  # Best Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools - Page 2

  *By [Tian Lin](https://research.g2.com/insights/author/tian-lin)*

   Software asset management (SAM) tools are used to document and manage the software licenses used by a business. Traditionally used to track local, on-premises software licenses, many SAM tools have broadened their scope to include tracking SaaS assets as well. Companies use SAM software for various reasons, including cost tracking, contract management and compliance, and license management solutions, making them prime tools for internal asset and user access managers.

SAM tools share similarities with a few solutions that also manage and track technology assets, including [IT asset management software](https://www.g2.com/categories/it-asset-management), which also covers physical assets and [SaaS operations management software](https://www.g2.com/categories/saas-operations-management), which focuses particularly on as-a-service software management.

To qualify for inclusion in the Software Asset Management category, a product must:

- Provide tools to build a software inventory
- Track local, on-premises software solutions; many track as-a-service software solutions, as well
- Document software licenses and deployments to determine license compliance position
- Provide compliance management capabilities for software programs




  
## How Many Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools Products Does G2 Track?
**Total Products under this Category:** 60

### Category Stats (May 2026)
- **Average Rating**: 4.53/5
- **New Reviews This Quarter**: 13
- **Buyer Segments**: Mid-Market 64% │ Small-Business 21% │ Enterprise 14%
- **Top Trending Product**: USU (+0.02)
*Last updated: May 18, 2026*

  
## How Does G2 Rank Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools Products?

**Why You Can Trust G2's Software Rankings:**

- 30 Analysts and Data Experts
- 2,400+ Authentic Reviews
- 60+ Products
- Unbiased Rankings

G2's software rankings are built on verified user reviews, rigorous moderation, and a consistent research methodology maintained by a team of analysts and data experts. Each product is measured using the same transparent criteria, with no paid placement or vendor influence. While reviews reflect real user experiences, which can be subjective, they offer valuable insight into how software performs in the hands of professionals. Together, these inputs power the G2 Score, a standardized way to compare tools within every category.

  
## Which Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools Is Best for Your Use Case?

- **Leader:** [Snow Atlas](https://www.g2.com/products/snow-atlas/reviews)
- **Highest Performer:** [CloudEagle](https://www.g2.com/products/cloudeagle/reviews)
- **Easiest to Use:** [Alloy Navigator](https://www.g2.com/products/alloy-navigator/reviews)
- **Top Trending:** [AssetSonar](https://www.g2.com/products/ezo-assetsonar/reviews)
- **Best Free Software:** [Zluri](https://www.g2.com/products/zluri/reviews)

  
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---

  ## What Are the Top-Rated Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools Products in 2026?
### 1. [Timly](https://www.g2.com/products/timly/reviews)
  Timly is a cloud-based asset tracking and maintenance solution designed to help businesses efficiently monitor and manage their inventory processes. This platform caters to a wide range of industries, enabling users to optimize their asset management strategies while ensuring the availability and safety of their equipment and materials. The target audience for Timly includes businesses in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, logistics, and healthcare, where precise asset tracking is crucial. By utilizing Timly, organizations can prevent material losses, reduce the time spent searching for equipment, and ensure that devices and machinery are operational when needed. This is particularly beneficial for teams that rely on a variety of tools and equipment to maintain productivity and meet project deadlines. One of the standout features of Timly is its ability to centralize critical inventory data in the cloud, providing users with a comprehensive 360° view of their assets. Each item is assigned a unique QR code, which links the physical asset to its digital profile. This integration simplifies the tracking process, allowing users to quickly access information about each asset&#39;s location, condition, and maintenance history. The platform also supports quality control measures, helping businesses adhere to regulatory and safety standards while maintaining operational efficiency. Timly&#39;s user-friendly interface and robust functionality make it an effective solution for organizations looking to streamline their asset management processes. By leveraging the power of cloud technology, Timly ensures that users can access their inventory data from anywhere, facilitating real-time updates and collaboration among team members. This flexibility is essential for businesses that operate across multiple locations or require remote access to their asset information. Overall, Timly stands out in the asset tracking category by offering a comprehensive suite of tools that enhance visibility, accountability, and efficiency in inventory management. Its focus on preventing material losses and ensuring the availability of critical assets positions it as a valuable resource for businesses seeking to improve their operational workflows and maintain a competitive edge in their respective industries.


  **Average Rating:** 4.9/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 68
**How Do G2 Users Rate Timly?**

- **Customized alerts:** 6.7/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Ease of Use:** 9.4/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind Timly?**

- **Seller:** [Timly Software AG](https://www.g2.com/sellers/timly-software-ag)
- **Company Website:** https://timly.com/
- **Year Founded:** 2020
- **HQ Location:** Zürich, CH
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/timly-ag/ (28 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Top Industries:** Construction, Hospital &amp; Health Care
  - **Company Size:** 63% Mid-Market, 32% Small-Business


#### What Are Timly's Pros and Cons?

**Pros:**

- Alerts (1 reviews)
- Communication (1 reviews)
- Customer Support (1 reviews)
- Ease of Use (1 reviews)
- Efficiency (1 reviews)

**Cons:**

- Poor Design (1 reviews)
- Poor Interface Design (1 reviews)

### 2. [Sassafras AllSight](https://www.g2.com/products/sassafras-allsight/reviews)
  A 3-tiered solution to IT’s toughest challenges, the Sassafras KeyServer Platform is the basis for Sassafras AllSight, LabSight, and KeySight. Sassafras delivers scalable, automated, enterprise-grade hardware and software inventory, management, and usage reporting features. Dashboard-based reports, on-demand or scheduled for automated delivery by email, put the data you need right in front of you with little effort, making IT buying and renewal decisions easier and better-informed than ever. Our cross-platform client can be installed in any physical or virtual Windows, Mac, Linux, or ChromeOS environment, while integrations with Intune, JAMF, and PaperCut import iOS/Android devices and printers. Connected monitors and storage drives are discovered automatically, while other equipment—routers, cameras, projectors, etc.—can be easily imported from a spreadsheet. Integrations with powerful ITSM tools like TeamDynamix and ServiceNow make service management much easier, while our realtime availability maps make it easy for end users to locate resources. One of the original innovators of ITAM, Sassafras Software began in 1989 with its first product: the original, ubiquitous license manager known as KeyServer. KeyServer’s Legacy lives on today in KeySight, our modern concurrent use LMS. LabSight is primarily used for usage tracking, availability maps, and remote access in higher-ed computer lab environments. AllSight is our complete, “single-pane-of-glass” IT Asset Management solution, deployed worldwide in corporate, government, and learning environments large and small.


