By Randy Littleson
As consumers, we've become not only familiar with app stores, but now take them for granted - they are just the assumed way you get applications for your mobile devices. The problem for enterprise IT executives is that the employees working for their companies are also consumers, so they've come to expect the same degree of self-service and responsiveness that they get on their consumer devices at work. Any IT professional knows that this is easier said than done. Consumers operate on their own, but employees at companies are part of an organization that has a much more complex IT environment and requires security, rules and policies that just don't apply to individual consumers.
In response to this user demand, many enterprises are deploying enterprise app stores to embrace the "consumerization of IT", giving users the same ease of self-service they've come to expect as consumers at work. IT gains efficiencies in managing requests, approvals and responsiveness to users. However, this is only have of the value that a properly deployed and capable app store can provide the organization.
Enterprise app stores that are integrated with software asset management and Software License Optimization processes gain tremendous value add in managing software license compliance and optimizing software spend. Such linkages can reduce software spend by:
- Reducing initial software purchases. IT creates images for each function in an organization, delivering a set of applications and capabilities required for that function to do their job. In most organizations, this image includes more than is required. Why? Human nature. Rather than risk a user not having the application they need, the image grows over time to represent the superset of required applications used by that function over time. The end result is the purchase and deployment of applications that never get used. With an app store tied into the license optimization process in place, IT can reduce the number of applications in the base image knowing that users requiring additional applications have an easy mechanism to self-serve their needs quickly. And, with application delivery and usage processes integrated, IT can identify downloaded but unused applications and reclaim unused licenses to be returned to the pool - thereby avoiding the purchase of additional software licenses.
- Reclaiming unused licenses. As mentioned above, reclaiming licenses is a very valuable way to reduce software license spend. Most organizations don't have a system or processes in place to do this. And, importantly, knowing if you can is a function of understanding actual application usage and the product use rights for that application - since all applications and licensing models have varying rules about what is possible. When your app store is integrated with a Software License Optimization system, you gain this insight and can realize tremendous savings as a result.
- Crowdsourcing spend reductions. Once you have an app store deployed, you now have users self managing their requests for applications and realizing great benefits in productivity. But, through the linkages to Software License Optimization processes, you also have users gaining insight into software spend and usage. Your app store should also educate users on their use of licenses and, more importantly, when they have applications that aren't being used - meaning they are holding a license that isn't being used. Bringing users into the equation helps them proactively manage their software licenses and contribute to the organizational goals of ensuring continous compliance and reducing software spend.
Enterprise app stores are becoming more mainstream, driven largely by the need to embrace the consumerization of IT. Leading companies are getting much more out of their app stores by integrating them with Software License Optimization processes to drive down software license costs.
To learn more, please read our whitepaper: Creating a Well-Stocked, Well-Managed Enterprise App Store.