Nominal charge: 119 EUR Christopher Schulz Andreas Tannert IT ASSET MANAGEMENT TOOL SURVEY 2014 2014 SYRACOM AG
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The proliferation of mobile devices, shorter IT product release cycles, as well as the emergence of a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) mentality increasingly force companies to manage their end-user hardware and software more carefully. In recent years, different tool solutions emerged allowing the same companies to plan, acquire, maintain, and dispose these so called s in an economic, dependable, and effective way. When looking closely on the software market as of 2014, it quickly becomes apparent that there exist plenty of options to support the corporate discipline of IT Asset Management (ITAM). While there are small owner-managed vendors who offer specialized niche products, there are also international bigplayers who praise their fully-fledged cloud application. Unfortunately, the process of identifying the most appropriate ITAM tool often proves difficult and complex given the lack of a solid and consistent information set. Approaching the topic of ITAM tool support from a general user s, subject matter expert s, controller s and IT architect s point of view, this survey contains profound data on six different software solutions. Clear and easy-to-read tool assessment matrices help decision makers to spot, contrast, and sort out the most suitable ITAM tool support for their company in a quick and fact-based manner. 2014 SYRACOM AG 2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, we thank all participating tool vendors for their support and open information policy. Moreover, we would like to express our gratitude for the additional tool material and brochures the organization provided us. We want also thank our boss, Heiko Krott who offered us the possibility to conduct this study. Special thanks also go to our colleague Gerald Abram for reviewing the final results. His feedback and comments enabled us to push the quality of this document even further. Lastly, we express our deepest gratitude to Roswitha Steier, helping us with the format & layout design of this document. 2014 SYRACOM AG 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction... 5 1.1 Motivation... 5 1.2 Target group... 5 1.3 Who we are... 6 1.4 Document structure... 6 2. Survey design and execution... 7 2.1 Survey design... 7 2.2 Survey execution... 12 3. Single-tool evaluation... 13 3.1 General... 13 3.2 CMDBuild 2.1.7 (Tecnoteca Srl)... 14 3.3 HEAT Client Management 2013.2 (FrontRange Solutions Inc.)... 21 3.4 HP Asset Manager 9.40 (Hewlett Packard Company)... 28 3.5 Miss Marple Enterprise Edition 3.2.4 (amando software GmbH)... 35 3.6 Office ASSET 3.8 (IT Asset Management GmbH)... 42 3.7 Snow License Manager 6.2 (Snow Software)... 50 4. Multi-tool evaluation... 57 5. Appendix... 58 6. Bibliography... 67 7. Nomenclature... 68 2014 SYRACOM AG 4
1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Motivation As of today, IT service management departments of mid-sized and large organizations increasingly face questions like the following (cf. Schulz, 2014): Which end-user hardware and software is used at the different company locations? Who employs which type of device when performing a specific task? What is the annual spending for maintaining and using all the organization s s? How many new s have to be ordered in beforehand to ensure quick provisioning? Which devices should not be repurchased given their high failure rate? As a sub-discipline of Asset Service and Configuration Management, IT Asset Management (ITAM) addresses these questions (Beims, 2008). The main objective is to provide consistent and up-to-date information on end-user s environment used to make decisions about hardware and software purchases and redistribution (Wikipedia, 2014). Moreover, ITAM pursues the optimization of asset allocation & usage along the lifecycle, costs reduction via standardization, as well as the provisioning of stakeholder-specific asset information (Davis and Gulasha, 2010; Hewlett-Packard, 2011). As a matter of fact, ITAM is only briefly touched on in the current Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) version 3 (Davis and Gulasha, 2010) as well as other IT Service Management (ITSM) related literature. However, as hardware release cycles shorten (Hewlett- Packard, 2011), mobile devices proliferate, and trends like Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) emerge, companies are forced to rethink and adjust their policies. Instead of limiting the strategic management of s to the operations Install, Move, Add, and Change (IMAC), companies should perceive the discipline as strategic lever to gain competitive edge. It goes without saying that the success of ITAM rests on a solid software support. Tools make the planning, management, and decision efforts more efficient while reducing the likelihood of errors. When browsing the web for reliable and convincing ITAM software, popular search engines retrieve more than 54 vendors as in Q1/2014. Usually, the ITAM products of these companies come in different variants making a purposeful selection complicated and cumbersome. Regarding the crucial role of ITAM combined with the large lineup of tooling, this survey examines currently available software products. Intended for those companies introducing ITAM as well as those that are already engaged in related activities, the results printed in this document provide a knowledge foundation useful during the tool support evaluation phase. Moreover, the provided assessment structure facilitates the examination of ITAM tools not covered in this study. 1.2 Target group From a company point of view the ITAM Tool Survey 2014 represents a comprehensive decision support when it comes to an introduction of an ITAM software tool. Thanks to the consolidated information on the different tool specifications from four different user angles, companies can quickly select the software that perfectly suits their needs and may follow-up with the according vendor. In the eyes of tool vendors, the survey offers a broad picture on different domain-specific requirements an ITAM software support should meet. It further gives them a nonbiased synopsis whether and to which extent their solution already fulfills these requirements. Lastly, vendors can directly compare their tool with other market solutions while improving their overall market visibility. 2014 SYRACOM AG 5
1.3 Who we are As a tool-independent business and IT consultancy founded in 1998, SYRACOM carries out market and software studies in regular intervals. For example, the owner-managed company published the Enterprise Architecture Management Tool Survey 2013 (Knoll and Schulz, 2013) and the Virtual Currency Study 2014 (Kurz et al., 2014) receiving highly positive acclaim from international participants as well as readers. SYRACOM selects the subject of the study in accordance with its projects. The reason to survey a certain topic results from SYRACOM clients who seek to solve a specific problem. In the case ITAM, SYRACOM currently supports the tool evaluation, selection, and introduction process at an international manufacturing corporation covering the business and IT specific tasks. Besides surveys, SYRACOM advises international clients in efficiently shaping their business processes. Among others, previous and current mandates range from business/it transparency initiatives, IT standardization, tool introduction, assessments, and optimization projects. For further details, please refer to the website of SYRACOM http://www.syracom.de/en/home.html. 1.4 Document structure The document is structured as follows: in Chapter 2 we describe the design of the survey and the approach taken. Centering on a specific tool, Chapter 3 contains the survey results by means of individual assessment matrices ordered according to four different points of view on software support. A multi-tool evaluation across all software solutions is provided in Chapter 4. The final part of the document contains an Appendix, comprising the applied evaluation schema, a bibliography with reading suggestions, and a nomenclature. 2014 SYRACOM AG 6
2. SURVEY DESIGN AND EXECUTION This Chapter briefly explains which information is presented in this survey and how we obtained it. In doing so, the Section Survey Design highlights the content of this document while Survey Execution summarizes the method we applied when approaching the tool vendors with an online questionnaire. 2.1 Survey design General When establishing or optimizing the tool support for ITAM, different stakeholder groups have to be taken into consideration. Besides the more obvious business process-related features requested by the subject matter expert s, the stance of the controller and the IT department should be accounted for as well. Given their future responsibility of funding, maintaining, and technically integrating the tool solution, these groups have to have a say in any software selection decisions. Accounting for these different views on an ITAM tool, we approached each product from four different perspectives: general user, subject matter expert, controller, and IT architect (cf. Figure 1). Figure 1 Perspectives on an ITAM tool solution The online questionnaire we sent out to the different tool vendors to provide information about their ITAM solution was designed in accordance to the four perspectives on software support. Within 16 blocks containing 98 self-explanatory questions in English language, we aimed at determining whether and to which extent the ITAM tool under examination meet the varying expectations requested by the different perspectives. All questions are summarized below, each grouped under the respective perspective. The term within the squared brackets serves as a label for the tool assessment matrices illustrated in Chapter 3. It allows connecting a question to a certain tool feature. 2014 SYRACOM AG 7
General user s perspective Aiming to get a crisp impression, the general user s perspective focuses on the very first questions a potential system user would raise when being asked to work with the ITAM software. In addition to the tool itself, support and training types, languages, and locations are considered in detail. Basic information At which date has the ITAM tool been initially and lately released? When does the vendor plan to release its next version? [Release dates] Which user languages does the ITAM tool support? [Language] Is the tool offered as a monolithic product, a product family with different versions, or are there add-ons with complementary? [Variants] Is there a demo version available? If yes, does it have any functional and/or temporal restrictions? Where can it be downloaded from? [Demo version] User assistance Does the vendor or third-parties provide tool training? What further forms of training does the vendor offer? [Training types] Is the training hold in English, German, or any other language? [Training languages] Can the training be hold at the customer, at the vendor, at third-parties or virtual? [Training locations] According to the vendor, does it make sense to perform a tool-based introduction tour, attend a training session, or read the tool manual? [Training] Does the vendor or third-parties provide tool support? What further forms of support does the vendor offer? [Support types] Is the support given in English, German, or any other language? [Support languages] Is E-Mail, phone, on-site visits, web-based facilities or any other communication channel are leveraged to support the customer? [Support communication channel] Is the tool manual available in English, German, or any other language? [Support] Is there further user assistance-related information the vendor would like to share? [] Subject matter expert s perspective ITAM joins financial, contractual, and inventory to support life cycle management for hardware and software as well as the interplay of both elements (Hobbs 2011). The subject matter expert s perspective centers on the main business domains of the discipline: planning, acquisition, maintenance, and disposal. Ordered according to the life-cycle of an, subsequent questions reveal whether and to which extent the ITAM tool under scrutiny fulfills common subject matter expert s requirements. Furthermore, the dimension of reporting and user management is taken a closer look on. Complementing the closed question part, all vendors were given the opportunity to list further ITAM functionalities there tool solution is shipped with. 2014 SYRACOM AG 8
