As IT manager, it’s an ongoing challenge to manage your IT resources. Do you know how many different applications are used in your organisation for example? Or how many licences you hold for various software? And do you have a complete overview of the endpoints in your organisation? We can explain how these insights can result in savings.

Nature strives for chaos and the same seems to apply to the ICT in any organisation. As IT manager you probably sometimes feel that everyone is installing whatever they feel like, and carries out all their work on computers and smartphones they bring from home. Let’s face it – many IT managers fall behind, albeit unintentionally.

Do you have any idea how many applications are used in your organisation? The chances are that you don’t. And you’re not alone. An average business uses almost 90 applications, a figure that has risen by 21 percent over the last three years. Ten percent of companies use no less than 200 apps, some even more. No wonder you can barely keep track, or that many managers think there are fewer applications in use than there really are.

So:

Tip 1: gain insight into your applications

Not only do you need to find out which applications are used within your organisation, you must also make absolutely sure that you have the right licence for each one, as well as for each user.

It’s almost certain that you’ll find you have too few licences for some applications, but since there will be many applications that are rarely or never used, you can cancel some of them without a problem. So in the end, it will be a good move financially.

There are a few reasons why it’s a good idea to get rid of unwanted software:

  • The software won’t be updated, and so could potentially be a way in for hackers.
  • No updates also means no insight into compliance and privacy.

Finally, when you know you’ve got a complete picture of the situation, you’ll make sure that things don’t get that far again. You’ll invest in a good endpoint management tool (bonus tip), which will allow you to remotely manage the software at the end-user workstations: roll-out, update and monitor.

Tip 2: Look for alternatives in the cloud

As IT manager, SaaS is your, and your CIO’s, best friend. You love the fact there nothing to worry about; the SaaS supplier provides the platform and infrastructure and all you need to do is register the user, and set the settings correctly. In addition, the transparent costs are very welcome for your C-level colleagues. You only use what you need, and you can (usually) cancel per month. New employee? Simply take out an extra subscription to, for example, Microsoft 365 or Google WorkSpace. Insurmountable round of layoffs? Just cancel the subscriptions. So there are no expensive, unused, ‘enterprise’ licences.

Tip 3: Virtualise the on-site apps

For apps that don’t have a SaaS alternative, or are custom-made for example, you can consider going virtual – in the cloud, naturally. You’ll still enjoy some of the benefits of SaaS. You won’t have to worry about the servers, since they are located in the cloud and managed by the cloud provider. Again, you will only use what you need, so you won’t have to make expensive investments in hardware. Monthly costs fall under the operational budget, which again is greatly appreciated at C-level. And this applies too, to potential storage in the cloud.

At the operating system and application level, it will mean that users can log in from anywhere and always see their own pc desktop. This of course is a huge advantage now that fewer people are in the office every day. Naturally, you manage everything remotely and again you only pay for what you need.

You can make significant savings with a smart application strategy. Are you curious how endpoint management tool Easy Software Deployment helps you make IT management easier? Check the calendar to see when our experts are available, and schedule a demo right away.