Microsoft, CII kick off software asset management workshops

New Delhi: After the outstanding success of the first series of workshops on software asset management (SAM), Microsoft Corporation India today flagged off the second series of the same, in conjunction with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

The one-day workshops will be conducted in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune over the next couple of weeks.

Says Microsoft Corporation India manager (business development) Punit Vanvaria: "Efficient SAM practices have become critical for ensuring that an organisation gains greater control over the software it deploys and builds competitive advantage. The eight-city workshops that we announced today in conjunction with CII are especially geared towards creating awareness on the issue of SAM and equipping organisations with the necessary guidelines for adopting it as an essential management practice.

"We are confident that this education drive that we have initiated with CII will help us reach out to a larger number of organisations across the country and support implementation of the SAM practice."

Implementation of a sound SAM policy has become imperative with the increasing use of IT in businesses, as IT resources, including software assets, commonly form a significant segment of a business' capital asset base. Using better SAM practices maximises a company's investments by helping manage technological change, justifying investments and letting organisations work more efficiently by taking into account data security, software compatibility and resource management issue. Implementing SAM practices helps companies maximise their software asset ROI and also in protecting themselves from the financial and legal risks related to pirated software.

Says CII director (IT) Harish Krishnan: "The workshops underline a common commitment shared by us and Microsoft towards generating awareness on the need for organisations to treat software as a valuable asset. SAM should be regarded by organisations as a critical business practice that can be leveraged to their advantage in the overall management process."

Altiris, a global technology company in the realm of providing affordable lifecycle management solutions for organisations, will be showcasing its key software management solutions at the workshops.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.

Microsoft Corporation India is a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation USA. It has had a presence in India since 1990 and currently has offices in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, and Pune.