Glossary
The terms you’ll meet when looking after devices and licences, in plain English.
- ITAM (IT asset management)
- Tracking the hardware and equipment an organisation owns through its life: when it was bought, who has it, where it is, its warranty and when it should be replaced. Asset register features
- SAM (software asset management)
- Knowing what software is installed, what licences are paid for and how many of them are unused, so money isn’t wasted and renewals aren’t missed. SAM for MSPs
- Asset register
- The central list of an organisation’s assets, with details such as make, model, serial number, owner, location and purchase and warranty dates. IT asset register guide
- Asset tag
- A short unique identifier, often printed on a label or barcode, attached to a physical asset so it can be matched to its record.
- RMM (remote monitoring and management)
- Software that monitors and manages devices remotely. An MSP’s RMM knows which devices are online and holds their hardware details. RMM integrations
- MDM (mobile device management)
- Software that enrols and manages devices such as laptops, phones and tablets, enforcing settings and reporting compliance. Microsoft Intune is an example. Intune integration
- MSP (managed service provider)
- A company that runs IT for other businesses, usually for a monthly fee. Each client is a separate organisation with its own devices and licences. Omnia Manage for MSPs
- PSA (professional services automation)
- The system an MSP uses for tickets, time, contracts and billing.
- Licence reconciliation
- Comparing the licences you’ve bought with the ones in use, to find seats that are paid for and unused or in use and not paid for. Microsoft 365 reconciliation
- Licence waste
- The cost of software seats that are paid for but not used. It’s worked out as unused seats multiplied by the cost per seat over the period. Find unused licences
- Shelfware
- Software that has been bought but is installed rarely or never, so its cost delivers no value.
- SKU (stock keeping unit)
- The code for a particular product or plan. In Microsoft 365 each licence plan, such as a business or enterprise suite, has its own SKU.
- Entra ID
- Microsoft’s cloud identity service, formerly called Azure Active Directory. It holds users and their licences for Microsoft 365.
- Distributor
- A company that resells software and cloud subscriptions to MSPs, who in turn sell them to clients. Pax8 and Arrow are examples. Distributor integrations
- Device refresh
- Replacing devices at the end of their useful life, planned in advance by age and warranty so the cost can be budgeted. Build a refresh budget
- End of support
- The date after which a vendor no longer provides updates for a product, such as an operating system version.
- White-label
- Offering a product under your own name, domain and branding so your customers see your brand, not the supplier’s.
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