Software Asset Management (SAM) is a business practice that involves managing and optimizing the purchase, deployment, maintenance, utilization, and disposal of software applications within an organization. The primary goals of SAM are to control IT costs, manage business and legal risks, and ensure compliance with software license agreements. By tracking software assets throughout their lifecycle, organizations can reduce waste, improve security, and make more informed decisions about their technology investments.
Software Asset Management emerged in the 1980s, driven by the widespread adoption of mass software in organizations. As businesses began using more applications, a structured approach to manage these digital assets became essential. This was the genesis of tracking software to control costs and ensure compliance.
The practice was later formalized by frameworks like ITIL, which standardized its principles across the industry. The introduction of ISO standards further solidified SAM's role within IT governance. Modern SAM continues to evolve with automation and cloud-based tools.
Software Asset Management provides critical functions that impact an organization's financial health, security posture, and operational agility. It offers a strategic approach to managing the entire software lifecycle, from procurement to retirement, delivering tangible benefits across the business.
While SAM is a management strategy, SaaS is a software delivery model, and they address different organizational needs.
While SAM offers significant benefits, its implementation is not without hurdles. Organizations often face operational complexities and resource constraints that can hinder its effectiveness. These challenges require careful planning and continuous effort to overcome.
The future of SAM is moving towards greater intelligence and integration. As organizations increasingly adopt cloud services and complex software stacks, SAM platforms are evolving to provide more proactive and automated management.
Is SAM still relevant in a cloud-first world?
Absolutely. While SaaS simplifies deployment, it complicates cost and usage tracking. SAM provides the necessary oversight to manage SaaS sprawl, optimize subscriptions, and ensure you're only paying for what you actually use, preventing uncontrolled spending in cloud environments.
How can we justify the investment in a SAM program?
The ROI from a SAM program comes from direct cost savings on unused licenses, avoiding hefty non-compliance fines, and improving security. It shifts IT from a cost center to a strategic asset by providing clear data for better financial and operational decisions.
How does SAM integrate with other IT functions like security?
SAM is a cornerstone of IT security. By maintaining an accurate inventory of all software, it helps identify unauthorized applications, ensures timely patching of vulnerabilities, and supports security audits. This integration provides a comprehensive view of your organization's risk exposure.
Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI) measures the revenue generated by a marketing campaign relative to the cost of that campaign.
Learn about brand awareness, including understanding its importance, building an effective strategy, key metrics to track, & examples in the real world.
Inventory management is the process of ordering, storing, and using a company's inventory, from raw materials to finished goods.
Ad-hoc reporting is the creation of one-off reports to answer specific business questions as they arise, providing instant, targeted insights.
Net Revenue Retention (NRR) is the percentage of recurring revenue kept from existing customers, including upsells, downgrades, and churn.
A cold email is an initial outreach sent to a potential customer with whom you've had no prior contact, aiming to introduce your business.
Serverless computing is a cloud model where the provider manages servers, so developers can focus on code without worrying about infrastructure.
Revenue forecasting is the process of estimating a company's future revenue, using historical data and market trends to guide strategic planning.
Remote sales is selling from a distance. Reps use digital tools to connect with prospects and close deals without meeting them in person.
A sales enablement platform centralizes content, training, and analytics to help sales teams engage buyers and effectively close deals.
Zero-based budgeting (ZBB) is a method where all expenses are re-evaluated and must be justified from scratch for each new budget period.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) software helps teams coordinate personalized marketing and sales efforts to land high-value customer accounts.
A Marketing Qualified Opportunity (MQO) is a lead vetted by marketing as a genuine sales opportunity, ready for direct sales follow-up.
Marketo is a marketing automation platform used by B2B marketers to manage lead generation, nurturing, email marketing, and analytics.
Learn about browser compatibility, including understanding the importance, common challenges, best practices, & tools for testing.
Real-time data is information processed and made available almost instantaneously, enabling immediate analysis and decision-making.
A persona map visually outlines a target customer, detailing their goals, behaviors, and pain points to help your team build genuine empathy.
An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a software application that manages your entire hiring and recruitment process from a single dashboard.
Customer loyalty is a customer’s devotion to a brand, shown by their repeat purchases and engagement, driven by positive experiences and trust.
