Note: Publications marked with "P" are included with IBSMA PREMIUM membership. Publications marked with "B" are included with IBSMA BASIC membership. All IBSMA members receive a discount on other publications. Members and subscribersLog In to the publications archive.
NEWTools Manager Series Subscription
Subscribe to ECP's most popular publication and don't miss an issue! Your annual subscription to Tools Manager gives you online access to current and back issues, and print issues delivered by mail. Beginning in 2008, Tools Manager will be published four times per year in winter, spring, summer and fall. Covers IT asset, software and service management tools. The next issue is scheduled for release in February. Don't miss it!
Tools Manager June '08 (All memberships) $95.00
Ten New SAM Tools Put to the Test. The trusted SAM experts at ECP who bring you detailed reviews and analysis of the latest software asset management tools have done it again. In individual editions of Tools Manager, our editors review the newest offerings from USU, Bit9, Update4U, Staff and Line, Symatec, Ventana, Centennial, BDNA, Acresso and Right2use.
Each tool review edition of Tools Manager includes our balanced and unbiased ECP summary evaluation where our editors detail the latest product developments and features. (20 pages in 10 PDFs). IBSMA members and Tools Manager subscribers receive publications by mail and online. Log in to access your account.
IT Service Manager - Apr. '08 (All Memberships) $45.00
Service Operation
Second in a series of five reports on the Information Technology Infrastructure Library’s v.3 books, IT Service Manager boils down this complex service management framework to its essentials. In our second report, we take a look at the Service Operation volume, which addresses the management of IT service operations.
This issue is free for IBSMA members and available on the member site. Available in PDF. 8 pages.
Tools Manager 2008 ITAM and SAM Review - Winter 2008 (All Memberships) $195.00
A Complete Guide to the Best ITAM and SAM Tools. ECPweb's 48-page Winter 2008 Tools Manager issue is our biggest issue yet. Read 32 in-depth reviews of the best ITAM and SAM tools. Includes handy feature comparison charts, ratings and definitions.
List of tools in this issue: AppStream, Aspera, BDNA, Belarc, Blazent, BMC, CA, Centennial Software, Dell | ASAP, Express Metrix, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Insight, Kace, LicenseTracker, Macrovision, ManageSoft, Microsoft, NetSupport, Novell, Open iT, Oracle, Provance, PS’Soft, SAManage, Sassafras, Scott & Scott, Snow Software, Staff & Line, Symantec/Altiris, TCO Solutions, USU AG, Ventana Group (48 pages, PDF). IBSMA members and Tools Manager subscribers receive publications by mail and online. Log in to access your account. To purchase a single issue order this item. Download a preview of the product mix.
SAM Managers Say Honesty the Best Policy - Nov. '07 (B and P) $45.00
You get a registered letter, e-mail or telephone call from a software publisher or association who wants to know how you’re using their software, and maybe wants to stop by for a look-see at how you keep track of software licenses.
Whether just a shot across the bow or a prelude to a full-blown audit that could chew up a month’s time, contact from publishers can be a source of dread and can leave an enduring sore spot afterward.
Recent ECPweb surveys (see ECP’s 2007 Survey Report on Software and IT Asset Management) indicate that software-license compliance audits are as prevalent as ever. So how do you contend with inquiries from publishers and their representatives and, when they follow, audits? We asked specialists in Europe and the United States from several different kinds of companies: banks, manufacturers, insurers and consultants. We found differences—and some striking similarities—in their responses.
In the report, filled with direct quotes from end users, you'll read about audit methods and frequency, targeting, audit outcomes and experiences and lessons learned.
Available in PDF. 8 pages. **THIS REPORT IS AVAILABLE ON THE IBSMA MEMBERS SITE.**
Tools Manager 2007 CMDB Review - Fall 2007 (All Memberships)
KPMG Survey: Is Unlicensed Software Usage Hurting Your Bottom Line?
Unlicensed software installations continue to be a significant problem and source of revenue loss for software companies worldwide. A new survey by KPMG reveals that software publishers may be losing more than 10 percent of revenue due to license violations. This report from KPMG’s Information, Communications, and Entertainment practice, and co-sponsored by IBSMA, is aimed at uncovering the most vexing license compliance issues and understanding what leading companies are doing to remedy these problems.