planning Which end-user hardware device types can the ITAM tool manage? [Hardware handling] To which degree does the ITAM tool support common hardware functionalities? [Hardware ] Which end-user software types can the ITAM tool manage? [Software handling] To which degree does the ITAM tool support common software functionalities? [Software ] Which end-user service types can the ITAM tool manage? [Service types] Does your ITAM tool provide specific Very-Important-Person (VIP) facilities? [Service very important person ] Through which relations types can hardware and software associated to each-other? [Relation types] How many different types does the ITAM tool support without impacting its operation? [Different types] How many actual entities does the ITAM tool support without impacting its operation? [Actual entities] How many simultaneous users does your ITAM tool support without impacting its operation? [Simultaneous users] What are further planning functionalities? [] acquisition To which degree does the ITAM tool support initial/repeated leasing and purchase of s? [Acquisition types] For which asset types does the ITAM tool support recommendation mechanisms? [ recommendation] Which approval procedures does the ITAM tool include? [Demand approval] What types of address deviation can the ITAM tool handle? [Address deviation] To which degree does the ITAM tool support common acquisition demand functionalities? [Acquisition demand] To which degree does the ITAM tool support common preparation functionalities? [IT asset preparation] To which degree does the ITAM tool support common delivery functionalities? [ delivery] To which degree does the ITAM tool support other common acquisition functionalities? [ ] What are further acquisition functionalities? [] maintenance To which degree does the ITAM tool support common maintenance demand functionalities? [Maintenance demand] To which degree does the ITAM tool support common Install-Move-Add-Change (IMAC) functionalities? [ IMAC] To which degree does the ITAM tool support common repair functionalities? [ repair] To which degree does the ITAM tool support other common maintenance functionalities? [ ] What are further maintenance functionalities? [] 2014 SYRACOM AG 9
disposal To which degree does the ITAM tool support common disposal demand functionalities? [Disposal demand] To which degree does the ITAM tool support common data backup functionalities? [Data backup] To which degree does the ITAM tool support common re-usage functionalities? [IT asset re-usage] To which degree does the ITAM tool support other common disposal functionalities? [ ] What are further disposal functionalities? [] reporting Can reports be defined, generated by demand/batch-process, and modified after compilation? Does the tool provide automatic notification mechanisms? [General ] Is it possible to expert reports into Comma-Separated-Value (CSV), Extensible Markup Language (XML), HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTML), Microsoft (MS) Office (e.g., Word, Excel), Portable Document Format (PDF), and other formats? [Export formats] How many predefined reports does the tool provide out-of-the-box? [Included] What are further reporting functionalities? [] User management Can the ITAM tool grant access rights to users, combine users into groups, and assign roles to users? [General ] How many predefined user roles and groups does the tool provide out-of-the-box? [Included] What are further user management functionalities? [] Controller s perspective Harnessing a software solution to make ITAM processes more efficient and less prone to error does not come for free. Even if initial expenditures are insignificant, customization, hosting, maintenance, or further development entail (recurring) costs and organization has cope with. Besides, the stability and future potential of the underlying tool vendor is important, ensuring that existing software investments have been made for the long term. The controller s perspective is dedicated to these questions. Company and surveyed expert profile How many people does the tool vendor employ? [Company staff] How many other software products does the vendor expel besides the ITAM tool? [ products] What is the present role and place of work of the surveyed vendor representative? How many years has he/she been with the company? For how long does he/she work in the field of ITAM [Surveyed expert] Is there any other vendor and/or expert-related background information? [] 2014 SYRACOM AG 10
Tool customers and revenue How many customers are operating the ITAM tool in total? [Total customer] How many small and mid-sized customers are operating the tool in total? [Small & midsized customer] What are typical expenditures purchasing, customizing, configuring, installing and deploying a standard version of the ITAM tool? [Initial costs] Can the ITAM tool be used immediately after installation and deployment without being customized and/or configured? [Turn-key] Under which license does the ITAM tool run? [License] On which different factors do the ITAM tool license costs depend on? [License cost factors] What degree of importance (-- not important, ++ very important) is attributed to possible ITAM tool revenue sources? Are there further sources of revenue? [Revenue sources] Which specific customer industry sector is using the ITAM tool? [Customer industry] Is there any other tool customer and revenue-related information? [] IT architect s perspective Only in very few cases, the ITAM tool will be deployed on a green-field. Most probably, the new tool has to be embedded in a complex application landscape often consisting of a high number of systems connected through even more interfaces. It s therefore vital to know about the software s architecture as well as the out-of-the box capability to interface with other typical business applications. In addition to technical integration, the IT architect s perspective considers non-functional tool properties, data management aspects, as well as front-end platform support. The latter accounts for the rise of mobile devices increasingly used to manage the different assets within an organization. Architecture What types of architecture can the ITAM tool be deployed on? [Types] Where can the data base and application server of the ITAM tool be hosted? [Hosting] What types of Operating System (OS) can the ITAM tool run on? [Operating system] What type of Data Base Management System (DBMS) can the ITAM tool be working with? [DBMS] What run-time environment does the ITAM tool require? [Run-time] Which additional hardware and/or software does the ITAM tool require? [Required HW+SW] To which degree can the business logic, user interface, and data model be adapted? [Adaptation] Does the ITAM tool come with administration software? [Admin software] Is there any other architecture-related information? [] Front-end devices To which extent can the ITAM tool be used with a commodity PC or laptop? [Platform support Desktop PC/Laptop] To which extent can the ITAM tool be used with a tablet? [Platform support Tablet] To which extent can the ITAM tool be used with a smartphone? [Platform support Smartphone] Is there any other front-end-related information? [] Technical processes At which location can the technical ITAM tool processes be performed? [Process execution] Which of the technical ITAM tool processes require special knowledge & skills? [Special skills] Is there any other technical process-related information? [] 2014 SYRACOM AG 11
Data To which degree does the ITAM tool support data import validation and editing? [Import ] Which data base query languages are included within the ITAM tool? [Query language] Which data base editing operations does the ITAM tool support? [Editing ] Which data base query operations does the ITAM tool support? [Query ] To which degree does the ITAM tool support the encryption of stored and sent/received data? [Encryption] How many sample data for testing purpose does the ITAM tool include? [Sample data] Which data backup mechanism does the ITAM tool provide? [Data backup] Which configuration backup mechanism does the ITAM tool provide? [Config. backup] Is there any other data management-related information? [] Interfaces Which data import interface formats does the ITAM tool support? [Import Format] To which system types does the ITAM tool offer ready-to-use import interfaces? [Import Available system interfaces] Which data export interface formats does the ITAM tool support? [Export Format] To which system types does the ITAM tool offer ready-to-use export interfaces? [Export Available system interfaces] Is there any other interface-related information? [] Non-functional properties What degree of importance (-- not important, ++ very important) is attributed to the possible quality attributes of the ITAM tool? Are there further quality attributes? [Quality attributes] Is there any other non-functional property-related information? [] 2.2 Survey execution During January 2014 we identified 54 ITAM tool candidates using common internet search engines and publicly available tool survey material (e.g., Runge 2004). At the 14 th of January we contacted the identified tool vendors by mail inviting them to complete the 45min online questionnaire if their software solution is available in English and/or German language. Three weeks later, an electronic reminder was sent out. During the time the questionnaire was accessible, several vendors contacted us by e-mail and phone asking about, among others, the content, needed completion time, overall approach taken, and benefits of the survey. We decided to publish our answers on an FAQ webpage making them accessible to all participants. We closed the survey at the 23 th of February, in all 6 tool vendors had fully completed the form at this point in time. The report was compiled during March 2014. During this period we occasionally contacted the vendors by e-mail asking them to clarify their explanations they had given in the free text description fields. Finally, all vendors received a draft version for a review before eventually releasing the document in April 2014. 2014 SYRACOM AG 12
