Cover Your Assets: The Latest Asset Management Software in Action

TechLearning.com™ (June 18, 2009)

Quick, tell us: How many laptops are in your middle schools? Which ones are about to come off warranty? Did your tech department finish updating all the software licensing? If you can't answer these questions, it is probably time to look into asset-management software. These programs let you view, at a glance, the products on your network. Some even allow you to remotely control PCs, communicate with users, and stop students from visiting inappropriate Web sites. To find the right solution for your district, read on.

School District of Springfield Township
Oreland, PA
A 2,000-student district

What do you use?
SchoolDude's ITAMDirect
Pricing based on district size; includes unlimited users and support.

Why did your district decide to get this?
"I'm in charge of software licensing," says Ginny Wexler, network manager, "and I feared being audited." Knowing she was out of compliance in terms of licensing propelled Wexler to find a way to better keep track of her equipment and software. She didn't know where anything was, some laptops were lost, and each building had individual inventory lists.

How did you choose the package you have?
Wexler saw one product that cost $40,000, plus hardware, which was prohibitive. She went to a SchoolDude demo and found ITAMDirect, which provided everything she needed at an "unbelievable" price point and did not require her to own a server.

What are your favorite things about it?
Customer support, says Wexler. "When you pick up the phone and call, you get a person. They call and check on me, ask if we need training, and more. It's incredible." Wexler also likes knowing which software is installed on each machine. "I didn't have a clue before; now it's concrete." And it helps her to be aware of her system's deficits, such as switches that were flopped out and never renamed.

What would you change, if possible?
"The teachers are definitely not loving me, but I'm not here to make friends," says Wexler. "I'm here to keep the networking running." Also, the search features are not always where she would like them to be.

Was it easy to learn to use?
"It really was. They sent an executable to install on machines and an installation package. When a machine logs in, it's deployed right away and starts polling and sending inventory. It requires very little effort on my part."

Have you saved money or time?
"I have a lot less stress because I'm finding stuff that could walk away. This product has helped me educate people about the rules."

To read the article in its entirety, click here.

Tags: asset management, it, it asset management, it inventory, ITAMdirect, ITDirect