In addition to helping publishers, this report will also inform software buyers who wish to gain insights into publishers’ license compliance efforts and practices. Download the report
SAM Assess Gap Analysis & Reporting Tool Kit **THIS PRODUCT IS TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE WHILE WE CREATE AN ALL-NEW VERSION TO SHIP IN JULY.** This tool kit will help you prepare for and conduct a rapid assessment and benchmark of software asset management processes according to ISO 19770-1. Included in the tool kit is the SAM Assess Tool, an Excel scoring worksheet and reporting tool for evaluating your program and generating reports. The kit also includes a 100-page guide (PDF) with extensive glossary of terms and acronyms, International Standards ISO/IEC 19770-1 and 15504-3, practical guidance on applying the standard and examples for documenting outcomes, a scope of SAM Program Worksheet, general guidance on performing an assessment and a sample documented assessment process.
IT Service Manager - Nov. '07 (All Memberships) $45.00
Service Transition
First in a series of five reports on the Information Technology Infrastructure Library’s v.3 books, IT Service Manager boils down this complex service management framework to its essentials. In our first report, we take a look at the Service Transition volume, which addresses the middle of the service life cycle.
This issue is free for IBSMA members and available on the member site. Available in PDF. 6 pages.
IT Service Manager - Jul. '07 (Public Distribution) The refreshed Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL®) launched in May in London to rousing applause and some skepticism, but what does it mean for you?
IT Service Manager’s correspondent Rick Mitchell was at the launch to hear presentations, interview the authors, and speak with attendees. Read the latest IT Service Manager to learn how v.3 is different from ITIL v.2, the authors’ views on the new framework’s benefits and the training and certification scheme. Available in PDF. 4 pages.
SAM Standards Explained - July '07 This 12-page overview is designed to help you keep on top of the international effort to develop software asset management standards. You’ll not only gain insight into the process of creating SAM standards and the work to date, but also what standards may mean to your organization. You’ll find handy charts and outlines, plus candid interviews with SAM pros on the frontlines of developing and implementing international SAM standards. Available in PDF. 12 pages.
2007 Survey Report on Software and IT Asset Management - May '07 (All Memberships) $95.00
Our 2007 Survey Report on Software and IT Asset Management reveals changing priorities of executive management and the role of tools and automation. We see a profound association between organizations with successful software and IT asset management programs and those that conduct reviews and audit results. The survey also uncovered a 75 percent jump in the number of firms audited for software license compliance.
The report compares and contrasts results for both 2005 and 2007 to provide IT managers with straightforward information to help them make intelligent choices about acquiring, improving and managing IT assets.
Available in print and PDF. This publication is included with all IBSMA memberships. 24 pages. Members use your coupon code to waive the fee.
IT Service Manager - Apr. '07 (All Memberships) $95.00
The Information Technology Infrastructure Library is getting a major facelift with the so-called Refresh Project, which will bring it up to date with more complete how-to advice based on current IT best practices, needs and technology. A major objective of the refresh is to enhance ITIL’s alignment with the new international service management standard, ISO/IEC 20000.
ECPweb interviewed several of the project’s key players as well as experts outside the project, to find out what the changes to ITIL will be, and what those changes will mean. Because ITIL is an important program, disagreements about the merits of overhauling it are to be expected. We present some of the pro and con arguments here.
Available in print and PDF. This publication is included with all IBSMA memberships. 12 pages. Members use your coupon code to waive the fee.
A Guide to Negotiating Better Software License Agreements - Mar. '07 (B and P) $95.00
Finally, a guide to the specific terms, traps and quirks of negotiating software license agreements. Our guide to negotiating better software license agreements will help you draft low-risk, high-return SLAs. Whether you’re a beginner or have negotiated hundreds of software license agreements, you’ll learn new ways to avoid the most common mistakes and manage the obligations of the agreement — from initial purchase through maintenance and termination. Also included is a sample software license agreement, 15 best practices for writing software license agreements and a glossary of terms. Available in PDF and print. 44 pages. Members use your coupon code to waive the fee.
SAM Pros See High Demand for ISO 19770 Standards - Oct. '06 IT managers believe establishing SAM standards is good for business, saves money, improves IT service and enhances a company's negotiating position, according to a new study by the International Business Software Managers Association and ECPweb.com. The study also found high demand for software tagging standards from end users who said they'd be more likely to buy SAM tools that supported their efforts toward ISO compliance. Available in PDF.