3. SINGLE-TOOL EVALUATION In this Chapter the online questionnaire results for the surveyed ITAM tools are listed. While the General section briefly explains the applied structure used to represent the survey data, the remainder contains information on the six alphabetically ordered tool solutions. 3.1 General For each of the four tool perspectives, the assessment matrices contain the different tool features. Based on this structure, the (possible) answers of the tool vendors are depicted in the white cells in black writing. Possible answers that have not been confirmed through the vendor are greyed out. Further remarks captured through the questionnaire s free text fields are indicated in italic letters. These additional statements are listed as long as their content only goes slightly beyond the intended scope of the question. The string is used wherever the vendor refrained from answering a facultative question. A cell contains n/a for answers which do not apply for a certain question. Any used acronyms and abbreviation can be found at the very end of this report. We introduce each tool through a short paragraph summarizing remarkable aspects we came across as well as a one-phrase tool description provided by the vendor. Figure 2 depicts an overview on the ITAM tools included in this survey. For each tool, the first release, current release, and future release date are shown on the timeline. First release Latest release Next release CMDBuild 2006 12 / 2013 v. 2.1.7 02 / 2014 FrontRange HEAT Client Management 1995 12 / 2013 v. 2013.2 04 / 2014 HP Asset Manager 2000 2013 v. 9.40 2014 Miss Marple Enterprise Edititon 1995 11 / 2013 v. 3.2.4 04 / 2014 Office ASSET 1998 2013 v. 3,8 2014 Snow License Manager 2012 03 / 2013 v. 6.2 03 / 2014 1996 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 2012 2013 2014 Figure 2 - Release dates of the analyzed ITAM tools Please bear in mind that all information on the tools is based on the survey results, i.e., has been provided directly through the vendors. SYRACOM reviewed provided data as good as possible but did not assess the tools. However, we assume and have reason to believe that participants provided sincere answers. That said we welcome any proposals for corrections or improvements. 2014 SYRACOM AG 13
3.2 CMDBuild 2.1.7 (Tecnoteca SRL) Offering a large variety of user languages, the open source software CMDBuild runs on every operating system that supports Java. Its underlying company, the Italian organization Tecnoteca, describes CMDBuild as A configurable web application to model and manage a data base containing assets and handle related workflow operations.. Realizing a majority of ITAM processes, the vendor thinks that graphical user interface as well as cloud computing both will have a significant impact on its software. General user s perspective Basic information Release date First Latest Future 2006 24 th of December 2013 14 th of February 2014 Language English German Brazilian Croatian Dutch French Italian Japanese Russian Serbian Spanish Portuguese Vietnamese Variants Monolithic product Demo version http://demo.cmdbuild.org (you have to ask for an account) Available demo with no restrictions User assistance Types Languages Location Training Through the vendor English At the customer At the vendor At a 3 rd -party Virtual (e.g., Webinar) Tool-based introduction tour fully recommended Tool training sessions fully recommended Study of tool manual fully recommended Types Languages Communication channel Support Through the vendor English E-Mail Phone On-site visits Web-based (e.g., Forum) Tool manual available in English and other languages (not German) 2014 SYRACOM AG 14
Subject matter expert s perspective planning Handling Functions Hardware Accessories Copying machine Desktop PC Landline phone Laptop/notebook Mobile phone Monitor Printer Scanner Tablet Video conference Workstation Discovery and detection Handling of contracts including underlying suppliers Hardware stock management (e.g., forecasting [partially] Handling Functions Software Business app Internet Browser Mailing client Multimedia Network Operating System Office suite Security Software develop. Discovery and detection Handling of contracts including underlying suppliers Types Very important person Services Hardware-related services Software-related services Special processes Special s Relation types Can-association Conditional Must- association Must-association HW-HW X HW-SW X SW-SW X Quantity Different types Actual entities Simultaneous users 5.001 and more 100.001 and more Between 101 and 500 2014 SYRACOM AG 15
acquisition Acquisition types Initial leasing Repeated leasing Initial purchase Repeated purchase recommendation Hardware Software Services (related to s) Demand approval Technical approval Financial approval Service approval Address deviation Requesting Delivery address Requesting Billing address Delivery Billing address Acquisition demand Tracking of renewal deadlines Adjustment prior to delivery Cancelation prior to delivery preparation Inventory of purchased s Hardware preparation Software preparation delivery Arrangement and dispatching of delivery appointments Partial delivery Delivery tracking User training for acquired s Billing of purchased and leased IT assets User status info on the demand maintenance Maintenance demand Creation, management, and tracking of maintenance requests Arrangement of appointments for maintenance IMAC Movement Extension Change repair Repair and re-installation Double-swap Handling of broken hardware warranty claims Claims settlement of damages Analysis of data Tracking of lost hardware Tracking of stolen hardware disposal Disposal demand Tracking of disposal deadlines Arrangement of appointments for disposal Data backup Hard disk data backups System profile backups re-usage Qualification and treatment of returned hardware [partially] Management of reusable s [partially] Management of hard disk data deletion 2014 SYRACOM AG 16
reporting General Definition Batch-process generation On demand generation Modification after generation Automatic notification Export formats Included CSV PDF Predefined reports: User management Functions Granting access rights Assigning user roles Grouping multiple users Included Predefined user roles: Predefined user groups: 2 2014 SYRACOM AG 17
Controller s perspective Company and surveyed expert profile Company staff Between 11 and 50 employees products 1 Surveyed expert Product manager (14 years with the company, 20 of years of ITAM experience) Tool customers and revenue Total customer Being an open source product we do not know the total number of installations - we follow directly over 100 customers. Small & midsized customer Being an open source product we do not know the total number of installations - we follow directly over 100 customers. Initial costs 10.001 100.000 Turn-key Tool not usable after installation. Customization/configuration needed. License Open source License cost factors n.a. Revenue sources Customer industry ITAM consulting (--) Tool customization (-) Tool configuration (++) Tool installation (--) Tool deployment (--) No other sources of revenue Banking and insurance Defense Education Health & pharmaceutical IT consulting IT products & services No other customer industry Tool hosting (--) Tool maintenance (++) Tool-based service delivery (-) User training (+) User licenses (--) Management consulting Production & manufacturing Public service Retail Telecommunications Transport & logistics 2014 SYRACOM AG 18
IT architect s perspective Architecture Types 3-tier (client, application, data base) Hosting Customer: n.a. Vendor: n.a. 3 rd -Party: n.a. Operating system Any operating system that supports Java DBMS postgresql Run-time Oracle Java Required HW + SW No extra hardware required Tomcat required Adaptation Business logic: Fully User interface: No Data model: Fully Admin software Yes Front-end devices Platform support Desktop PC / Laptop Tablet Smartphone Fully From version 2.2 (May 2014) From version 2.2 (May 2014) Technical processes Process execution Hosting Customization Configuration Installation Deployment Maintenance Further develop. Customer X X X X X X X Vendor X X X X X X X 3 rd -Party X X X X X X X Special skills Many Some Some Some Some Many n.a. 2014 SYRACOM AG 19
Data Import Data validation [partially] Data editing [partially] Query language Structured Query Language Proprietary Editing Creating Updating Deleting Query Filtering Grouping Searching Sorting Encryption Stored data [partially] Sent/received data [partially] Sample data Large amount Data backup Automatic Config. backup Automatic Interfaces Import Export Format CSV Webservice SOAP Format CSV Webservice SOAP Available system interfaces Catalog Contract Finance HR Systems Mngt. Stock Mngt. Ticketing User Mngt. Available system interfaces Catalog Contract Finance HR Systems Mngt. Stock Mngt. Ticketing User Mngt. Quality attributes Compatibility (+) Functional suitability (++) Maintainability (++) No other quality attributes in focus Non-functional properties Performance (++) Portability (++) Reliability (+) Security (++) Usability (+) 2014 SYRACOM AG 20
3.3 HEAT Client Management 2013.2 (FrontRange Solutions Inc.) Besides a broad ITAM process coverage, FrontRange centers on a solid user training & support function using additional content and outlets. With almost 20 years on the market, the HEAT Client Manager provides specific functionalities like software update planning and real-time dashboards. In the eyes the Americans FrontRange HEAT ClientManagement solution enables you to efficiently plan global software rollouts, to automatically package necessary software, operating systems, drivers, and configurations, to validate and test software changes before going-live, to automatically provide users with software, to check and enforce compliance, as well as to update and delete software. In this manner, your software inventory easily keeps up with the dynamicity of requirements. Future versions of the tool will be inspired by cloud computing, social media, and mobility. General user s perspective Basic information Release dates First Latest Future 1995 17.12.2013 30.04.2014 Language English German French Spanish Variants Demo version Product add-ons with complementary http://www.frontrange.com/de/resources/product-trials Available demo either with usage time restrictions User assistance Types Languages Location Training Through the vendor Through third-parties Video clips English German At the customer At the vendor At a 3 rd -party Virtual (e.g., Webinar) Tool-based introduction tour fully recommended Tool training sessions meaningful Study of tool manual fully meaningful Types Languages Communication channel Support Through the vendor Through third-parties Follow-the-sun support English German E-Mail Phone On-site visits Web-based (e.g., Forum) Tool manual available in English, German, and other languages Vendor provides online forum, web self-service, and online help 2014 SYRACOM AG 21
