What exactly is Asset Management versus inventory tracking versus configuration management?

Typical definitions involve some combination of purchasing, fixed-asset, leasing, maintenance, license, inventory, metering, charge-back, software distribution, help desk management tools, integration, process and relationships.

Since industry experts define asset management as a process that leverages and improves the efficiency of IT assets, asset management can include some or all of the above.

Where does that leave organizations that are trying to implement an integrated asset management solution? Before organizations can proceed, they must answer basic questions: What assets do we currently have? Where are these assets located? How are these assets changing over time? What is the overall impact to our total cost of ownership? What are the assets connected to; which assets belong with them; and what other relationships are required?

Micromation's definitions of Asset Management:

	Inventory Tracking is defined as the first step in implementing a full asset management program which includes populating an asset repository and providing basic change management (example: a snapshot in time).
	Asset Management as the complete life-cycle management of information technology assets which includes: planning, acquisition, deployment, change management and disposition as-well-as providing decision support information on technology assets to better manage the total cost of ownership (example: financial planning of IT infrastructure changes).
	Configuration Management covers the identification, recording, and reporting of IT components, including their versions, constituent components and relationships. Items that should be under the control of Configuration Management include hardware, software and associated documentation (example: real-time status of relationships).

To learn more about total cost of ownership, asset and configuration management, visit Micromation.