IT Service Manager - Sept. '06 (All Memberships) $95.00
Are you ready for ITIL? With extensive interviews, commentary, and analysis, ECPweb takes a wide-ranging look at the service-management framework that started in the United Kingdom and is now making a splash in
America. Plus, we report the results of our ITIL readiness survey, examining seven readiness indicators. ITIL is here to stay!
Available in print and PDF. This publication is included with all IBSMA memberships. 20 pages. Members use your coupon code to waive the fee.
Modeling IT Infrastructure: An IT Service Management Approach $95.00
ECPweb presents a primer covering
the heart of ITIL, the configuration management
database (CMDB). Canadian
ITIL experts David Chiu and D.L. Tsui write
a practitioner’s account of the steps setting
up the CMDB. The configuration management database
(CMDB) is the cornerstone of information
sharing between ITIL processes.
The CMDB tracks data about the IT
infrastructure by representing IT assets
— software, hardware, documents and
information about people related to the
company’s business, among many others
— as configuration items (CIs). 16 pages. Members use your coupon code to waive the fee.
Perspectives on Software Compliance (B and P) $95.00
This collection of interviews, with Bob Kruger (IBSMA), Ron Brill (KPMG LLP) and Christina Crowley (Oracle USA), follows on our August 2005 survey report covering end user attitudes to software audits. ECPweb’s Rick Mitchell interviewed these industry leaders, capturing their frank
assessments and perspectives on audit practices of trade associations, external auditors and software publishers. 12 pages in print and PDF. April 2006.
Profiles in Excellence: Software Asset Management (B and P) $95.00
This collection of articles covers five profiles of software asset management success. 12 pages in print and PDF. April 2006.
Titles include:
> A Global Approach to Managing Software Assets
> University SAM Program Emphasizes Cooperation
Among Independent Units
> Perspectives of a Former Enforcer
> Better Management of IT Assets Helps the Navy Run a Tighter Ship
> A Head-on Approach to SAM Yields Good Results
Software Asset Management is Good for Business - Survey Report by ECPweb.com (P) $125.00
Software asset management is a quickly emerging field, developing in response to software industry efforts to hold firms accountable for software licenses and by the firms’ efforts to optimize software utilization. ECP’s report offers IT managers straightforward information to help make intelligent choices about improving and managing this effort.
Software Manager Special Issue (B and P) $95.00
This special issue of
Software Manager includes articles on
practical approaches
to software asset
management, contracting,
licensing and return
on investment. 35 pages. Available in PDF only.
Software Publisher Enforcement Programs Survey Report (B and P) $125.00
There's little love lost between major end users of software and the publishers who make the products on which they depend, a new ECP survey finds. In the report, filled with direct quotes from end users, you'll read about audit methods, targeting, audit outcomes and experiences, software contracts, the role of resellers, compliance awareness and buying patterns. Also, respondents offer advice for publishers to improve their enforcement programs.
The companion article, Enforcement is Here to Stay, or is it? , explains many myths surrounding the business practices of the software industry trade groups and discusses how the associations gather information, work with software publishers and each other, and explores the future of enforcement.
This Software Manager report is available in print and PDF format. 16 pages.
Assessing Software Usability to Aid in Selecting Software Tools $95.00
Software usability is an important criterion for selecting
a business software tool because it helps assess a product’s ease of use, intuitiveness or simplicity. This article looks at seven dimensions of usability and how to measure them to ensure that a product
will contribute to the success of your project. By Mitch Brisebois. 3 pages.
Best Practices in IT Asset and Software Management (Paperback) $95.00
The new edition (released in Sept. 2006) of our popular guide for IT asset management (ITAM) offers best practices for desktop and distributed computer asset management. checklists. Available in PRINT. 160 pages.
Best Practices in IT Asset and Software Management PDF (P) $395.00
The new edition (released in Sept. 2006) of our popular guide for IT asset management (ITAM) offers best practices for desktop and distributed computer asset management. Those new to IT asset management will find this a solid general reference document. More experienced practitioners may seek answers to specific questions.
ECP defines a best practice as a set of tools and processes designed to maximize efficiency and productivity for a given task or outcome. It falls somewhere between a framework – a high-level description of a task or process – and a standard, which describes specific and measurable outcomes.
The appendix covers equipment disposal, leasing, software asset management, tools, staffing and case studies. A new section of supplemental materials offers perspectives on the ITAM field, but, most important, it provides in-depth, illustrative examples of how the component parts of a large company's ITAM program intermesh.