Subject matter expert s perspective planning Handling Functions Hardware Accessories Copying machine Desktop PC Landline phone Laptop/notebook Mobile phone Monitor Printer Scanner Tablet Video conference Workstation Discovery and detection Handling of contracts including underlying suppliers Hardware stock management (e.g., forecasting Handling Functions Software Business app Internet Browser Mailing client Multimedia Network Operating System Office suite Security Software develop. Discovery and detection Handling of contracts including underlying suppliers [partially] Services Types Hardware-related services Software-related services Very important person In combination with our IT management Relation types Can-association Conditional Must- association Must-association HW-HW X HW-SW X SW-SW X Quantity Different types) Actual entities Simultaneous users 5.001 and more 100.001 and more 5.001 and more Software update planning 2014 SYRACOM AG 22
acquisition Acquisition types Initial leasing [partially] Repeated leasing [partially] Initial purchase [partially] Repeated purchase [partially] recommendation Hardware Software Services (related to s) Demand approval Technical approval Financial approval Service approval Address deviation Requesting Delivery address Requesting Billing address Delivery Billing address Acquisition demand Tracking of renewal deadlines [partially] Adjustment prior to delivery Cancelation prior to delivery preparation Inventory of purchased s Hardware preparation Software preparation delivery Arrangement and dispatching of delivery appointments Partial delivery Delivery tracking [partially] User training for acquired s Billing of purchased and leased IT assets User status info on the demand maintenance Maintenance demand Creation, management, and tracking of maintenance requests Arrangement of appointments for maintenance IMAC Movement Extension Change repair Repair and re-installation Double-swap Handling of broken hardware warranty claims [partially] Claims settlement of damages Analysis of data Tracking of lost hardware [partially] Tracking of stolen hardware [partially] disposal Disposal demand Tracking of disposal deadlines Arrangement of appointments for disposal Data backup Hard disk data backups System profile backups re-usage Qualification and treatment of returned hardware Management of reusable s [partially] Management of hard disk data deletion 2014 SYRACOM AG 23
reporting General Definition Batch-process generation On demand generation Modification after generation Automatic notification Real time dashboards Export formats CSV XML HTML Included Predefined reports: 50 MS Office PDF TIFF User management Functions Granting access rights Assigning user roles Grouping multiple users Included Predefined user roles: 15 Predefined user groups: 15 Microsoft Active Directory Single Sign on 2014 SYRACOM AG 24
Controller s perspective Company and surveyed expert profile Company staff Between 101 and 1.000 employees products 3 Surveyed expert Partner manager (employed in Germany, 13 years with the company,13 years of ITAM experience) Tool customers and revenue Total customer Initial costs 201 and more Small & midsized customer 1 10.000 Turn-key 201 and more Distribution has to be configured, deployment packages have to be created License Proprietary License cost factors Available Total number of managed IT assets Revenue sources Customer industry ITAM consulting (+) Tool customization (+) Tool configuration (+) Tool installation (+) Tool deployment (-) IT Service Management Banking and insurance Defense Education Health & pharmaceutical IT consulting IT products & services No other customer industry Tool hosting (--) Tool maintenance (++) Tool-based service delivery (--) User training (-) User licenses (++) Management consulting Production & manufacturing Public service Retail Telecommunications Transport & logistics 2014 SYRACOM AG 25
IT architect s perspective Architecture Types 3-tier (client, application, data base) Cloud-based solution Hosting Customer: App server, DB server Vendor: n.a. 3 rd -Party: App server, DB server Operating system Apple ios Apple Mac OS Google Android Chrome Linux MS Windows DBMS Microsoft SQL Server Run-time Microsoft.NET Required HW + SW Server (physical/virtual windows server) required Internet Information Service required Adaptation Business logic: Fully User interface: Fully Data model: Partially Admin software No Front-end devices Platform support Desktop PC / Laptop Tablet Smartphone Fully Access through Web Browser based on Silverlight Technical processes Process execution Hosting Customization Configuration Installation Deployment Maintenance Further develop. Customer X X X X X Vendor X X X X 3 rd -Party X X X X X X Special skills Many Many Some Some Many Some n.a. 2014 SYRACOM AG 26
Data Import Data validation Data editing Query language Structured Query Language Editing Creating Updating Deleting Query Filtering Grouping Searching Sorting Encryption Stored data [partially] Sent/received data Sample data Large amount Data backup Manual Config. backup Manual Interfaces Import Export Format CSV XML Format CSV XML PDF Available system interfaces Catalog Contract Finance HR Systems Mngt. Stock Mngt. Ticketing User Mngt. LDAP Available system interfaces Catalog Contract Finance HR Systems Mngt. Stock Mngt. Ticketing User Mngt. Quality attributes Compatibility (+) Functional suitability (+) Maintainability (+) No other quality attributes in focus Non-functional properties Performance (++) Portability (--) Reliability (++) Security (++) Usability (++) 2014 SYRACOM AG 27
3.4 HP Asset Manager 9.40 (Hewlett Packard Company) Hewlett Packard s Asset Manager impresses with its many data import and export interface in addition to the broad language support. The multi-national player signifies its ITAM software as Enterprise ready IT Asset Management and Software Asset Management solution including agentless and agent-based discovery capabilities for clients and servers. With respect to upcoming trends shaping the functionalities of its tool, HP lists out of the box content, GUI refresh, as well as reporting capabilities. General user s perspective Basic information Release dates First Latest Future 2000 2013 2014 Language English German Chinese, simplified Dutch French Italian Japanese Korean Portuguese Rusian Spanish Variants Demo version Product family with different versions http://www8.hp.com/us/en/software-solutions/asset-managementsoftware.html#.uwtyrvldvzu Demo version managed by HP User assistance Types Languages Location Training Through the vendor Through third-parties English German At the customer At the vendor At a 3 rd -party Virtual (e.g., Webinar) Tool-based introduction tour fully recommended Tool training sessions fully recommended Study of tool manual fully recommended Types Languages Communication channel Support Through the vendor Through third-parties English German E-Mail Phone Web-based (e.g., Forum) Tool manual available in English and German Further means of support are hotline, knowledge base and info about updates & patches 2014 SYRACOM AG 28
Subject matter expert s perspective planning Handling Functions Hardware Accessories Copying machine Desktop PC Landline phone Laptop/notebook Mobile phone Monitor Printer Scanner Tablet Video conference Workstation Discovery and detection Handling of contracts including underlying suppliers Hardware stock management (e.g., forecasting Fully extendible Handling Functions Software Business app Internet Browser Mailing client Multimedia Network Operating System Office suite Security Software develop. Discovery and detection Handling of contracts including underlying suppliers Services Types Hardware-related services Software-related services Very important person VIP can be configured Relation types Can-association Conditional Must- association Must-association HW-HW X HW-SW X SW-SW X Quantity Different types) Actual entities Simultaneous users 5.001 and more 100.001 and more Between 501 and 1000 Projects, assets with pending delivery 2014 SYRACOM AG 29
acquisition Acquisition types Initial leasing Repeated leasing Initial purchase Repeated purchase recommendation Hardware Software Services (related to s) Demand approval Technical approval Financial approval Service approval Configurable with parameters Address deviation Requesting Delivery address Requesting Billing address Delivery Billing address Validations can be configured on demand Acquisition demand Tracking of renewal deadlines Adjustment prior to delivery Cancelation prior to delivery preparation Inventory of purchased s [partially] Hardware preparation [partially] Software preparation [partially] delivery Arrangement and dispatching of delivery appointments Partial delivery Delivery tracking User training for acquired s Billing of purchased and leased IT assets User status info on the demand Full procurement module maintenance Maintenance demand Creation, management, and tracking of maintenance requests Arrangement of appointments for maintenance IMAC Movement Extension Change repair Repair and re-installation Double-swap [partially] Handling of broken hardware warranty claims [partially] Claims settlement of damages [partially] Analysis of data [partially] Tracking of lost hardware Tracking of stolen hardware Cloud service management, chargeback disposal Disposal demand Tracking of disposal deadlines Arrangement of appointments for disposal [partially] Data backup Hard disk data backups [partially] System profile backups re-usage Qualification and treatment of returned hardware [partially] Management of reusable s Management of hard disk data deletion Relocation of software licenses to license pools 2014 SYRACOM AG 30
reporting General Definition Batch-process generation On demand generation Modification after generation Automatic notification Export formats Included CSV HTML PDF Predefined reports: 20 Optional KPI dashboard, scorecard with trends, runs on tablets User management Functions Granting access rights Assigning user roles Grouping multiple users Included Predefined user roles: 25 Predefined user groups: 10 Integration with Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) 2014 SYRACOM AG 31
Controller s perspective Company and surveyed expert profile Company staff More than 300.000 employees products 150 Surveyed expert PreSales Domain Lead ITSM / ITAM (employed in Germany, 12 of years with the company, 14 of years of ITAM experience) Surveyed expert is also ITIAL service manager and ITIL expert Tool customers and revenue Total customer Initial costs 201 and more Small & midsized customer 10.001 100.000 Turn-key Between 51 and 100 Tool fully usable after installation. No customization/configuration needed. License Proprietary License cost factors Available Total number of users Revenue sources Customer industry ITAM consulting (+) Tool customization (-) Tool configuration (-) Tool installation (--) Tool deployment (-) Support for audits Banking and insurance Defense Education Health & pharmaceutical IT consulting IT products & services No other customer industry Oracle certified, ISO certified, Cloud billing Tool hosting (--) Tool maintenance (--) Tool-based service delivery (--) User training (--) User licenses (++) Management consulting Production & manufacturing Public service Retail Telecommunications Transport & logistics 2014 SYRACOM AG 32
IT architect s perspective Architecture Types 3-tier (client, application, data base) Hosting Customer: App server, DB server Vendor: App server, DB server 3 rd -Party: App server, DB server Operating system MS Windows Linux DBMS IBM DB2 Microsoft SQL Server Oracle DB Run-time Oracle Java Java, if Web-client is used Required HW + SW Need for extra hardware depends on sizing Apache Tomcat required Adaptation Business logic: Fully User interface: Partially Data model: Fully Admin software Yes Front-end devices Platform support Desktop PC / Laptop Tablet Smartphone Fully Via Browser access and apps Via specialized apps Technical processes Process execution Hosting Customization Configuration Installation Deployment Maintenance Further develop. Customer X X X X X Vendor X X X X X X 3 rd -Party X X X X X X Special skills Many Some Some Some Some Some n.a. 2014 SYRACOM AG 33
