Software Asset Management and Microsoft Enterprise Agreement for Moskabelmet

The Moskabelmet group was created based on production workshops of Moskabelmet Ltd which M.M. Podobedov and To conducts the family tree with "A partnership for operation of electricity". The charter of a partnership was approved by the Emperor of Russia Nicholas II on June 29, 1895. Now the enterprise integrates six main productions of cable and conduction products: power cables of low and medium voltage, optical fiber cables, color rolling, contact and uninsulated wires, the winding and enameled wires of rectangular and round section, copper rolled wire and a wire and also the transposed wires. Besides, Moskabelmet Group includes the enterprises of system integration, service maintenance, sale of the IT equipment and the software.

Within the joint project on management of licenses the analysis of a current status of licensing of the PC park and all complex of IT structure of Moskabelmet Group was carried out. Further specialists of Columbus compared data retrieveds with documentation confirming existence of necessary software licenses of Microsoft and data on actually used program and to the hardware. Within audit the company was studied regarding existence/lack of the personal or unlicensed software which could be security risk of Moskabelmet company.

Based on the booked audit by project team the conclusion was drawn on the level of compliance of the used number of installations of products of Microsoft and available by Moskabelmet Group of licenses. Besides, specialists of Columbus created a number of practical recommendations for improvement of management of licenses which optimized processes of acquisition, installation, storage, inventory and utilization of software of Microsoft. Also the staff of Moskabelmet Group was consulted on legal issues of use of the licensed and unlicensed software.

Until recently in the company there was no need for a centralized system of accounting of purchases program and the hardware therefore each division purchased necessary software and the equipment, submitting applications to IT department in an individual order. But owing to existence of a large number of assets in group and also extremely branched IT infrastructure, the management of Moskabelmet Group made the decision to book audit of the used software and to select the optimal program of corporate licensing. The international consulting company Columbus acted as the partner of this project.

"Columbus – one of the largest certified partners of Microsoft in the territory of Russia and the CIS, has extensive experience in the field of corporate licensing therefore we not for long deliberated over the one to whom we can charge this project", - Aglyamov Ramil Rafisovich, the CIO of Moskabelmet Ltd says.

According to the recommendation of specialists of Columbus audit of the software in Moskabelmet Group was booked according to methodology of Software Asset Management (SAM). Besides, the companies signed the agreement of Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA) on delivery of a licensed software of Microsoft. Pluses of this corporate program of licensing are that the cost of licenses counting on one PC remains invariable within three years. It will allow to control better Moskabelmet expenses on acquisition of software of Microsoft, to update it during all duration of the agreement on the latest versions and also to receive a packet of additional services on training and technical support of users.

At the moment all purchases program and the hardware, their installation and write-off are performed and controlled by specialists of IT department of Moskabelmet Group. The most part of software of Microsoft is purchased within the current agreement Enterprise. Also assets representatives of top management of the company, in particular the CIO Moskabelmet have rights to data management.

According to the results of the booked audit the management of Moskabelmet Group made the decision to observe an order of management of lifecycle program and the hardware and to carry out inventory of the operating software quarterly. "How in the company the procedure of inventory program is organized and the hardware directly influences process of SAM in general. SAM depends on quality of implementation of this stage of methodology, how well the organization considers the assets program and the hardware that, respectively, is reflected as in final results of carrying out audit on methodology of SAM, and has an impact on other stages of management of licenses", - Ekaterina Dontsova, the account manager of Columbus emphasizes.

The license agreement Enterprise Agreement together with earlier purchased licenses according to the corporate Open License and OEM programs cover all existing park of computers Moskabelmet. Asset management program and the hardware are at the rationalized level.

As a result of joint work of specialists of Moskabelmet Group and Columbus company a clear policy of purchase of the system-wide software was created. Also IT specialists of Moskabelmet Group took a number of steps for development of standards of a workplace for different employee groups to simplify planning process of necessary quantity of software in strict accordance with tasks of their divisions.

Ramil Rafisovich Aglyamov, the CIO of Moskabelmet Ltd, adds: "As a result of cooperation with consulting company Columbus we managed to receive more detailed picture about a status of our park of personal computers and structure of finance costs on licensing of the software. Being guided by data of audit, we defined ways of further development of IT infrastructure of the company, approved long-term and short-term plans on acquisition and support of licenses of Microsoft and also managed to reduce significantly costs for the unused software and its service. Besides, thanks to methodology of Software Asset Management we minimized legal risks of use of illegal software".

In conclusion It should be noted that the project was implemented in only one month – forces of three representatives of Moskabelmet Ltd and two specialists of Columbus in corporate licensing.