  **Average Rating:** 4.7/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 19
**How Do G2 Users Rate Sassafras AllSight?**

- **Automated end user license provisioning:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Customized alerts:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Approved app catalogue:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.4/10)
- **Ease of Use:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind Sassafras AllSight?**

- **Seller:** [Sassafras](https://www.g2.com/sellers/sassafras)
- **Year Founded:** 1989
- **HQ Location:** Hanover, US
- **Twitter:** @keyserver (61 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/3513631/ (12 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Top Industries:** Higher Education
  - **Company Size:** 63% Enterprise, 26% Mid-Market


### 3. [vScope](https://www.g2.com/products/vscope/reviews)
  Unleash the full potential of your team with vScope, the comprehensive IT Inventory software. Gain deep insights into your entire IT landscape, including software, hardware, cloud, on-premises assets, licenses, and network infrastructure. vScope&#39;s features encompass anything from robust Configuration Management Database (CMDB), powerful reporting tools, precise IT billing capabilities, and in-depth analysis and compliance. Get in touch to learn more!


  **Average Rating:** 4.8/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 4
**How Do G2 Users Rate vScope?**

- **Automated end user license provisioning:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Customized alerts:** 9.4/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Approved app catalogue:** 9.4/10 (Category avg: 8.4/10)
- **Ease of Use:** 9.6/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind vScope?**

- **Seller:** [InfraSight Labs](https://www.g2.com/sellers/infrasight-labs)
- **Year Founded:** 2010
- **HQ Location:** Malmö, SE
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/infrasight-labs (21 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 50% Small-Business, 50% Mid-Market


### 4. [Forescribe](https://www.g2.com/products/forescribe/reviews)
  Forescribe® is redefining how businesses manage their digital infrastructure in today’s fast-paced world. We bring together the best of agility, innovation, and customer obsession to simplify SaaS Ops and Software Governance without the typical challenges. We&#39;re a vibrant, close-knit team of creative thinkers, tech enthusiasts, and problem solvers united by our passion for delivering value and driving efficiency. Forescribe stands at the crossroads of digital transformation and operational excellence. Our platform offers businesses a powerful suite of tools—AI-driven insights, real-time spend tracking, and complete digital visibility—empowering them to optimize costs, reduce redundancies, and streamline operations. Think of us as your go-to partner for controlling your 2nd largest Opex and navigating the ever-growing world of software with confidence. Also, Forescribe is ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 standard certified, as well as GDPR and CCPA ready.


  **Average Rating:** 4.8/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 20
**How Do G2 Users Rate Forescribe?**

- **Ease of Use:** 9.8/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind Forescribe?**

- **Seller:** [Forescribe](https://www.g2.com/sellers/forescribe)
- **Year Founded:** 2023
- **HQ Location:** Gurugram, IN
- **Twitter:** @forescriber (39 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** http://www.linkedin.com/company/forescribe (13 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 70% Mid-Market, 25% Enterprise


#### What Are Forescribe's Pros and Cons?

**Pros:**

- Ease of Use (5 reviews)
- Automation (4 reviews)
- Features (4 reviews)
- Shadow IT Discovery (4 reviews)
- Visibility (4 reviews)

**Cons:**

- Poor Reporting (2 reviews)
- Complexity (1 reviews)
- Limited Customization (1 reviews)
- Manual Labor Inefficiency (1 reviews)
- Poor Visibility (1 reviews)

### 5. [Setyl](https://www.g2.com/products/setyl/reviews)
  Gain full visibility and control over your IT assets, software licenses, usage and spend with Setyl. Setyl is a cloud-based IT asset and license management (ITAM) platform, which connects to your existing IT systems with 100+ integrations. The platform gives you full visibility over your IT assets and equipment, software licenses, SaaS subscriptions, users, vendors and spend in one centralized place — helping you understand the who, what, why, where, when, and stay in control. Use Setyl to: ✓ Gain full visibility over your hardware and software assets in one place. ✓ Automate and scale daily IT operations, including employee onboarding and offboarding. ✓ Identify and cut wasted IT spend, by up to 30% of your total spend. ✓ Prepare for your audits and stay compliant, including with ISO 27001 and SOC 2. Thanks to its intuitive interface, native integrations, and dedicated one-on-one support, Setyl is fast to deploy, easy to use, and designed for collaboration. Out-of-the-box integrations include: Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, MDM and RMM systems (Intune, Jamf, Iru, NinjaOne, Lansweeper, etc.), IAM, SSO and IDP solutions (Okta, JumpCloud, etc.), HR tools (HiBob, BambooHR, Workday, etc.), finance packages, ticketing desks, and more. API access is also available. Key benefits of Setyl in detail: • Gain full visibility over your IT in one place: Create a source of truth for IT by tracking and managing all your assets, licenses, SaaS subscriptions, assigned users, admins, vendors, usage and spend in one centralized platform. • Automate and scale daily IT operations: Alleviate the complexity of running IT within your organization, even as you scale, through full asset lifecycle management, automated workflows, employee onboarding and offboarding processes, actionable insights and more. • Cut wasted IT spend: Track asset and subscription spend, stay on top of license renewals, identify shadow IT and unused licenses, and recognize spend drivers. • Prepare for your audits and stay compliant: Breeze through your ISO 27001, SOC 2 and other audits, and avoid compliance risks with our dedicated features, including comprehensive information asset register, effective asset tracking, itemized audit logs and change history, vendor management workflows and more. • Collaborate with stakeholders across your organization: Thanks to Setyl&#39;s intuitive interface and permission management, you can give colleagues across the organization access to the platform to easily find relevant data or take over tasks, without losing control. • Get up and running quickly: Out-of-the-box integrations into your existing tech stack combined with Setyl’s intuitive interface ensures a speedy and straightforward implementation. • Receive dedicated support: Our knowledgeable team is ready to assist you at every stage of the process, from onboarding guidance to ongoing support.


