote a blog about cost management and license management in the cloud and why they are appearing on more ITAM to-do lists in 2019 than ever before.

3. Assets are feeling chatty

We asked our customers to tell us stories of their IT asset management journeys from the perspective of the assets, and boy, did we get some good responses! Some of them were so relatable we turned them into comics.

4. SAM is more than avoiding audits

One blog in this series debunked the common myth that ITAM is all about avoiding audits or legal battles. Author Lara Hellman outlined three additional benefits to Software Asset Management (SAM), including managing non-licensed software, forecasting, and renegotiating contracts.

5. Some ITAM skills are lesser known than others

David Foxen put together a blog that highlights ITAM skills that people aren’t talking about, in order to help you drive a successful ITAM function and career. These include commercial and legal skills, change and people management skills, service delivery and vendor management skills, and a broad technology understanding.

6. ITAM is a top priority for CISOs

We interviewed a panel of CISOs and the consensus was that ITAM is a piece of the security puzzle that must be solved. Everyone agrees it is crucial, but it can often be forgotten. Peter Green, CISO at Sirius Computer Systems, says “Honestly, I think they’ve just blown past it, just out of necessity. They’re trying to look at their top three, top five…protecting the crown jewels and trying to classify data so they know what data they have. It’s a little alarming how underserved asset management is.”

7. ITAM is especially crucial in healthcare

Shadow IT happens in every industry, but the ramifications in healthcare are especially concerning. According to Rob DeStefano, “Healthcare facilities experience this on a frequent basis. Someone attends a conference, hears about some cool application from a peer at another hospital system, and before you know it, a whole department under your jurisdiction is using some unsupported app. Now you’re on the hook to patch and manage it – after you ensure its secure and compliant.”

8. Data silos are slowing people down

Mark McGinn wrote a fantastic blog about tips to break down organizational data silos to make the most of your ITAM. He suggested four tips including having knowledge of the present, historical knowledge, a managed request process, and knowing about your under-utilized assets.

9. Cost reduction is key

Matt Ward, from Softcat, wrote a blog about estate optimization. He recommended, “don’t be under or over licensed but buy just what you need. Don’t build a cushion of assets or a stockpile of software… It still surprises me that companies are willing to waste money when they could save 15-30% if both their hardware and software was optimized in a more efficient way.”

10. The role of ITAM for the journey of IT maturity cannot be overstated

In one of our final blogs of the initiative, Kevin J Smith outlined three examples of how ITAM is key for driving IT maturity. The blog discusses ways to leverage the value of ITAM, as well as ends with this great quote, “ITAM at its best is a success that goes unnoticed because everything just works.”

Thanks for sharing your holiday season with us. Wishing you a special festive season and a new year full of a lot more ITAM goodness.