Bechtle’s Solution
After considering the issues presented by the customer, Bechtle highlighted the value of carrying out a site analysis of their Microsoft software. Utilising a solution that the charity already owned, Zenworks, Bechtle completed a GAP analysis. With this, Bechtle analysed the licence ownership data provided by Microsoft against a site installation report provided by the customer.
With the data compiled, Bechtle produced a report that listed all of the following:
- The licences in the charity’s ownership
- The number of active installations
- The number of actual licences required
The results stressed that there were gaps with the deployment of Windows server and SQL licensing. The customer owned too many licences for some areas whilst they did not have enough for others. As a solution, Bechtle recommended a re-allocation of Windows-server licensing - meaning that no additional purchases were required, but that existing licences could simply be optimised. The customer was also advised to upgrade their existing SQL licences - enabling them to achieve a zero gap compliance.
The Benefits
Following on from the GAP analysis and follow-up report with suggested improvements, the customer achieved a much greater understanding of their Microsoft estate. They secured a high level of compliance which simplified their IT estate and ascertain future licence requirements. In addition to this, Bechtle recommended widening the analysis to incorporate high risk licence management. As a result, Bechtle and the charity continue to review and consider how they can achieve complete Software Asset Management (SAM).