  **Average Rating:** 4.8/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 18
**How Do G2 Users Rate Setyl?**

- **Ease of Use:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind Setyl?**

- **Seller:** [Setyl](https://www.g2.com/sellers/setyl)
- **Year Founded:** 2020
- **HQ Location:** London, GB
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/11460502 (23 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 50% Mid-Market, 28% Small-Business


#### What Are Setyl's Pros and Cons?

**Pros:**

- Ease of Use (3 reviews)
- Intuitive (3 reviews)
- Asset Management (2 reviews)
- Automation (2 reviews)
- Efficiency (2 reviews)

**Cons:**

- Integration Issues (1 reviews)
- Limited Mobile Functionality (1 reviews)
- Missing Features (1 reviews)
- UX Improvement (1 reviews)

### 6. [Altair Allocator](https://www.g2.com/products/altair-allocator/reviews)
  Altair® Allocator™ is a multi-site license allocation and management tool designed to maximize software license utilization through efficient sharing across multiple job scheduling servers, geographical locations, and business units. By enabling organizations to share software licenses seamlessly, Allocator enhances operational efficiency and provides clear visibility into license usage, allowing for prioritized allocation based on organizational needs. Key Features and Functionality: - Shared Licenses: Allocator monitors the total number of licenses in the pool and those currently in use, distributing available licenses across various geographic sites or business units to optimize utilization. - Policy Enforcement: Comprehensive resource management policies enable Allocator to enforce license allocation rules throughout the system, ensuring compliance and efficient resource distribution. - Easy Integration: Allocator integrates seamlessly with Altair Monitor™ for license monitoring and with workload scheduling solutions like Altair Accelerator™ and Altair PBS Professional™, facilitating a cohesive license management ecosystem. - Designed for Multi-site Organizations: Tailored for development teams spread across multiple geographies and data centers, Allocator addresses the complexities of managing licenses in distributed environments. - Operational Efficiency: By adjusting license allocation according to demand and utilizing policies to maximize software asset usage, Allocator helps organizations enhance their operational efficiency. Primary Value and Problem Solved: Allocator addresses the challenge of underutilized and inefficiently managed software licenses within organizations operating across multiple sites and business units. By enabling dynamic sharing and allocation of licenses, it ensures that software resources are utilized to their fullest potential, reducing costs associated with unused licenses and improving overall productivity. The tool&#39;s real-time metrics and policy enforcement capabilities provide organizations with the insights and control needed to manage licenses effectively, aligning resource allocation with actual demand and organizational priorities.


  **Average Rating:** 3.5/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 2
**How Do G2 Users Rate Altair Allocator?**

- **Automated end user license provisioning:** 1.7/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Customized alerts:** 3.3/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Approved app catalogue:** 3.3/10 (Category avg: 8.4/10)
- **Ease of Use:** 5.8/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind Altair Allocator?**

- **Seller:** [Altair](https://www.g2.com/sellers/altair-186799f5-3238-493f-b3ad-b8cac484afd7)
- **Year Founded:** 1985
- **HQ Location:** Troy, MI
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/8323/ (3,169 employees on LinkedIn®)
- **Ownership:** NASDAQ:ALTR
- **Total Revenue (USD mm):** $458

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 50% Small-Business, 50% Mid-Market


### 7. [Altair Monitor](https://www.g2.com/products/altair-monitor/reviews)
  Altair Monitor is a software license-tracking tool providing current and historical software license utilization for multi-site environments.


  **Average Rating:** 5.0/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 2
**How Do G2 Users Rate Altair Monitor?**

- **Automated end user license provisioning:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Customized alerts:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Approved app catalogue:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.4/10)
- **Ease of Use:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind Altair Monitor?**

- **Seller:** [Altair](https://www.g2.com/sellers/altair-186799f5-3238-493f-b3ad-b8cac484afd7)
- **Year Founded:** 1985
- **HQ Location:** Troy, MI
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/8323/ (3,169 employees on LinkedIn®)
- **Ownership:** NASDAQ:ALTR
- **Total Revenue (USD mm):** $458

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 100% Small-Business


### 8. [Altair Software Asset Optimization (SAO)](https://www.g2.com/products/altair-software-asset-optimization-sao/reviews)
  Altair® Software Asset Optimization is an advanced tool designed to help organizations optimize their software portfolios by providing real-time data collection, analysis, and visualization. With over 70 configurable reports, SAO enables businesses to make informed decisions, ensuring efficient software asset management and significant cost savings. Key Features and Functionality: - Detailed Reporting: Access more than 70 configurable usage and analytics reports with extensive drill-down capabilities, offering a comprehensive view of license usage across departments and regions. - Admin Tools: Manage license expirations, vendor relationships, agent configurations, user roles, and organizational hierarchies effectively. - SAO Predict: Utilize the &quot;what-if&quot; simulator to explore configuration alternatives, control license costs, and plan for future capacity needs. - Costing Module: Optimize software purchases and control spending through detailed cost allocation and budgeting tools. - Customization: Tailor the SAO solution to meet your organization&#39;s unique requirements, ensuring a personalized approach to software asset management. - Third-Party Support: Support for over two dozen third-party license managers, providing flexibility and integration with existing systems. Primary Value and Problem Solved: Altair SAO addresses the challenge of managing and optimizing software licenses, which often constitute a significant portion of an organization&#39;s operating costs. By offering detailed insights into software usage and underutilization, SAO empowers businesses to make data-driven decisions, leading to efficient budgeting, reduced software expenditures, and improved resource allocation. Additionally, the SAO Predict module aids in future capacity planning, ensuring that organizations are well-prepared for evolving software needs.


