Microsoft adds tool for evaluating software asset management
InfoWorld | at | by Mike
Microsoft is adding a feature to its controversial SAM program that it claims will benefit corporate IT users by giving them a scorecard for evaluating their internal asset management processes.
The SAM Optimization Model, which is being announced at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference in Houston this week, is a free tool that can be used by corporate customers or by value-added resellers and other Microsoft business partners. Companies undergoing an evaluation -- always performed internally or by partners, never by Microsoft directly -- are given a rating for their SAM efforts on a four-stage scale, from Basic for worst to Dynamic for best.