Effective Software Licence Management With Timly

On this page you will find information on the following topics:

• How a Professional Software Licence Manager Minimises Administrative Effort
• Software Asset Management in Companies as an Optimisation Factor
• Making ITIL the Standard for Licence Management
• The Timly Software Licence Management Tool
• Automating Software Licence Tasks
• Using Excel Templates for Software Licence Management Is Not Enough
• Using Open-Source Solution Carries Risks
• Software Licence Management: Using Free Tool Is Usually Not Worthwhile

How a Professional Software Licence Manager Minimises Administrative Effort

Software licence management is increasingly becoming a challenge in IT departments. Many manufacturers of commercial software are moving away from the model of lifetime licences that can be purchased once and then used indefinitely.

Increasingly, software licences are offered in a subscription model with varying terms. The expiry of a term can have unpleasant consequences if urgently needed programmes no longer function. Those responsible in IT departments must therefore have as complete an overview as possible of the installed software in their company.

With Timly, it is possible to comprehensively map even very heterogeneous IT infrastructures. Location recording, personal assignments and a separate calendar for each asset are just some of the comfort functions that simplify software licence management.

Software Asset Management in Companies as an Optimisation Factor

Software asset management is about considering the operating systems and applications running on the hardware used as separate items. One example is the Microsoft Windows operating system, which is often delivered with a computer or laptop as an OEM licence. If, for example, a company-internal upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is planned here, it is laborious and time-consuming to determine which licences are activated on which devices.

With Timly’s intuitive inventory software, it is possible to record every programme and every operating system with all relevant data right at the time of installation. Logical containers can be created to assign the software installed on a piece of hardware. Any licence expiry dates are entered in the calendar. Those responsible receive reminders by e-mail in good time before the expiry of renewal periods. If updates or patches are planned, IT administrators can clearly see in Timly’s software licence management where each device is located and who is the contact person.

Making ITIL the Standard for Licence Management

The ITIL standard for IT service management lists seven basic principles that should guide the organisation and thus also licence management solutions. The most important principles that have a direct influence on software licence management include:

– Start where you are: Existing solutions should be integrated and reused as much as possible.

– Holistic view: All measures should always take into account the effects on neighbouring work areas and the entire company.

– Simplicity and practicability: Processes must be designed as intuitively as possible in everyday life. They must not unnecessarily complicate work processes.

– Optimisation and automation: Recurring tasks should be automated where possible to relieve employees and reduce sources of error.

Timly’s inventory software helps to comply with principles and standards. The structured recording of all assets used in the company makes it easy for those responsible to generate and combine the necessary information.

Especially in software licence management, the easy manageability and smart functions relieve employees. When software audits are scheduled as part of certifications, it is a sign of professionalism if all the necessary data is available “at the touch of a button” at all times.

The Timly Software Licence Management Tool

Timly’s inventory management software works as a cloud-based service. It can ultimately be accessed from any end device. Timly’s digital personnel file, which is particularly suitable for smartphones and tablets, ensures better usability. Assets can also be marked with QR codes. This means that it is sufficient to scan a QR code in the barcode scanner of the app to call up the profile of an asset.

In this way, employees can obtain a complete overview of the installed software on an administered PC or server in software licence management in a time-saving manner. Entries can be added or updated on the spot. Practical filter functions and calendar overviews support IT administrators in their daily work.

If, for example, a security vulnerability becomes known in a software in use, the affected devices can be identified without much effort. Strategic decisions can always be made on the basis of the complete information available.

Automating Software Licence Tasks

Software licence management does not require any manual intervention after the initial setup. If a renewal is due, the system automatically notifies the defined group of people. The integration of external service providers is also possible at this point. For example, automatic ordering processes can be linked to fixed deadlines.

The risk of overlooking expiring licences is reduced to practically zero. Moreover, employees no longer have to laboriously search for licence expirations in documents or varying menu items of the software. A glance at the Timly app is enough and the required information about installed software is available.

Using Excel Templates for Software Licence Management Is Not Enough

When it comes to managing static data, Excel is the first choice in many companies. However, if an IT infrastructure exceeds a certain complexity, the spreadsheet programme is quickly no longer sufficient. Multi-user capability is only insufficiently implemented. Access from mobile devices is hardly practicable.

Due to home offices and changing work locations, the administered end devices are often no longer within the access range of the IT administrators. Timly’s database-based software licence management, on the other hand, is designed for dynamic application scenarios. Every authorised employee can work with the database in real time at any location.

Links and smart actions are implemented natively in the software and do not have to be subsequently realised through security-critical VBA scripts.

Using Open-Source Solution Carries Risks

Implementing software licence management with an open source solution can be a cost-effective alternative. In the professional environment of a company, however, this entails some risks. For example, there are no claims to support and bug fixes.

With Timly’s inventory app, on the other hand, the customer acquires a mature product that has been tested in practice. The support team helps with questions and problems. The experienced developers are constantly working on improving the software. In the process, customer wishes and suggestions are always incorporated into new functions. Cloud-based access also requires the servers used to be secured. As soon as personal data is processed, the strict regulations of the German Data Protection Regulation (DSGVO) and the GDPR apply.

Timly’s experts ensure the secure implementation of encryption and DSGVO and GDPR-compliant configuration of the cloud servers. The customers’ employees are thus relieved and can concentrate on the company’s IT infrastructure.