  **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 2
**How Do G2 Users Rate Altair Software Asset Optimization (SAO)?**

- **Automated end user license provisioning:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Customized alerts:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Approved app catalogue:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.4/10)
- **Ease of Use:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind Altair Software Asset Optimization (SAO)?**

- **Seller:** [Altair](https://www.g2.com/sellers/altair-186799f5-3238-493f-b3ad-b8cac484afd7)
- **Year Founded:** 1985
- **HQ Location:** Troy, MI
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/8323/ (3,169 employees on LinkedIn®)
- **Ownership:** NASDAQ:ALTR
- **Total Revenue (USD mm):** $458

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 50% Mid-Market, 50% Small-Business


### 9. [AssetLabs Streamline](https://www.g2.com/products/assetlabs-streamline/reviews)
  AssetLabs Streamline is a license management software that streamlines audits an entire organization&#39;s software licenses by Normalizing, categorizing, and automatically identifying license types using your SCCM or other inventory data.


  **Average Rating:** 5.0/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 2
**How Do G2 Users Rate AssetLabs Streamline?**

- **Automated end user license provisioning:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Customized alerts:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Approved app catalogue:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.4/10)
- **Ease of Use:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind AssetLabs Streamline?**

- **Seller:** [AssetLabs](https://www.g2.com/sellers/assetlabs)
- **HQ Location:** N/A
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/No-Linkedin-Presence-Added-Intentionally-By-DataOps (1 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 50% Enterprise, 50% Small-Business


### 10. [License Asset Manager](https://www.g2.com/products/license-asset-manager/reviews)
  LAMUM is a comprehensive software asset management tool for consolidating all engineering software products, licenses, and vendor information while providing complete current and historical usage information.


  **Average Rating:** 4.3/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 2
**How Do G2 Users Rate License Asset Manager?**

- **Automated end user license provisioning:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Customized alerts:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Approved app catalogue:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.4/10)
- **Ease of Use:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind License Asset Manager?**

- **Seller:** [TeamEDA](https://www.g2.com/sellers/teameda)
- **Year Founded:** 2004
- **HQ Location:** Manchester, US
- **Twitter:** @TeamEDA_Inc (17 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/teamedasoftware/ (13 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 50% Small-Business, 50% Enterprise


### 11. [Loggle Application Portfolio Management Software](https://www.g2.com/products/loggle-application-portfolio-management-software/reviews)
  Loggle offers Application Portfolio Management Software that enables end-to-end management and monitoring of application inventories from a single platform. Loggle helps companies evaluate their IT infrastructure and ensure that your application portfolio serves their company’s strategic goals. Get an accurate representation of: - Your inventory - Application usage - Software spend - Functions and domains - Application criticality Simplify your IT Landscape with Loggle!


  **Average Rating:** 5.0/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 2
**How Do G2 Users Rate Loggle Application Portfolio Management Software?**

- **Customized alerts:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Ease of Use:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind Loggle Application Portfolio Management Software?**

- **Seller:** [Loggle](https://www.g2.com/sellers/loggle)
- **Year Founded:** 2020
- **HQ Location:** Wollerau, CH
- **Twitter:** @loggle_io (21 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/loggle/ (2 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 100% Enterprise


### 12. [Miradore Management Suite](https://www.g2.com/products/miradore-management-suite/reviews)
  Miradore Management Suite is a tool for It system management that help to manage and optimize hardware and software assets, while automating routines like deployments, patches and configurations, move from reactive to proactive maintenance to enjoy improved security, and increase user happiness with timely remote support.


  **Average Rating:** 4.8/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 4
**How Do G2 Users Rate Miradore Management Suite?**

- **Ease of Use:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind Miradore Management Suite?**

- **Seller:** [GoTo](https://www.g2.com/sellers/goto-e9cfa0d5-5de0-41fa-9bc6-a0e0ce54cb86)
- **Year Founded:** 2003
- **HQ Location:** Boston, MA
- **Twitter:** @goto (41,255 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/37788/ (1,004 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 75% Small-Business, 25% Mid-Market


### 13. [Raynet One](https://www.g2.com/products/raynet-one/reviews)
  The Raynet One platform provides a central, reliable source for all IT assets to protect, optimize and efficiently manage complex IT systems. It enables True IT Asset Visibility through flexible inventory methods and numerous SaaS &amp; Cloud connectors. The aggregated, transformed, normalized and enriched data provides a high-quality, complete and reliable basis. After all, if you can&#39;t see it, you can&#39;t manage or protect it. Raynet One combines IT and cybersecurity management on a single platform and enables standardized and automated use cases for these IT initiatives. This not only creates transparency but also ensures holistic management of the IT infrastructure – for long-term IT success. The reliable, high-quality and complete IT asset data can be automatically fed into other systems such as SAM, HAM, ITSM, EDR/XDR or CMDBs at any time, so that all stakeholders benefit and gain a common understanding of the IT landscape.