Data Import Data validation Data editing Query language Structured Query Language Proprietary Editing Creating Updating Deleting Query Filtering Grouping Searching Sorting Encryption Stored data [partially] Sent/received data [partially] Sample data Large amount Data backup via RDBMS or scripted / scheduled Config. backup depending on the DBMS setup Interfaces Import Export Format CSV XML MS Office Web-services IDOC BAPI ALE REST ODBC Format CSV XML BAPI IDOC ALE ODBC REST SOAP Available system interfaces Catalog Contract Finance HR Systems Mngt. Stock Mngt. Ticketing User Mngt. SAP Available system interfaces Catalog Contract Finance HR Systems Mngt. Stock Mngt. Ticketing User Mngt. Quality attributes Compatibility (++) Functional suitability (++) Maintainability (++) Non-functional properties Performance (++) Portability (--) Reliability (++) Best practices, enterprise ready, flexile, content packs Security (++) Usability (++) 2014 SYRACOM AG 34
3.5 Miss Marple Enterprise Edition 3.2.4 (amando software GmbH) With 19 years of experience, Miss Marple impresses with its high number of interfaces leveraged to connect the ITAM software with other company systems. The Germany vendor describes its solution as intelligent license management optimization with holistic management: asset-, licenses and contract management. In terms of trends, BYOD, cloud & subscription models, as well as complex data structure models and licenses models most likely will have an impact on upcoming tool versions. General user s perspective Basic information Release dates First Latest Future 1995 (first inventory) 13.11.2013 approx. April 2014 Language English German Variants Demo version Product family with different versions http://www.amandosoftware.com/produkte/download.html Demoversion with all modules for 30 Assets to test User assistance Types Languages Location Training Through the vendor Mediathek video English German At the customer At the vendor Virtual (e.g., Webinar) Tool-based introduction tour fully recommended Tool training sessions fully recommended Study of tool manual fully recommended Types Languages Communication channel Support Through the vendor English German E-Mail Phone On-site visits Web-based (e.g., Forum) Tool manual available in English and German Additional information on the user assistance 2014 SYRACOM AG 35
Subject matter expert s perspective planning Handling Functions Hardware Accessories Copying machine Desktop PC Landline phone Laptop/notebook Mobile phone Monitor Printer Scanner Tablet Video conference Workstation Discovery and detection Handling of contracts including underlying suppliers Hardware stock management (e.g., forecasting Handling Functions Software Business app Internet Browser Mailing client Multimedia Network Operating System Security Discovery and detection Handling of contracts including underlying suppliers Services Types Hardware-related services Software-related services Very important person Special processes Special s Relation types Can-association Conditional Must- association Must-association HW-HW X HW-SW X SW-SW X Quantity Different types) Actual entities Simultaneous users Tool highly scalable Tool highly scalable Tool highly scalable We support the complete asset lifecycle, also when it comes to planning for the future. 2014 SYRACOM AG 36
acquisition Acquisition types Initial leasing Repeated leasing Initial purchase Repeated purchase recommendation Hardware Software Services (related to s) Demand approval Technical approval Financial approval Service approval Address deviation Requesting Delivery address Requesting Billing address Delivery Billing address Acquisition demand Tracking of renewal deadlines Adjustment prior to delivery [partially] Cancelation prior to delivery [partially] preparation Inventory of purchased s [partially] Hardware preparation [partially] Software preparation [partially] delivery Arrangement and dispatching of delivery appointments Partial delivery [partially] Delivery tracking [partially] User training for acquired s Billing of purchased and leased IT assets User status info on the demand [partially] maintenance Maintenance demand Creation, management, and tracking of maintenance requests [partially] Arrangement of appointments for maintenance [partially] IMAC Movement [partially] Extension Change repair Repair and re-installation [partially] Double-swap [partially] Handling of broken hardware warranty claims [partially] Claims settlement of damages [partially] Analysis of data Tracking of lost hardware [partially] Tracking of stolen hardware [partially] 2014 SYRACOM AG 37
disposal Disposal demand Tracking of disposal deadlines Arrangement of appointments for disposal Data backup Hard disk data backups [partially] System profile backups [partially] re-usage Qualification and treatment of returned hardware [partially] Management of reusable s [partially] Management of hard disk data deletion [partially] reporting General Definition Batch-process generation [partially] On demand generation Modification after generation [partially] Automatic notification [partially] Export formats Included CSV XML Predefined reports: 35 MS Office PDF Further focus is put on automatism, metrics, license models, and categorization User management Functions Granting access rights Assigning user roles Grouping multiple users Included Predefined user roles: 10 Predefined user groups: 3 Wide range of vertical and horizontal roles are given 2014 SYRACOM AG 38
Controller s perspective Company and surveyed expert profile Company staff Between 11 and 50 employees products 2 Surveyed expert Partner manager (employed in Germany, 1 year with the company, 1 year of ITAM experience) Company is the top 3 leader in the European SAM market with 18 years of experience Tool customers and revenue Total customer Between 101 and 200 Small & midsized customer Between 51 and 100 Initial costs 10.001 100.000 Turn-key Tool fully usable after installation. No customization/configuration needed. License Proprietary License cost factors Total number of managed IT assets Total number of users Revenue sources ITAM consulting (++) Tool customization (-) Tool configuration (+) Tool installation (+) Tool deployment (+) Tool hosting (+) Tool maintenance (+) Tool-based service delivery (-) User training (-) User licenses (++) SAM process consulting; project management e.g. with audits Customer industry Banking and insurance Defense Education Health & pharmaceutical IT consulting IT products & services No other customer industry Management consulting Production & manufacturing Public service Retail Telecommunications Transport & logistics 2014 SYRACOM AG 39
IT architect s perspective Architecture Types 3-tier (client, application, data base) Cloud-based solution Hosting Customer: App server, DB server Vendor: n.a. 3 rd -Party: App server, DB server Operating system MS Windows DBMS IBM DB2 Microsoft Access Microsoft SQL Server Oracle DB Oracle MySQL NoSQL DB postgresql Sybase DB Management Run-time Microsoft.NET MS Silverlight Required HW + SW Windows Server 2008 required No extra Software required Adaptation Business logic: Fully User interface: Fully Data model: Fully Admin software No Direct data base out of the box is MS SQL, but with the tool s wide range of interfaces other data base can be integrated Front-end devices Desktop PC / Laptop Tablet Smartphone Platform support Fully Can be used with the Miss Marple Web-Client Smartphone OS needs to support Silverlight Management processes, workflows might be not comfortable For managing license processes and availability of reporting function not recommended Can be used with the Miss Marple Web-Client Smartphone OS needs to support Silverlight Management processes, workflows might be not comfortable For managing license processes and availability of reporting function not recommended 2014 SYRACOM AG 40
Technical processes Process execution Hosting Customization Configuration Installation Deployment Maintenance Further develop. Customer X X X X X Vendor X X X X X X X 3 rd -Party X X X X Special skills Some Some Many Many Many Some n.a. Data Import Data validation Data editing Query language Structured Query Language Editing Creating Updating Deleting Query Filtering Grouping Searching Sorting Encryption Stored data [partially] Sent/received data [partially] Sample data Some Data backup Automatic Config. backup Automatic Interfaces Import Export Format CSV XML MS Office Format CSV XML MS Office Available system interfaces Catalog Contract HR Systems Mngt. Stock Mngt. Ticketing User Mngt. Standard import interfaces to ERP, inventory, ITSM tool Available system interfaces Catalog Contract Finance HR Systems Mngt. Stock Mngt. Ticketing User Mngt. Standard export interfaces to ERP, inventory, ITSM tool 2014 SYRACOM AG 41
Non-functional properties Quality attributes Compatibility (+) Functional suitability (++) Maintainability (+) No other quality attributes in focus Performance (++) Portability (-) Reliability (++) Security (++) Usability (++) 3.6 Office ASSET 3.8 (IT Asset Management GmbH) Implementing all the important management processes, ITAM Group s Office ASSET 3.8 describes itself as the leading commercial asset tool on the market. Supporting the highest number of asset types, entities, and simultaneous users, Office ASSET runs also on smartphones and tablet computers. When being asked for remarkable drivers that influence the 2014 version of their software, the Germans mention big data and cloud computing. General user s perspective Basic information Release dates First Latest Future 1998 2013 2014 Language English German French Variants Demo version Product add-ons with complementary http://demo.easy-asset.de Available demo with usage time restrictions 2014 SYRACOM AG 42
User assistance Types Languages Location Training Through the vendor Through third-parties English German At the customer At the vendor At a 3 rd -party Virtual (e.g., Webinar) Tool-based introduction tour meaningful Tool training sessions fully recommended Study of tool manual meaningful Types Languages Communication channel Support Through the vendor Through third-parties English German E-Mail Phone On-site visits Web-based (e.g., Forum) Tool manual available in English and German 2014 SYRACOM AG 43
Subject matter expert s perspective planning Handling Functions Hardware Accessories Copying machine Desktop PC Landline phone Laptop/notebook Mobile phone Monitor Printer Scanner Tablet Video conference Workstation Discovery and detection Handling of contracts including underlying suppliers Hardware stock management (e.g., forecasting Handling Functions Software Business app Internet Browser Mailing client Multimedia Network Operating System Office suite Security Software develop. Discovery and detection Handling of contracts including underlying suppliers Services Types Hardware-related services Software-related services Very important person Special processes Special s Relation types Can-association Conditional Must- association Must-association HW-HW X HW-SW X SW-SW X Quantity Different types) Actual entities Simultaneous users 5.001 and more 100.001 and more 5.001 and more 2014 SYRACOM AG 44
