“Installed” and “used” sound like the same thing. For Software Asset Management they’re worlds apart, and the gap between them is where most reclaimable spend quietly hides.
Installed vs used
An application can be installed on thousands of machines and actively used on a fraction of them. Counting installs tells you your maximum exposure. Metering usage tells you what you actually need to license — which is usually a good deal less.
Why it changes the true-up
Walk into a true-up with usage data and the conversation changes. You can:
- Reclaim and redeploy licences instead of buying more
- Justify a downgrade with evidence rather than opinion
- Separate the software that earns its keep from the software that doesn’t
Metering isn’t about watching people work — it’s about paying for what your organisation genuinely relies on, and nothing more. Sam360 meters both Windows applications and streamed or virtualised apps (XenApp, RemoteApp, Parallels) — agent-based where you need the depth, agent-free where you don’t. Get in touch to see what your real usage looks like.