  **Average Rating:** 4.7/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 3
**How Do G2 Users Rate Raynet One?**

- **Automated end user license provisioning:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Customized alerts:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Approved app catalogue:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.4/10)
- **Ease of Use:** 9.4/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind Raynet One?**

- **Seller:** [Raynet](https://www.g2.com/sellers/raynet)
- **Year Founded:** 1953
- **HQ Location:** Chinnor, GB
- **LinkedIn® Page:** http://www.linkedin.com/company/radio-amateurs&#39;-emergency-network-raynet- (21 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 67% Enterprise, 33% Mid-Market


#### What Are Raynet One's Pros and Cons?

**Pros:**

- Accessibility (1 reviews)
- Asset Management (1 reviews)
- Automation (1 reviews)
- Cloud Integration (1 reviews)
- Data Management (1 reviews)

**Cons:**

- Integration Issues (1 reviews)
- Poor Customer Support (1 reviews)
- Poor Usability (1 reviews)
- UX Improvement (1 reviews)

### 14. [Reftab](https://www.g2.com/products/reftab/reviews)
  Designed for IT departments who want to focus on automation. Reftab is a customizable platform for hardware and software asset management. Recognized by Forbes as the best in its class for 2023, 2024 and 2025, and a 2026 leader in Gartner&#39;s IT Management category, Reftab offers a suite of integrations such as Intune, Jamf, Kandji, Microsoft and more. Reftab&#39;s platform improves your processes, strengthens security standards, and ensures compliance with regulations and best practices. Seamlessly integrating with device management tools, identity providers like Entra and Okta, and ticketing systems, Reftab is designed to adapt to any organization’s needs, providing automation and ease of use you&#39;ll rely on for years.


  **Average Rating:** 4.3/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 4
**How Do G2 Users Rate Reftab?**

- **Ease of Use:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind Reftab?**

- **Seller:** [Reftab](https://www.g2.com/sellers/reftab)
- **Year Founded:** 2013
- **HQ Location:** New York, US
- **Twitter:** @reftab (74 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/reftab (7 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 50% Mid-Market, 50% Small-Business


#### What Are Reftab's Pros and Cons?

**Pros:**

- Inventory Management (2 reviews)
- Centralization (1 reviews)
- Customer Support (1 reviews)
- Dashboard Customization (1 reviews)
- Data Tracking (1 reviews)

**Cons:**

- Asset Management Issues (1 reviews)
- Notification Issues (1 reviews)
- Poor Notifications (1 reviews)

### 15. [SAP License Management](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-license-management/reviews)
  Our License Management module is the only solution that offers compliant SAP license management automation integrated with automated user provisioning, giving your organization the ability to optimize SAP and other complex licenses.


  **Average Rating:** 5.0/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 2
**How Do G2 Users Rate SAP License Management?**

- **Automated end user license provisioning:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Customized alerts:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Approved app catalogue:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.4/10)
- **Ease of Use:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind SAP License Management?**

- **Seller:** [Security Weaver](https://www.g2.com/sellers/security-weaver)
- **Year Founded:** 2004
- **HQ Location:** Lehi, US
- **Twitter:** @securityweaver (647 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/85006 (55 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 50% Mid-Market, 50% Enterprise


### 16. [ALVAO Service Desk](https://www.g2.com/products/alvao-service-desk/reviews)
  ALVAO Service Desk is a Microsoft-native ITSM platform that centralizes requests across IT, HR, and Facilities. Integrated with Outlook and Teams, it allows employees to create, track, and resolve tickets directly in familiar tools. AI and Copilot features automate repetitive tasks, provide smart suggestions, and power a Teams-based virtual agent for 24/7 self-service. With transparent dashboards, SLA-driven prioritization, Power platform integration, no-code automatization and Power BI reporting, ALVAO delivers clarity and measurable results. Deployable in Azure or on-premises, and aligned with ISO 27001 and SOC 2, it combines security, flexibility, and scalability to streamline service delivery and drive organizational efficiency while ensuring compliance with standards such as Cyber Essentials and DORA. For more information visit www.alvao.com


  **Average Rating:** 4.6/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 52
**How Do G2 Users Rate ALVAO Service Desk?**

- **Ease of Use:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind ALVAO Service Desk?**

- **Seller:** [ALVAO](https://www.g2.com/sellers/alvao)
- **Year Founded:** 1999
- **HQ Location:** Brno, CZ
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/alvao/ (53 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Top Industries:** Government Administration
  - **Company Size:** 65% Mid-Market, 29% Enterprise


#### What Are ALVAO Service Desk's Pros and Cons?

**Pros:**

- User Interface (7 reviews)
- Ease of Use (6 reviews)
- Automation (4 reviews)
- Time-saving (4 reviews)
- Collaboration (3 reviews)

**Cons:**

- Complex Setup (2 reviews)
- Insufficient Information (2 reviews)
- Learning Curve (2 reviews)
- Limited Customization (2 reviews)
- Bugs (1 reviews)

### 17. [DejaCode](https://www.g2.com/products/dejacode/reviews)
  Increase visibility into your software development process with DejaCode


  **Average Rating:** 5.0/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 1
**How Do G2 Users Rate DejaCode?**

- **Automated end user license provisioning:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Customized alerts:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Approved app catalogue:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.4/10)
- **Ease of Use:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind DejaCode?**

- **Seller:** [nexB](https://www.g2.com/sellers/nexb)
- **Year Founded:** 2003
- **HQ Location:** Mountain View, US
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/nexb (16 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 100% Enterprise