acquisition Acquisition types Initial leasing Repeated leasing Initial purchase Repeated purchase recommendation Hardware Software Services (related to s)] Demand approval Technical approval Financial approval Service approval All approval processes Address deviation Requesting Delivery address Requesting Billing address Delivery Billing address Acquisition demand Tracking of renewal deadlines Adjustment prior to delivery Cancelation prior to delivery preparation Inventory of purchased s Hardware preparation Software preparation delivery Arrangement and dispatching of delivery appointments Partial delivery Delivery tracking User training for acquired s Billing of purchased and leased IT assets User status info on the demand maintenance Maintenance demand Creation, management, and tracking of maintenance requests Arrangement of appointments for maintenance IMAC Movement Extension Change repair Repair and re-installation Double-swap Handling of broken hardware warranty claims Claims settlement of damages Analysis of data Tracking of lost hardware Tracking of stolen hardware disposal Disposal demand Tracking of disposal deadlines Arrangement of appointments for disposal Data backup Hard disk data backups System profile backups re-usage Qualification and treatment of returned hardware Management of reusable s Management of hard disk data deletion 2014 SYRACOM AG 45
reporting General Definition Batch-process generation On demand generation Modification after generation Automatic notification Export formats Included CSV HTML MS Office PDF Predefined reports: 300 User management Functions Granting access rights Assigning user roles Grouping multiple users Included Predefined user roles: 15 Predefined user groups: 10 2014 SYRACOM AG 46
Controller s perspective Company and surveyed expert profile Company staff Between 51 and 100 employees products Surveyed expert Business development manager (employed in Germany, 5 years with the company, 8 of years of ITAM experience) Tool customers and revenue Total customer Between 101 and 200 Small & midsized customer Between 101 and 200 Initial costs 1 10.000 Turn-key Tool fully usable after installation. No customization/configuration needed. License Proprietary License cost factors Available Total number of managed IT Revenue sources Customer industry ITAM consulting (+) Tool customization (+) Tool configuration (+) Tool installation (+) Tool deployment (+) No other sources of revenue Banking and insurance Defense Education Health & pharmaceutical IT consulting IT products & services Tool hosting (+) Tool maintenance (+) Tool-based service delivery (+) User training (+) User licenses (+) Management consulting Production & manufacturing Public service Retail Telecommunications Transport & logistics No other customer industry 2014 SYRACOM AG 47
IT architect s perspective Architecture Types 3-tier (client, application, data base) Hosting Customer: App server, DB server Vendor: App server, DB server 3 rd -Party: App server, DB server Operating system Apple ios Google Android Linux MS Windows DBMS Microsoft SQL Server Run-time Microsoft.NET Oracle Java Required HW + SW No extra hardware required MS SQL server required Adaptation Business logic: Fully User interface: Fully Data model: Partially Admin Software Yes Front-end devices Platform support Desktop PC / Laptop Tablet Smartphone Fully Fully Fully Technical processes Process execution Hosting Customization Configuration Installation Deployment Maintenance Further develop. Customer X X X Vendor X X X X X X X 3 rd -Party X X X X X X X Special skills Some Some Many Some Some Some n.a. 2014 SYRACOM AG 48
Data Import Data validation Data editing Query language Structured Query Language Editing Creating Updating Deleting Query Filtering Grouping Searching Sorting Encryption Stored data [partially] Sent/received data Sample data Large amount Data backup Manual Config. backup Manual Interfaces Import Export Format CSV XML MS Office Format CSV MS Office Available system interfaces Catalog Contract Finance HR Systems Mngt. Stock Mngt. Ticketing User Mngt. Available system interfaces Catalog Contract Finance HR Systems Mngt. Stock Mngt. Ticketing User Mngt. Quality attributes Compatibility (++) Functional suitability (++) Maintainability (++) Non-functional properties Performance (++) Portability (++) Reliability (++) Stable, performance, quality master data Security (++) Usability (++) 2014 SYRACOM AG 49
3.7 Snow License Manager 6.2 (Snow Software) The Swedish company Snow Software ships its very young ITAM software with a broad language support accompanied by a variety of training and user assistance options. Even with workflows and procedures not being in scope, Snow License Manager can be connected to 3 rd parties workflow engines. Under the slogan Keep it simple and nice. Snow Software considers virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) as well as (BYOD) as future trends most likely affecting the next version of the ITAM tool. General user s perspective Basic information Release dates First Latest Future January 2012 March 2013 March 2014 Language English German Danish Dutch French Norwegian Swedish Variants Demo version Product add-ons with complementary A Demo is only available within a Proof of Concept including Services bringing the Customer to SAM. User assistance Types Languages Location Training Through the vendor Through third-parties English German At the customer At the vendor At a 3 rd -party Virtual (e.g., Webinar) Tool-based introduction tour fully recommended Tool training sessions fully recommended Study of tool manual fully recommended Types Languages Communication channel Support Through the vendor Through third-parties English German E-Mail Phone Web-based (e.g., Forum) Tool manual available in English, German, and other languages 2014 SYRACOM AG 50
Subject matter expert s perspective planning Handling Functions Hardware Accessories Copying machine Desktop PC Landline phone Laptop/notebook Mobile phone Monitor Printer Scanner Tablet Video conference Workstation Discovery and detection [partially] Handling of contracts including underlying suppliers Hardware stock management (e.g., forecasting [partially] Handling Functions Software Business app Internet Browser Mailing client Multimedia Network Operating System Office suite Security Software develop. The used software categories in our software catalog is according to the UN SPSC standard. Discovery and detection Handling of contracts including underlying suppliers Services Types Hardware-related services Software-related services Very important person Special processes Special s Relation types Can-association Conditional Must- association Must-association HW-HW HW-SW X X SW-SW X X X Quantity Different types Actual entities Simultaneous users 5.001 and more 100.001 and more Between 1 and 100 2014 SYRACOM AG 51
acquisition Acquisition types Initial leasing [partially] Repeated leasing [partially] Initial purchase Repeated purchase recommendation Hardware [partially] Software [partially] Services (related to s) [partially] Demand approval Technical approval Financial approval Service approval Workflows and procedures are not part of snow license manager, but used in combination with 3rd party tools. Address deviation Requesting Delivery address Requesting Billing address Delivery Billing address Acquisition demand Tracking of renewal deadlines [partially] Adjustment prior to delivery Cancelation prior to delivery preparation Inventory of purchased s Hardware preparation Software preparation delivery Arrangement and dispatching of delivery appointments Partial delivery Delivery tracking User training for acquired s Billing of purchased and leased IT assets [partially] User status info on the demand maintenance Maintenance demand Creation, management, and tracking of maintenance requests Arrangement of appointments for maintenance IMAC Movement Extension Change repair Repair and re-installation Double-swap Handling of broken hardware warranty claims Claims settlement of damages Analysis of data Tracking of lost hardware Tracking of stolen hardware 2014 SYRACOM AG 52
disposal Disposal demand Tracking of disposal deadlines [partially] Arrangement of appointments for disposal Data backup Hard disk data backups System profile backups reusage Qualification and treatment of returned hardware Management of reusable IT assets Management of hard disk data deletion reporting General Definition Batch-process generation On demand generation Modification after generation Automatic notification Export formats CSV XML HTML Included Predefined reports: 45 MS Office PDF User management Functions Granting access rights Assigning user roles Grouping multiple users Included Predefined user roles: 3 Predefined user groups: 1 2014 SYRACOM AG 53
Controller s perspective Company and surveyed expert profile Company staff 101-1.000 employees products Surveyed expert Service Delivery Manager and Presales Consultant (employed in Germany, 3 years with the company, 8 years of ITAM experience) Tool customers and revenue Total customer 201 and more Small & midsized customer Between 11 and 50 Initial costs Initial costs depend on the customers size Turn-key Tool fully usable after installation. No customization/configuration needed. License Proprietary License cost factors Snow Licenses are per managed device Revenue sources Customer industry ITAM consulting (--) Tool customization (--) Tool configuration (++) Tool installation (++) Tool deployment (--) Customer references thru happiness Banking and insurance Defense Education Health & pharmaceutical IT consulting IT products & services No other customer industry Tool hosting (++) Tool maintenance (++) Tool-based service delivery (+) User training (++) User licenses (--) Management consulting Production & manufacturing Public service Retail Telecommunications Transport & logistics 2014 SYRACOM AG 54
IT architect s perspective Architecture Types 1-tier (single workstation) 2-tiert (client, data base server) 3-tier (client, application, data base) Cloud-based solution Hosting Customer: App server, DB server Vendor: App server, DB server 3 rd -Party: App server, DB server Operating system Apple Mac OS HP-US IBM AIX Linux MS Windows Oracle Solaris DBMS Microsoft SQL Server Run-time Depends on the part of the software Required HW + SW Hardware regarding the customers affords Windows Server, MS SQL Server Adaptation Business logic: Partially User interface: Fully Data model: Fully Admin software Yes The tiny client (4 MByte) sends small packages (5 50KBytes) with the whole inventory data, finally presented in a modern website. Front-end devices Platform support Desktop PC / Laptop Tablet Smartphone Fully Fully Fully Technical processes Process execution Hosting Customization Configuration Installation Deployment Maintenance Further develop. Customer X X X X X X Vendor X X 3 rd -Party X X X X X X X Special skills Some Some Some No Some Some n.a. 2014 SYRACOM AG 55
