Evaluating Third-Party Discovery Sources for Software Asset Management Use Cases Disclaimer: Currently this article only addresses Software Asset Management (SAM) use cases for end-user-compute (EUC) environments. In the next iteration, this article will also address datacenter and cloud infrastructure. Scope: Customers have many options when it comes to discovery data sources for the end-user compute, datacenter, and cloud infrastructure environments. For the best experience and results, ServiceNow highly recommends that Customers utilize ServiceNow Discovery (Agentless and/or Agent Client Collector) with ServiceNow Software Asset Management. However, not all Customers are able to or choose not to use ServiceNow Discovery as the primary discovery source. Considering that, this article seeks to offer insight into the common third-party discovery sources used in conjunction with ServiceNow Software Asset Management. With this information, Customers will be able to evaluate the readiness of their third-party discovery source for software asset management use cases and take any necessary action to ensure they have complete and accurate data to be successful. The rest of the article covers these sections: The roles and importance of discovery data for Software Asset ManagementMinimum Data Required & Software Asset Management Use Cases (for EUC environments) The role and importance of discovery data for Software Asset Management: In the realm of Software Asset Management (SAM), discovery plays a pivotal role in effectively managing and optimizing software assets within an organization. Discovery refers to the process of identifying and collecting comprehensive data about software installations, configurations, and usage across the IT infrastructure. These are examples of the crucial role and the undeniable significance of discovery in the context of Software Asset Management: Enhanced Visibility: Discovery acts as a fundamental mechanism to gain visibility into an organization's software landscape. It enables SAM teams to gather accurate and up-to-date information about installed software, versions, licenses, and usage patterns across various devices and platforms. This visibility empowers organizations to make informed decisions and maintain compliance with software licensing agreements. Compliance and Risk Mitigation: Discovery plays a critical role in ensuring compliance with software license agreements and mitigating potential risks associated with non-compliance. By accurately identifying software installations and usage, organizations can compare this data with their license entitlements, proactively address any compliance gaps, and avoid the risks of costly penalties and audits. License Optimization: Effective discovery processes allow organizations to gain insights into software usage patterns, identify unused or underutilized licenses, and optimize their license allocation. By understanding which licenses are actively used and which are not, organizations can reallocate licenses, negotiate better licensing terms, and avoid unnecessary expenses. Cost Reduction: A comprehensive discovery process helps organizations identify and eliminate redundant or overlapping software applications. By rationalizing the software portfolio and removing unnecessary installations, organizations can reduce software spend, streamline their IT environment, and achieve cost savings. IT Security and Vulnerability Management: Discovery provides insights into the software landscape, enabling organizations to identify and track vulnerable software versions or unpatched applications. This information is vital for maintaining a robust security posture and implementing timely updates and patches to mitigate potential security risks. Minimum Data Required & Software Asset Management Use Cases (for EUC environments): The right discovery source is crucial for obtaining accurate and reliable data in software asset management. An evaluation methodology helps organizations assess potential discovery sources and determine their suitability for capturing comprehensive and high-quality discovery data for software asset management use cases. It is recommended that you evaluate your discovery sources based on specific data fields and use cases for software asset management. The following software asset management use cases are achievable when your discovery source provides adequate data. Discovery Install Creation Normalization Usage Removal / Uninstallation Software Vendor specific use cases, as applicable (e.g., compliance and optimization) Figure 1: End User Compute: Comparison of most common Service Graph Connectors Additional Resources: Service Graph Connectors Client Software Distribution Agent Client Collector Software Asset Management