### 18. [Infraon Infinity](https://www.g2.com/products/infraon-infinity/reviews)
  Infraon Infinity is a powerful ITSM and AIOps Platform that supports Incident Management, Change Management, Problem Management, Request Management, SLA, Knowledge Base, Hardware Asset Management ( HAM ), IT Asset Management ( ITAM ), Software asset management ( SAM ), Network Management System ( NMS ), IT Infrastructure Management that helps you track, manage, and control all of your customer, employees and assets efficiently. Infraon Infinity is designed under ITIL V4 standards to help organizations to manage their IT Services and assets efficiently. IT Asset Management module supports both Agent and discovery, which helps the IT team to manage both office network and remote devices in the current hybrid work culture. An inbuilt ticketing system with workflow automation helps exceptional service delivery and employee satisfaction. Infraon Infinity has an intuitive UI, is effortlessly configurable and customizable to meet your exact requirements, and is easily integrated with other business and IT systems. The rich custom dashboards and reports help you make well-informed business decisions and manage your expenses, employee/customer/asset lifecycle. Infraon Infinity Platform is an All-in-one IT operations platform from Infraon Corp, whose sub-products includes Infraon Assets - IT Asset Management Platform, Infraon ITSM- IT service desk, Infraon Helpdesk - Customer Support Software, Infraon NMS- Network Management System, Infraon ITIM - Data centre Management System, and Infraon Infinity An All-in-one IT operations platform, etc. with more than 10000+ user world wide. Start a free trial now!


  **Average Rating:** 4.7/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 19
**How Do G2 Users Rate Infraon Infinity?**

- **Ease of Use:** 9.5/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind Infraon Infinity?**

- **Seller:** [Infraon](https://www.g2.com/sellers/infraon)
- **Year Founded:** 2021
- **HQ Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Twitter:** @infraoncorp (93 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/infraon/ (18 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services
  - **Company Size:** 95% Mid-Market, 5% Small-Business


#### What Are Infraon Infinity's Pros and Cons?

**Pros:**

- Centralization (2 reviews)
- All-in-one Solution (1 reviews)
- All-in-One Solution (1 reviews)
- Asset Management (1 reviews)
- Centralized Management (1 reviews)

**Cons:**

- Delay Issues (1 reviews)
- Delays (1 reviews)
- Limited Customization (1 reviews)
- Missing Features (1 reviews)
- Scheduling Issues (1 reviews)

### 19. [KeyZone](https://www.g2.com/products/keyzone/reviews)
  We are a trusted, full-service IT supplier, providing solutions ranging from storage and networking to printing and consumables. Our team of IT specialists are well known for their fast and flexible approach - and for providing sound advice about product selection.


  **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 1

**Who Is the Company Behind KeyZone?**

- **Seller:** [KeyZone Computer Products Ltd](https://www.g2.com/sellers/keyzone-computer-products-ltd)
- **Year Founded:** 1982
- **HQ Location:** Stanmore, GB
- **Twitter:** @KeyzoneCP (80 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/keyzone-computer-products (13 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 100% Small-Business


### 20. [Matrix42 Software Asset Management](https://www.g2.com/products/matrix42-software-asset-management/reviews)
  Matrix42 Software Asset Management is a complete solution consisting of asset, license, and contract management. It provides license managers and compliance officers with full transparency and investment control over all assets, contracts, and licenses across all platforms (clients, servers, mobile devices, and the cloud).


  **Average Rating:** 5.0/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 1
**How Do G2 Users Rate Matrix42 Software Asset Management?**

- **Ease of Use:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind Matrix42 Software Asset Management?**

- **Seller:** [Matrix42](https://www.g2.com/sellers/matrix42)
- **Year Founded:** 1992
- **HQ Location:** Frankfurt, Germany
- **Twitter:** @Matrix42_global (1,099 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/45631 (629 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 200% Small-Business


### 21. [PinnOne](https://www.g2.com/products/pinnone/reviews)
  PinnOne is the ultimate SaaS management platform that helps businesses streamline their tech stack, eliminate wasteful spending, and optimize subscriptions. Powered by AI, PinnOne automatically identifies software usage across your organization, tracks spend, and provides actionable insights to build your perfect stack. Simplify your tools, save money, and take control of your SaaS subscriptions—all at the most cost-effective price point in the market, making smart SaaS management accessible for businesses of any size.


  **Average Rating:** 5.0/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 1
**How Do G2 Users Rate PinnOne?**

- **Automated end user license provisioning:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Customized alerts:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Approved app catalogue:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.4/10)
- **Ease of Use:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind PinnOne?**

- **Seller:** [PinnOne](https://www.g2.com/sellers/pinnone)
- **HQ Location:** N/A
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/pinnone/ (1 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 100% Small-Business


### 22. [SamBox.io](https://www.g2.com/products/sambox-io/reviews)
  SamBox.io® is a SaaS platform that enables you to calculate and optimize your licensing position, on your own.


  **Average Rating:** 4.0/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 1
**How Do G2 Users Rate SamBox.io?**

- **Automated end user license provisioning:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Customized alerts:** 5.0/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Approved app catalogue:** 5.0/10 (Category avg: 8.4/10)
- **Ease of Use:** 6.7/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind SamBox.io?**

- **Seller:** [Elée](https://www.g2.com/sellers/elee)
- **HQ Location:** N/A
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/No-Linkedin-Presence-Added-Intentionally-By-DataOps (1 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 100% Small-Business


### 23. [SoftwareKey System](https://www.g2.com/products/softwarekey-system/reviews)
  The SoftwareKey System is a complete, turnkey solution for software licensing, online license management, automated online software activation and optionally selling software online. This system is comprised of two parts, a licensing client and a licensing server, which work together to maximize your software licensing revenue but automating the entire license management lifecycle. This seamless and powerful client-server combination is suitable for a one-person operation or a sophisticated team of developers.