Data Import Data validation Data editing [partially] Query language Structured Query Language C# Powershell Editing Creating Updating Deleting Query Filtering Grouping Searching Sorting Encryption Stored data [partially] Sent/received data Sample data Large amount Data backup Manual Config. backup Backup thru Windows servers and SQL servers standard mechanisms Interfaces Import Export Format CSV MS Office Data base connect Format CSV XML MS Office PDF Available system interfaces Catalog Contract Finance HR Systems Mngt. Stock Mngt. Ticketing User Mngt. Available system interfaces Catalog Contract Finance HR Systems Mngt. Stock Mngt. Ticketing User Mngt. Quality attributes Compatibility (+) Functional suitability (++) Maintainability (++) Non-functional properties Performance (+) Portability (++) Reliability (++) High level of software recognition thru a product catalog Security (++) Usability (++) 2014 SYRACOM AG 56
Basic Information User assistance s planning acquisition maintenance disposal reporting User management Tool customer and revenue Architecture Front-end devices Technical processes Data Interfacess IT ASSET MANAGEMENT TOOL SURVEY 2014 4. MULTI-TOOL EVALUATION This Chapter compares the six ITAM tools on the basis of the examined features. Please note the presented analysis results are an aggregated overview on the different software solutions with the underlying data originating from the tool vendors questionnaire answers dating back to February 2014. Similar to previous tool studies at SYRACOM, the survey refrains from positive or negative opinions about the examined software solutions. Consequently, main focus is put on business and technical tool features a specific ITAM solution can provide to (potential) users. Table 1 shows the feature blocks for the four perspectives introduced in Section 2 (x-axis). At the y- axis the tool names are listed in alphabetic order. For each feature block, the maximum number of points is indicated. Based on the evaluation scheme (cf. Appendix), the relative score as quotient between tool score and maximum score is provided. If a tool reaches the highest point number for a certain feature block (in most cases this is 1), the cell is marked in light blue. There can be more than one marked value per column given that multiple tools may score maximum points. max. score 8 25 56 44 24 14 16 6 25 39 6 33 25 26 Productname CMDBuild 1 0,64 0,82 0,95 1 0,43 0,5 0,67 0,44 0,23 0,67 0,88 0,68 0,15 FrontRange HEAT Client Management 0,88 0,84 0,77 0,82 0,92 0,93 1 1 0,92 0,46 0,67 0,73 0,6 0,35 HP Asset Manager 0,63 0,68 0,82 0,8 0,79 0,36 0,81 1 0,6 0,46 0,67 0,73 0,68 0,88 Miss Marple Enterprise Edititon 0,5 0,6 0,64 0,66 0,58 0,64 0,69 1 0,8 0,85 0,67 0,76 0,76 0,88 Office ASSET 0,88 0,72 0,89 1 1 1 0,88 1 0,76 0,49 1 0,73 0,72 0,77 Snow License Manager 0,63 0,8 0,79 0,3 0 0,07 0,88 0,67 0,68 0,59 1 0,61 0,64 0,85 Table 1 - Tool overview matrix When analyzing the table the following facts become clear: As anticipated, examined tools support for subject matter processes is very solid (esp. planning, reporting). However, room of improvement exists for the area of disposal. In terms of IT architecture, none of the tools provide the full range of data as well as import/export interfaces we asked for. Moreover, data represents the feature block which is only covered with 76% at max. The maximum divergence in requirement fulfillment can be observed for the feature block maintenance and disposal. On the flipside, the coverage level was almost equal in the domain of data and technical processes. No tool has reached the maximum total score across all feature blocks and perspectives. Based on the questions we posed and the answers given by the survey experts, the tool Office ASSET has nearly fulfilled all requested features. The questions of the survey prove good quality, given a lowest maximum and minimum coverage level for a feature block of 76% (data) and 0% ( maintenance) respectively. Above statements do not assume a particular application scenario, hence are general in nature. The scoring on feature level provided in the Appendix section help to compile customer-specific evaluation schemes. 2014 SYRACOM AG 57
5. APPENDIX Below we explain the evaluation scheme we applied for contrasting the ITAM tools with each other. When surveying the vendors, we posed three different types of questions targeting at the tool s features: free-text, single-, and multi choice. While for single choice the answer to the question consisted of exactly one fact, for multi choice the response could contain more than one piece of information. To ensure comparability, we did not assess the free-text questions containing additional characteristics and traits some vendors wanted to point out. We further abstained from attributing different weights to the tool features bearing in mind that such a prioritization always hinges on the goal and organizational circumstances a tool decision has to account for. In terms of score counting we applied the following three rules: 1. Single-choice feature If exactly one tool fact could be selected for a feature, the resulting points depend on the chosen answer. For most of the features we used the following answer sets. The score is given in parenthesis: Fully (2) Partially (1) (0) For facts that can be partially available, [(partially)] is listed as an optional label with the score counting remaining unchanged. Example: English (2) English (partially) (1) No English (0) 2. Multi-choice feature If multiple tool facts could be selected for a certain feature, every checked answer is counted as one point. Unless specified differently, Not offered and both equal 0 points. Example: Creating (1) Reading (1) Updating (1) 3. Non-scoring feature Whenever we deemed a tool feature as irrelevant for the scoring (e.g. origin, variants for basic information), we allotted 0 points. Subsequently, the tool assessment matrices are illustrated again, this time including the evaluation scheme. For each feature, the maximum number of points (0 points in case the feature was disregarded for the comparison) as well as the set of possible facts are stated. For single-choice questions, the possible facts and their specific score are given. 2014 SYRACOM AG 58
General user s perspective Basic information (8 pts.) Release dates (0 pts.) First (0 pts.) Latest (0 pts.) Future (0 pts.) Release date first version Release date current version Release date next version Language (5 pts.) English [partially] German [partially] (1 pts.) Monolithic product Variants (0 pts.) Product add-ons with complementary Product family with different versions URL to the tool demo website Demo version) (3 pts.) Available demo with no restrictions (3 pts.) Available demo either with usage time or functional restrictions (2 pts.) Available demo with usage time and functional restrictions (1 pts.) No demo available (0 pts.) User assistance (25 pts.) Types (3 pts.) Languages (3 pts.) Location (5 pts.) Training (10 pts.) Through the vendor Through third-parties (1 pts.) Not offered English German (1 pts.) Not offered At the customer At the vendor At a 3 rd -party Virtual (e.g., Webinar) (1 pts.) Tool-based introduction tour fully recommended (0 pts.) Tool training sessions fully recommended (0 pts.) Study of tool manual fully recommended (0 pts.) Types (3 pts.) Languages (3 pts.) Communication channel (5 pts.) Support (13 pts.) Through the vendor Through third-parties (1 pts.) Not offered English German (1 pts.) Not offered E-Mail Phone On-site visits Web-based (1 pts.) Tool manual available in English (1 pts.), German (1 pts.), and other languages (1 pts.) (0 pts.) Additional information on the user assistance 2014 SYRACOM AG 59
Subject matter expert s perspective planning (56 pts.) Handling (13 pts.) Functions (6 pts.) Hardware (19 pts.) Accessories Copying machine Desktop PC Landline phone Laptop/notebook Mobile phone Monitor Printer Scanner Tablet Video conference Workstation (1 pts.) Discovery and detection [partially] Handling of contracts including underlying suppliers [partially] Hardware stock management (e.g., forecasting [partially] Software (14 pts.) Services (4 pts.) Business app Internet Browser Mailing client Multimedia Network Handling (10 pts.) Operating System Office suite Security Software develop. (1 pts.) Types (2 pts.) Hardware-related services Software-related services Functions (4 pts.) Discovery and detection [partially] Handling of contracts including underlying suppliers [partially] Very important person (2 pts.) Special processes Special s Relation types Can-association (3 pts.) Conditional Must- association (3 pts.) Must-association (3 pts.) HW-HW (3 pts.) HW-SW (3 pts.) SW-SW (3 pts.) X X X X X X X X Different types) (4 pts.) Actual entities (4 pts.) Simultaneous users (4 pts.) 5.001 and more (4 pts.) 100.001 and more (4 pts.) 5.001 and more (4 pts.) Quantity (12 pts.) Between 1.001 and 5.000 (3 pts.) Between 501 and 1.000 (2 pts.) Between 50.001-100.000 (3 pts.) Between 20.001 and 50.000 (2 pts.) Between 1.001 and 5.000 (3 pts.) Between 501 and 1000 (2 pts.) Between 101 and 500 (1 pts.) Between 5.001 and 20.000 (1 pts.) Between 101 and 500 (1 pts.) Between 1 and 100 (0 pts.) Between 1 and 5.000 (0) Between 1 and 100 (0) (0 pts.) (0 pts.) (0 pts.) (0 pts.) Additional information on planning 2014 SYRACOM AG 60
acquisition (44 pts.) Acquisition types (8 pts.) Initial leasing [partially] Repeated leasing [partially] Initial purchase [partially] Repeated purchase [partially] recommendation (6 pts.) Hardware [partially] Software [partially] Services (related to s) [partially] Demand approval (3 pts.) Technical approval Financial approval Service approval Address deviation (3 pts.) Requesting Delivery address Requesting Billing address Delivery Billing address Acquisition demand (6 pts.) Tracking of renewal deadlines [partially] Adjustment prior to delivery [partially] Cancelation prior to delivery [partially] preparation (6 pts.) Inventory of purchased s [partially] Hardware preparation [partially] Software preparation [partially] delivery (6 pts.) Arrangement and dispatching of delivery appointments [partially] Partial delivery [partially] Delivery tracking [partially] (6 pts.) User training for acquired s [partially] Billing of purchased and leased IT assets [partially] User status info on the demand [partially] (0 pts.) Additional information on acquisition maintenance (24 pts.) Maintenance demand (4 pts.) Creation, management, and tracking of maintenance requests [partially] Arrangement of appointments for maintenance [partially] IMAC (6 pts.) Movement [partially] Extension [partially] Change [partially] repair (8 pts.) Repair and re-installation [partially] Double-swap [partially] Handling of broken hardware warranty claims [partially] Claims settlement of damages [partially] (6 pts.) Analysis of data [partially] Tracking of lost hardware [partially] Tracking of stolen hardware [partially] (0 pts.) Additional information on maintenance 2014 SYRACOM AG 61
disposal (14 pts.) Disposal demand (4 pts.) Tracking of disposal deadlines [partially] Arrangement of appointments for disposal [partially] Data backup (4 pts.) Hard disk data backups [partially] System profile backups [partially] re-usage (4 pts.) Qualification and treatment of returned hardware [partially] Management of reusable s [partially] (2 pts.) Management of hard disk data deletion [partially] (0 pts.) Additional information on disposal reporting (16 pts.) General (10 pts.) Definition [partially] Batch-process generation [partially] On demand generation [partially] Modification after generation [partially] Automatic notification [partially] Export formats (6 pts.) Included (0 pts.) CSV XML HTML MS Office PDF (1 pts.) Predefined reports: Number (0 pts.) Additional information on reporting User management (6 pts.) Functions (6 pts.) Granting access rights [partially] Assigning user roles [partially] Grouping multiple users [partially] Included (0 pts.) Predefined user roles: Number Predefined user groups: Number (0 pts.) Additional information on user management 2014 SYRACOM AG 62
