• Search

• Categories

  • Change Management
  • Company News
  • Industry Observations
  • Information Security
  • ITAM (Asset Management)
  • ITIL and Service Management
  • RFID
  • Software License Compliance

• Recently Written

  • Managing mobile assets – making it part of your ITAM program
  • Keep an Eye on the Hardware Lifecycle
  • Managing mobile assets – bills
  • Managing mobile devices – email addresses
  • Managing mobile assets - contracts
  • Managing mobile devices - applications
  • Managing mobile assets - SIM cards
  • Managing mobile assets – risks
  • Retiring software assets
  • Quick tips on keeping software licenses organized & updated

• Blogroll

  • Miro Consulting

• Subscription

  •  Blog Articles
  •  Subscribe by Email
  • 

• Archives

  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007

• Members

  • Log in

Despite the wide array of software choices out there, some companies still find the need to tweak their purchased software to fit their needs. I personally think that the choices and willingness of vendors to meet customer requirements eliminates this need - and in-house customization typically leads to many problems. Altering software often leads to non-compliance with your software licensing agreement, and also causes major issues when upgrading at a later date.

Another downside to altering software is that upkeep falls solely on your shoulders. There won’t be a user group to turn to when issues arise, and vendor technical support usually cannot help if the problem has occurred as a result of your alteration. If the developer who altered the software leaves the company, there goes your in-house knowledge of its inner workings. Whenever possible, do the extra research and find a software solution that is robust enough to meet your demands. If you absolutely must create your own solution, be sure to have inter-departmental cooperation and to strictly enforce policies and processes across the enterprise.

See the ITAM Review article I contributed to on March 17, 2009, entitled Why SAM Projects Fail-Imbalance Between ‘Customization’ and ‘Off the Shelf’ SAM Software.

Another interesting read on the top is Richard McManus’ 2007 blog post How Will Enterprises Deliver Next Generation Internet Applications. It’s an older post, but some relevant information.

Comments