SaaS helps SKM with asset management project

Thanks to a point SaaS solution, a temporary asset management project at engineering consulting firm Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) has resulted in a dramatic reduction in instances of some applications.

SKM has about 6000 desktops with one-third of those in Australia and others at operations in Chile and the UK.

IT strategy and architecture manager Andrew Perry said IT is now concentrating on its PC inventory and how people are using software on their devices.

SKM had and existing relationship with Dell and decided to deploy its eSmart SaaS asset management software as a temporary solution prior to rolling out Altiris, which was going to be the main systems management tool.

“We rolled out eSmart late last year and by mid-December it was out to most of the devices,” Perry said. “It’s a small app on the client that talks to the Dell servers in the US.”

The result was SKM had the inventory refreshed on some 6000 devices which would also help with a planned Windows 7 roll out at the end of the year.

“We can now get software usage reports through a browser,” Perry said. “We have fewer versions of CAD software and went from seven versions of AutoCAD to the last two releases.”

After an implementation time of around four weeks the result was less than half the number of instances of software will be used.

SKM used ManageSoft to deploy the client software which only required a firewall change. The client dials in once a week.

Perry estimates the service can save approximately 20 per cent in licence costs.

“We don’t have a locked-down desktop yet and the Dell service was always going to be a temporary project,” he said.