Controller s perspective Company and surveyed expert profile (0 pts.) Between 1 and 10 employees Company staff (0 pts.) Between 11 and 50 employees Between 51 and 100 employees Between 101 and 1.000 employees 1.001 and more employees products (0 pts.) Number of products other than the offered ITAM tool solution Surveyed expert (0 pts.) (0 pts.) Role (Country of work, Number of years at the company, Number of years of ITAM experience) Additional information on the professional background Tool customers and revenue (25 pts.) Between 1 and 10 (0 pts.) Between 1 and 10 (0 pts.) Total customer (4 pts.) Between 11 and 50 (1 pts.) Between 51 and 100 (2 pts.) Between 101 and 200 (3 pts.) 201 and more (4 pts.) Small & midsized customer (4 pts.) Between 11 and 50 (1 pts.) Between 51 and 100 (2 pts.) Between 101 and 200 (3 pts.) 201 and more (4 pts.) (0 pts.) (0 pts.) Initial costs (3 pts.) Free of cost (3 pts.) 1 10.000 (2 pts.) 10.001 100.000 (1 pts.) 100.001 and more (0 pts.) (0 pts.) Turn-key (2 pts.) Tool fully usable after installation. No customization/configuration needed. (2 pts.) Tool partially usable after installation. (1 pts.) Tool not usable after installation. Customization/configuration needed. (0 pts.) License (0 pts.) Proprietary Open source License cost factors (0 pts.) Available Total number of managed IT assets Total number of users Usage frequency Usage time 2014 SYRACOM AG 63
Revenue sources (0 pts.) Customer industry (12 pts.) ITAM consulting (++) Tool customization (++) Tool configuration (++) Tool installation (++) Tool deployment (++) No other sources of revenue Banking and insurance Defense Education Health & pharmaceutical IT consulting IT products & services No other customer industry Tool hosting (++) Tool maintenance (++) Tool-based service delivery (++) User training (++) User licenses (++) Management consulting Production & manufacturing Public service Retail Telecommunications Transport & logistics (0 pts.) Additional information on the customer and revenue IT architect s perspective Architecture (39 pts.) Types (4 pts.) 1-tier (single workstation) 2-tiert (client, data base server) 3-tier (client, application, data base) Cloud-based solution Hosting (6 pts.) Customer: App server, DB server Vendor: App server, DB server 3 rd -Party: App server, DB server Operating system (11 pts.) Apple ios Apple Mac OS Google Android Google Chrome HP-US IBM AIX IBM z/os Linux MS Windows Oracle Solaris (1 pts.) DBMS (9 pts.) IBM DB2 Microsoft Access Microsoft SQL Server Oracle DB Oracle MySQL NoSQL DB postgresql Sybase DB Management (1 pts.) Run-time (0 pts.) Microsoft.NET Oracle Java Required HW + SW (2 pts.) No extra Hardware required No extra Software required Adaptation (6 pts.) Business logic: Fully, Partially, No User interface: Fully, Partially, No Data model: Fully, Partially, No Admin software (1 pts.) Yes No (0 pts.) Additional information on the ITAM tool architecture 2014 SYRACOM AG 64
Front-end devices (6 pts.) Platform support (6 pts.) Desktop PC / Laptop (2 pts.) Fully Partially Tablet (2pts.) Fully Partially Smartphone (2 pts.) Fully Partially (0 pts.) Additional information on the front-end Technical processes (33 pts.) Process execution Customer (7 pts.) Vendor (7 pts.) 3 rd -Party (7 pts.) Customization (5 pts.) Configuration (5 pts.) Installation (5 pts.) Deployment (5 pts.) Hosting (5 pts.) Maintenance (5 pts.) Further develop. (3 pts.) X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Special skills (12 pts.) [Many, Some, No] [Many, Some, No] [Many, Some, No] [Many, Some, No] [Many, Some, No] [Many, Some, No] n.a. (0 pts.) Additional information on the technical processes 2014 SYRACOM AG 65
Data (25 pts.) Import (4 pts.) Data validation [partially] Data editing [partially] Query language (4 pts.) Structured Query Language Proprietary XQuery (1 pts.) Editing (3 pts.) Creating Updating Deleting Query (4 pts.) Filtering Grouping Searching Sorting Encryption (4 pts.) Stored data [partially] Sent/received data [partially] Sample data (2 pts.) Large amount (2 pts.) Some (1pts.) (0 pts.) Data backup (2 pts.) Automatic (2 pts.) Manual (1 pts.) (0 pts.) (0 pts.) Config. backup (2 pts.) Automatic (2 pts.) Manual (1 pts.) (0 pts.) (0 pts.) (0 pts.) Additional information on data Interfaces (26 pts.) Import (13 pts.) Export (13 pts.) Format (4 pts.) CSV XML MS Office (1 pts.) Format (4 pts.) CSV XML MS Office (1 pts.) Available system interfaces (9 pts.) Catalog Contract Finance HR Systems Mngt. Stock Mngt. Ticketing User Mngt. (1 pts.) Available system interfaces (9 pts.) Catalog Contract Finance HR Systems Mngt. Stock Mngt. Ticketing User Mngt. (1 pts.) (0 pts.) Additional information on the technical processes Quality attributes (0 pts.) (0 pts.) Compatibility (++) Functional suitability (++) Maintainability (++) No other quality attributes in focus Non-functional properties (0 pts.) Performance (++) Portability (++) Reliability (++) Additional information on non-functional properties Security (++) Usability (++) 2014 SYRACOM AG 66
6. BIBLIOGRAPHY Beims, M. (2008): IT-Service Management in der Praxis mit ITIL 3: Zielfindung, Methoden, Realisierung (1st ed.). München, Germany: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG. Davis, J., & Galusha, C. (2010): IT Asset Management - A Cornerstone for Accelerating ITIL Success. CA Technologies Inc., Technical report. Hewlett-Packard (2011): management - A best practice guide for management. Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., Business white paper. Hobbs, M. (2011): IT Asset Management: A Pocket Survival Guide. IT Governance Ltd Hendrik Kurz, Jan Richert, Eduard Hurr, J. H. (2014): SYRACOM Trendstudie - Virtuelle Währungen. Trend study, Wiesbaden, Germany. Knoll, R., & Schulz, C. (2013): Enterprise Architecture Tool Survey 2013. Technical report. Wiesbaden, Germany. Runge, C. (2004). IT-Asset-Management. Welche Software und Datenverwaltung für IT-Objekte ist zweckmäßig? (1st ed., p. 32). GRIN Verlag. Pforzheim, Germany. Schulz, C. (2014). IT Asset Management: Große Hard- und Softwarevolumen richtig planen und managen. OBJEKTspektrum, (04). (to appear) Wikipedia (2014): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/it_asset_management (last opened: 18/03/14) 2014 SYRACOM AG 67
7. NOMENCLATURE App Application BYOD Bring-Your-Own-Device CMDB Configuration Management Data Bases CSV Comma-Separated-Value DB Data Base DBMS Data Base Management System GmbH Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (Limited liability company) HR Human Resources HTML HyperText Markup Language HW Hardware IMAC Install, Move, Add, Change IT Information Technology ITAM Information Technology Asset Management ITIL Information Technology Infrastructure Library ITSM Information Technology Service Management Mngt. Management MS Microsoft PDF Portable Document Format Pts. Points SaaS Software as a Service SRL Società a Responsabilità Limitata (Limited liability company) SW Software VIP Very Important Person XML extensible Markup Language 2014 SYRACOM AG 68
About the authors Dr. Christopher Schulz has been working for SYRACOM since 2012 as a senior consultant. He studied computer science in Germany, France, and USA before joining a large American bank in the city of Geneva. Between 2008 2012 Mr. Schulz pursued a PhD at TU München where he researched into the domain of service management, enterprise architecture, and data migration. To date, he published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles presenting several of them at international venues. In 2013 Christopher turned his focus on IT Asset Management, supporting a multinational car manufacturer to harmonize its ITAM processes and applications with the corporate standards. Andreas Tannert has been working for SYRACOM since 2001. Following his graduation in computer science at Universität Leipzig, he started to work as a software engineer in various client projects. As a leading consultant, he currently supports client in the IT architecture management, tool analyses, and project management of agile projects. Besides continuous project engagement in industry, Andreas actively promotes the publication of tool studies at SYRACOM. In this sense, he substantially supported the publication of the Enterprise Architecture Tool Survey 2013. About SYRACOM Founded in 1998, the SYRACOM group is an independent business and IT consultancy which focuses on the design and implementation of efficient and sustainable business processes. Based on their profound industry knowledge, SYRACOM consultants constantly bridge the gap between business and IT. SYRACOM s strong commitment to follow a holistic approach concerns strategy integration, organization and process optimization, and the implementation of customized business and IT solutions. As part of the Consileon group, the company s international clients are active in diverse industries, e.g., banking and insurance, telecommunication, automotive, as well as transport and logistics. Besides IT Asset Management, further fields of competences of SYRACOM are: enterprise architecture management, business engineering, enterprise performance management, project management, as well as application management, development, and integration. 2014 SYRACOM AG 69
Copyright Copyright 2014 SYRACOM AG, Germany. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, archived, or transmitted in any form by any means (electronical, mechanical, by photocopying, or otherwise) without the prior printed permission of the publisher, SYRACOM. The information contained and opinions expressed herein may be changed without prior notice. Trademarks All trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Disclaimer The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication but cannot be guaranteed. Please note that the findings, conclusions and recommendations that SYRACOM delivers will be based on information gathered in good faith from both primary and secondary sources, whose accuracy cannot always be guaranteed by SYRACOM. SYRACOM disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of such information. SYRACOM shall have no liability for errors, omissions, or inadequacies in the information contained herein or for interpretations thereof. In no event shall SYRACOM be liable for any damage of any kind (e.g. direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages) whatsoever, including without limitation lost revenues, or lost profits, which may result from the use of these materials. The reader assumes sole responsibility for the selection of these materials to achieve its intended results. There will be no warranty that the results of this publication will be economically and technically exploitable and unencumbered by third-party proprietary rights. 2014 SYRACOM AG 70
ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE TOOL SURVEY 2013 Contact: Heiko Krott SYRACOM AG Otto-von-Guericke-Ring 15 65205 Wiesbaden Phone: +49 6122 9176-0 www.syracom.de Heiko.Krott@SYRACOM.de 2014 SYRACOM AG 71