  **Average Rating:** 4.9/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 25
**How Do G2 Users Rate SoftwareKey System?**

- **Ease of Use:** 9.1/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind SoftwareKey System?**

- **Seller:** [SoftwareKey.com](https://www.g2.com/sellers/softwarekey-com)
- **Year Founded:** 1991
- **HQ Location:** Winter Garden, FL
- **Twitter:** @SoftwareKey (93 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/15144767/ (5 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Top Industries:** Computer Software
  - **Company Size:** 84% Small-Business, 12% Mid-Market


#### What Are SoftwareKey System's Pros and Cons?

**Pros:**

- Customer Support (1 reviews)
- Data Storage (1 reviews)
- Ease of Use (1 reviews)
- Easy Integrations (1 reviews)
- Integrations (1 reviews)

**Cons:**

- Poor Interface Design (1 reviews)

### 24. [VIZOR Software Asset and License Management](https://www.g2.com/products/vizor-software-asset-and-license-management/reviews)
  VIZOR stores all details related to your software assets and licenses including supplier information and documentation, so you can easily manage multiple purchases, agreements and maintenance contracts.


  **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 1
**How Do G2 Users Rate VIZOR Software Asset and License Management?**

- **Automated end user license provisioning:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Customized alerts:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Approved app catalogue:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.4/10)
- **Ease of Use:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind VIZOR Software Asset and License Management?**

- **Seller:** [VIZOR](https://www.g2.com/sellers/vizor)
- **HQ Location:** Atlanta, US
- **LinkedIn® Page:** http://www.linkedin.com/company/vector-networks-inc. (15 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 100% Mid-Market


### 25. [Xensam Xupervisor](https://www.g2.com/products/xensam-xupervisor/reviews)
  Xensam’s cloud-based AI-powered software asset management platform optimizes software usage, identifies security gaps, and eliminates spending on underutilized apps. It is the complete SAM platform for a hybrid environment, combining SaaS Management and on-prem. With our rich set of features and detailed level of data, we help your business optimize security, costs and compliance; 1. Track all your paid and freemium SaaS, on-prem, and open-source apps. Our AI-driven platform recognizes +445,000 business applications. 2. Get to know exactly how much you can save on underutilized applications. Compare license pricing with your current spending in our cost centre. 3. Connect with Data Center, Oracle, or any cloud license platform. We support all essential discovery integrations and launch an entire integration platform soon.


  **Average Rating:** 5.0/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 1
**How Do G2 Users Rate Xensam Xupervisor?**

- **Automated end user license provisioning:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Customized alerts:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Approved app catalogue:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.4/10)
- **Ease of Use:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind Xensam Xupervisor?**

- **Seller:** [Xensam](https://www.g2.com/sellers/xensam)
- **Year Founded:** 2016
- **HQ Location:** Solna, SE
- **Twitter:** @XensamOfficial (438 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/xensam/ (88 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
  - **Company Size:** 100% Enterprise



    ## What Is Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools?
  [IT Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/it-management)
  ## What Software Categories Are Similar to Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools?
    - [SaaS Management Platforms (SMP)](https://www.g2.com/categories/saas-management-platforms-(smp))
    - [SaaS Spend Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/saas-spend-management)
    - [IT Asset Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/it-asset-management)

  
---

## How Do You Choose the Right Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools?

### What You Should Know About Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools

### What are Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools?

Software asset management (SAM) tools allow businesses to manage the software licenses used across their company. These tools have traditionally supported on-premises software license management, but many tools also support SaaS assets, as well. Software asset management software helps companies monitor and manage software deployment, software licenses, license compliance, and ultimately license spend for all end users involved in the application. The primary use case of SAM is to keep the business compliant as software vendors don’t want the business using more of their software than they purchased or licensed. Vendors often conduct software compliance audits to ensure companies use the specific application correctly. If they are not compliant, a fee or penalty may incur. An excellent SAM practice prevents vendor audits and penalties.&amp;nbsp;

SAM tools discover on-premises software by scanning databases, system logs, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications. This not only shows the software used, but it also prevents unsanctioned software use, known as shadow IT, since it uncovers unreported software. After the discovery, SAM tracks the software compliance with metrics like renewal dates, the maximum number of users and devices, etc. SAM software will go through a normalization process that pulls these metrics out of contracts. Normalization can be partially automated, but due to the complexity of software contracts, manual entry may still be necessary for accuracy. After all key fields are pulled and tracked, SAM tools visualize the metrics and software usage to check for compliance. This visualization informs companies if there are any overuse cases so they can act early to avoid penalties.&amp;nbsp;

Additionally, companies can make the most of their tech stack by ensuring every application is being utilized correctly and not paying for unused licenses. A visualization of usage ensures companies that their money is being spent most efficiently.

**What Does SAM Stand For?**

SAM stands for software asset management. It is a business practice for software compliance and procurement. SAM software does most of the heavy lifting by discovering software, tracking licenses, and visualizing usage data. Some SAM software also tracks SaaS and cloud applications, but they focus more on usage optimization than compliance.

### What are the Common Features of Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools?

The following are some core features within SAM tools that can help users in monitoring software compliance, tracking usage data, and preventing vendor audits:

**Software discovery:** A software management tool maintains a centralized software database. It should automatically discover and document software used on company devices. Manual entry at scale is impractical because it is too time-consuming and inaccurate.

**Usage visualization:** SAM tools should track software usage from the time of procurement to their disposal. By monitoring usage by users, central IT can make important purchasing and license allocation decisions based on who is overusing or underusing the software in real time.

**Alerting:** Once there is an overused case or expiring license, the system should alert the IT manager. Without this functionality, IT managers cannot discontinue or adjust software license agreements on time. Therefore, SAM plays a critical role in the IT service management (ITSM) and Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) processes.