A sales stack is the suite of tech tools—from CRMs to prospecting software—that sales reps use to close deals faster and more efficiently.
A draw on commission is an advance payment a salesperson receives against future earnings, which is later repaid from earned commissions.
A/B testing is a method of comparing two versions of something, like a webpage or email, to determine which one performs better with your audience.
LPI, or Lead Per Inquiry, is a key metric that measures how many leads are generated from each inquiry in a marketing campaign.
Mid-market companies are businesses larger than small businesses but smaller than large enterprises, often defined by revenue or employee size.
The awareness stage is the first step in the buyer's journey, where a potential customer realizes they have a problem or an opportunity to explore.
A conversion path is the journey a visitor takes to complete a desired goal, such as making a purchase, filling out a form, or subscribing.
Direct sales involves selling products directly to consumers in a non-retail setting, such as at home, online, or person-to-person.
Learn about business process management, including benefits of implementing BPM, steps to effective BPM, common BPM mistakes to avoid, & BPM tools and software.
Sales coaching is a process where managers help reps improve their skills and performance through personalized feedback, training, and guidance.
Closed Won is a CRM status for a sales deal that has been successfully concluded, resulting in a signed contract and a new customer.
Serviceable Available Market (SAM) is the segment of the total market that your business can realistically serve within its geographical reach.
The Challenger Sales model is a methodology where reps teach prospects, tailor their pitch, and take control of the sales conversation.
An electronic signature is a digital method for getting consent on electronic documents. It's a legally binding way to sign agreements online.
A sales lead is a potential customer—an individual or organization that has shown interest in your company's products or services.
Objection handling in sales is the process of responding to a prospect's concerns about a product or service to move the deal forward.
No Cold Calls is a sales strategy that replaces unsolicited calls with warm outreach to prospects who have already demonstrated interest.
A Letter of Intent (LOI) is a document declaring the preliminary commitment of one party to do business with another, outlining the chief terms.
Load testing is a type of performance testing that determines how a system behaves under both normal and anticipated peak load conditions.
Mobile compatibility ensures your site or app works flawlessly on mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, for a seamless user experience.
Referral marketing is a strategy that incentivizes existing customers to recommend a company's products or services to their personal network.
Predictive Customer Lifetime Value (pCLV) is a forecast of the total net profit a single customer is expected to generate for your business.
A sales champion is your internal advocate at a target company. They believe in your product and help you push the deal forward to close.
Git is a distributed version control system that tracks changes in code, allowing developers to collaborate and manage project history effectively.
A weighted pipeline forecasts sales revenue by assigning a closing probability to each deal based on its stage in the sales funnel.
Outside sales reps sell products/services in person, traveling to meet clients and close deals face-to-face, outside of a traditional office.
Learn about buyer intent data, including sourcing and interpreting buyer intent data, & key metrics in buyer intent analysis.
A Marketing Qualified Account (MQA) is a target company that has shown significant engagement, indicating it's ready for the sales team to pursue.
Yield management is a dynamic pricing strategy that adjusts prices based on demand to maximize revenue from a fixed, perishable inventory.
Cost Per Impression (CPI) is the price an advertiser pays for each time their ad is displayed to a user, irrespective of clicks.
Average Revenue per Account (ARPA) is the average revenue generated from each customer account, usually measured on a monthly or annual basis.
Employee engagement is the emotional commitment an employee has to their organization, motivating them to contribute to the company's success.
Lead nurturing is the process of developing and reinforcing relationships with buyers at every stage of the sales funnel.
Persona-based marketing uses fictional customer profiles, or personas, to create targeted messaging for specific audience segments.
Revenue intelligence is the process of collecting and analyzing customer data to provide insights that help sales teams make smarter decisions.
ClickFunnels is a popular online tool that lets entrepreneurs easily build sales funnels to guide potential customers through the buying process.
Customer segmentation is dividing customers into groups based on shared traits. This allows for more targeted and effective marketing efforts.
Loss aversion is our tendency to feel the sting of a loss more acutely than the pleasure of an equivalent gain.
A triggered email is an automated message sent to a user in response to a specific action or event, like signing up or making a purchase.
Learn about buyer intent, including understanding buyer intent signals, strategies to capture buyer intent, & buyer intent vs. customer interest.
Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a metric measuring customer loyalty by asking how likely they are to recommend your company or product to others.
A Customer Data Platform (CDP) is software that gathers and organizes customer data from various touchpoints into a single, unified profile.
Feature flags let you remotely control features in your app without new code. This enables safe testing, gradual rollouts, and quick rollbacks.
An elevator pitch is a short, memorable summary of what you do, designed to be delivered in the time it takes to ride an elevator.
Omnichannel marketing creates a seamless, unified customer experience by integrating a company's various communication and sales channels.
A Request for Quotation (RFQ) is a document that a company sends to one or more suppliers to get a quote for specific products or services.
Inbound sales attracts interested prospects who've engaged with your brand, letting sales reps connect with warm leads instead of cold outreach.
CPM, or Cost Per Mille, is a key advertising metric. It's the cost an advertiser pays for one thousand views or impressions of a single ad.
Social proof is a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others reflect correct behavior for a given situation.
A Quarterly Business Review (QBR) is a recurring meeting to assess performance against goals and align on strategy for the next quarter.
A Call for Proposal (CFP) is a document that solicits proposals, often through a bidding process, for a specific project or service.
Demand forecasting is the process of predicting future customer demand for a product or service based on historical data and market trends.
Product-Led Growth (PLG) is a business strategy where the product itself drives user acquisition, conversion, and expansion.
Gated content is premium online material, like an ebook or webinar, that users can only access after providing their contact information.
Contract management is the process of creating, executing, and analyzing contracts to maximize performance and minimize financial risk.
A competitive landscape is an analysis of your direct and indirect competitors, revealing their strengths, weaknesses, and market positioning.
Channel sales is an indirect sales model where a company leverages third-party partners, such as resellers or affiliates, to sell its products.
Product-market fit is when a product meets the needs of a strong market, leading to high demand, customer satisfaction, and organic growth.
A Sales Manager leads a sales team, setting goals, analyzing performance, and developing strategies to drive revenue and meet targets.
Lead management is the process of capturing, nurturing, and qualifying leads to guide them from initial interest to sales-ready.
Agile methodology is an iterative approach to project management and software development, focusing on delivering value in small, incremental steps.
Email marketing is a digital strategy where businesses send targeted emails to prospects and customers to build relationships and drive sales.
High availability (HA) describes a system's capacity to function continuously with minimal downtime, ensuring consistent operational performance.
NoSQL ("Not only SQL") databases offer a flexible alternative to relational models, excelling at managing large and unstructured data sets.
Subscription models are a business strategy where customers pay a recurring fee at regular intervals for access to a product or service.
SPIN selling is a sales technique using a sequence of questions—Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-Payoff—to uncover a buyer's needs.
Market intelligence is the process of collecting and analyzing data about your target market, competitors, and industry to guide business strategy.
A marketing attribution model is a framework for assigning credit to the marketing touchpoints that lead a customer to convert.
An Account Executive (AE) is a sales professional responsible for closing new business deals and managing existing client relationships to drive revenue.
Supply Chain Management oversees the entire production flow of a good or service, from raw materials to final delivery to the consumer.
CCPA compliance is adhering to the California Consumer Privacy Act, a law that grants consumers more control over their personal data.
Cross-selling is a sales tactic of encouraging customers to purchase products or services that are related to what they're already buying.
End of Day (EOD) refers to the close of business hours. It's a common deadline for tasks and reports to be completed before the workday ends.
CRM data is the information businesses use to manage customer relationships. It covers contact details, purchase history, and communication logs.
Hot leads are prospective customers who have shown significant interest and are ready to buy, making them a top priority for sales teams.
An account is a company or organization that you're targeting for sales. It can be a prospective, current, or even a past customer.
Salesforce Object Query Language (SOQL) is a query language used to search your organization's Salesforce data for specific information.
Virtual selling is the process of selling to customers remotely using technology like video calls, rather than meeting them in person.
Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) is the ideal order quantity a company should purchase to minimize its total inventory-related costs.
A spiff is a short-term sales incentive, often a cash bonus, paid directly to a salesperson for selling a specific product or service.
Personalization in sales means tailoring outreach to a prospect's specific needs, interests, and context to make communication more relevant.