Here you will find a blueprint for installing an asset management program, with step-by-step instructions. Section 1 is a template, with practical tools, for analyzing the return on investment you can expect from your ITAM program. It lays out a cogent analysis of the tangible business value a program can provide to a company, which could be used to sell such a program to higher management. Later sections provide sample policies, procedures and process flows that you can use to model your own, and detailed term definitions and equipment checklists. Available in PDF. 160 pages. IBSMA PREMIUM membership includes this publication in PDF.
IBSMA Data Standard for Software Tagging and Identification (Draft ISO/IEC 19770-2, May '07) The SAM Standards Committee of the International Business Software Managers Association (IBSMA) releases for public review the final version of, “The International Business Software Managers Association Data Standard for Software Tagging and Identification, Draft 1.3.” This work was authored by IBSMA and originally released January 24, 2007 as the working draft of ISO/IEC 19770-2.
IBSMA completed work on the draft 19770-2 in May, and ISO has been granted rights to publish the draft as an international standard.
For more information visit the Work Groups and Committees page. To receive this publication you must provide your name, address and e-mail for delivery. You will receive the file by e-mail after your information is verified. We regret we are unable to process orders with incomplete contact details.
Framework and Data Standard for Software-use Entitlement: A Status Report - Nov. '07 (Public Distribution) In a new status report, IBSMA details the tremendous work to date on creating an international software-use entitlement standard. This 8-page report, along with the standard, explains how the proposed standards would work, the hurdles that still exist and the procedure for implementation.
With these standards, customers will achieve increased insight into licensing rights and enhanced ability to reconcile these with software inventories. Tool vendors can deliver products with accurate and consistent license allocation, and publishers can improve customer relationships along with improved compliance and decreased need to audit. Available in PDF.
ISO/IEC 19770-1 and 15504-3 - Single-user License for PCSAM class $248.00
ISO/IEC 19770-1 Software Asset Management Processes and 15504-3 Process assessment — Guidance on performing an assessment
These products are offered as a set and are delivered in PDF file format. You will receive a link to download the file. This is a single-user license. You must accept the license to download the file.
Contact ECP/IBSMA for quotes on multi-user licenses. This product is a companion to the PCSAM course material.
ISO/IEC 19770-1 Single-user License (Add on to SAM Assess Tool or PCSAM course) $102.00
ISO/IEC 19770-1 Software Asset Management Processes
This product is delivered in PDF file format. You will receive a link to download the file. This is a single-user license. You must accept the license to download the file.
Contact ECP/IBSMA for quotes on multi-user licenses. This product is a companion to the PCSAM course material.
ECP’s unique position in the IT publishing industry provides access to information on IT asset and software management. ECP covers the world of software asset management and IT asset management — topics of interest to readers who manage an average of 5,000 worksites for their organization.
In recent years an entire industry has emerged to help businesses implement and automate information technology asset management (ITAM). Consequently, IT managers need straightforward information to help them make intelligent choices about acquiring, improving and managing IT assets, which have quickly taken on crucial importance for businesses of all sizes, because of their high cost and important functions. In an effort to provide data to help businesses compare their performances in ITAM and software asset management (SAM) with those of other companies, ECPweb.com (ECP) conducted a comprehensive survey, the results of which are presented in this report. Staff writers and analysts Rick Mitchell, Steven Russman and Bill Winters contributed to this report. 34 pages. PDF file format.
Tools Manager June '08 (All memberships)
IT Service Manager - Apr. '08 (All Memberships)
SAM Managers Say Honesty the Best Policy - Nov. '07 (B and P)
Tools Manager 2007 CMDB Review - Fall 2007 (All Memberships)
KPMG Survey: Is Unlicensed Software Usage Hurting Your Bottom Line? 
SAM Standards Explained - July '07
2007 Survey Report on Software and IT Asset Management - May '07 (All Memberships)
Tools Manager 2007 Annual Review - Mar. '07 (B and P)
A Guide to Negotiating Better Software License Agreements - Mar. '07 (B and P)
SAM Pros See High Demand for ISO 19770 Standards - Oct. '06
Best Practices in IT Asset and Software Management (Paperback)
IBSMA Data Standard for Software Tagging and Identification (Draft ISO/IEC 19770-2, May '07)
ISO/IEC 19770-1 and 15504-3 - Single-user License for PCSAM class 