**Compliance documentation:** A software license agreement can be extremely complex. To document these compliance requirements, SAM tools should document the specific metrics and conditions in its database from the agreements. SAM experts would need to input this information into a centralized SAM database for any SAM tools to work.

### What are the Benefits of Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools?

**Cost saving:** SAM gives companies a usage view of their software estate. This allows companies to cut underused licenses in vendor negotiations, saving them an average of 10-20% on software spending.&amp;nbsp;

**Improves vendor relationship:** Vendors are less likely to perform an audit if they are informed of their client’s license entitlements. Suspicious software licensing changes are the top reason why vendors conduct audits. Constant auditing and frequent penalties waste time and deteriorate client relationships. Companies lower software audit risk by informing vendors on license changes, headcount changes, usage data, etc.

**Prevents shadow IT:** Shadow IT is when employees secretly procure their desired hardware or software. There are security risks associated with unknown software, but there is also the threat of non-compliance. Unapproved software, which is therefore not covered by an organization’s license terms, could trigger a software vendor audit. SAM tools should tackle red tape, long delays, and missed requests from employees so they are less likely to procure unauthorized software.&amp;nbsp;

### Who Uses Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools?

**IT managers:** The primary users of this software are IT managers. They are responsible for setting up the SAM tool and tracking all the software. SAM tools also enable them to negotiate better terms with vendors by identifying their real software requirements.&amp;nbsp;

**Finance teams:** Finance teams can determine how many software licenses they can cut based on usage. This also provides them with a clear understanding of software costs in budget planning.

#### Software Related to Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools

[IT asset management software](https://www.g2.com/categories/it-asset-management): IT asset management (ITAM) software helps users document their IT hardware and software inventory. SAM is a part of the ITAM process since it only manages software inventory.

[SaaS operations management software](https://www.g2.com/categories/saas-operations-management): SaaS operations management, or SaaSOps, is a process of managing, governing, and securing SaaS products within a business. This is similar to SAM but it mostly covers cloud applications. Some vendors today offer comprehensive tools that manage both SAM and SaaSOps practices.&amp;nbsp;

### Challenges with Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools

**Data normalization:** Data normalization is part of the SAM automation process that identifies and formats key data from application codes. Normalization turns unstructured data into readable metrics to show compliance status and usage information. SAM tools automate this process with the correct configuration. The challenge is that it is time-consuming to set up the correct metrics (what is the limit for per device, per user, etc.) with complex software contracts. To correctly identify all the metrics, the legal, finance, and IT teams should work together for an extended period. Companies with new SAM processes should aim for a few critical software licenses to start.

**Data integration:** Not all applications can be integrated with every SAM tool. Some SAM vendors offer specific SAM tools for leading vendors such as Microsoft, while some SAM vendors claim to offer all-in-one solutions for all applications. Companies should review their requirements and ask vendors to demonstrate whether or not their tools can integrate specific applications.

### Which Companies Should Buy Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools?

**Enterprise** : Companies with 500 or more employees should consider buying SAM tools. Manual software license tracking is difficult with this many employees, typically enterprise businesses will hire license management solution companies to facilitate this task. Vendors also actively target enterprises for vendor audits, making them more likely to receive penalties.&amp;nbsp;

### How to Buy Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools

#### Requirements Gathering (RFI/RFP) for Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools

Whether a company is looking for its first SAM software or trying to replace an existing one, g2.com can help find the best tool.

The company’s needs when searching for SAM software often relate to specifically desired data and metrics. For example, the user may be most interested in monitoring their software usage. Buyers should make a ranked list of the SAM features that most directly address the problems they’re trying to solve, then reference G2 reviews to find the right fit.

Prioritizing the desired feature set can help narrow down the potential pool of SAM solutions, allowing teams to then apply further considerations for budget, ease of integration with other systems, security requirements, and more. This holistic approach empowers buyers to move forward with a focused checklist, which can be used in conjunction with G2 scoring to select the best SAM product for the business.

#### Compare Software Asset Management (SAM) Products

**Create a long list**

When searching for SAM software, companies need to identify compatibility with existing ERP, HR, and other business management software. Buyers should make a list of important existing software that needs to be integrated, then filter out the SAM tools that can’t be integrated with existing software.

**Create a short list**

It helps to cross-reference the results of initial vendor evaluations with G2 reviews from other buyers, the combination of which will help to narrow in on a short three to five-product list. From there, buyers can compare pricing and features to determine the best fit. Some vendors don’t charge implementation costs while some do.&amp;nbsp;

**Conduct demos**

As a rule of thumb, companies should make sure to demo all of the products that end up on their short list. During demos, buyers should ask specific questions related to the functionalities they care most about; for example, one might ask to be walked through a typical performance issue from alerting to license reconciliation within the SAM tool.&amp;nbsp;

#### Selection of Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools

**Choose a selection team**

Regardless of a company’s size, it’s important to involve the most relevant personas when beginning the SAM software selection process. Larger companies may include SAM specialists, procurement teams, IT managers, and developers who will be working with the software most closely. Smaller companies with fewer employees might just need IT managers to fill the role.

**Negotiation**

Many vendors offer full software license platforms that go beyond SAM (on-premises) to include SaaS license management and spending platforms. While some companies will not budge on the configurations of their packages, buyers looking to trim costs should try to negotiate down to the specific functions that matter to them to get the best price. For example, a vendor’s pricing page where SAM functionality is only included with a robust all-in-one monitoring package, whereas a sales conversation may prove otherwise.&amp;nbsp;

**Final decision**

After this stage, it is important to perform a trial run if possible with a small selection of IT professionals or developers. This will help to ensure that the SAM software of choice integrates well with an IT administrator’s systems setup or a developer’s day-to-day work. If the SAM tool is well-liked and well-utilized, the buyer can take that as a sign that their selection is the right one. If not, looking back at the other options may be necessary.



    
