Overview
Overview of the Software Inventory Manager application which enriches raw software data for SAM insights
The Software Inventory Report provides a comprehensive view of installed software across an organization, helping IT and procurement teams track applications, ensure compliance, and optimize costs. This report categorizes software into recognized, unrecognized, and excluded software, while also offering insights into licensing types, vendor distribution, and usage trends.
Proper software categorization is essential for identifying products that serve similar purposes. By consolidating redundant software titles, organizations can reduce contract complexity, lower training and support requirements, improve collaboration, streamline vendor contracts, and enhance buying power.
SIM can ingest data from any data source, either via Lansweepers API or a template requiring only Software Name, Version and Vendor.
Use Cases
- Prioritize compliance and risk management – Identify software installations that could pose compliance risks.
- Maximize cost efficiency – Optimize software usage by identifying unnecessary paid licenses.
- Consolidate software titles – Reduce licensing and management costs by identifying duplicate, overlapping or redundant applications.
By filtering software by category and subcategory, users can see which applications serve similar functions and determine opportunities for software consolidation and vendor negotiation.
| Field Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Vendor Name | Software provider (e.g., Microsoft, Adobe). |
| Product Name | The specific application installed. |
| Product Version | The version of the installed software. |
| Category | High-level classification based on function (e.g., IT Infrastructure, Security Software) - Aligned to G2 Taxonomy |
| Subcategory | More specific classification within a category (e.g., Database Software, Endpoint Protection)- Aligned to G2 Taxonomy |
| License Type | Whether software is proprietary, open-source, subscription-based, or perpetual. |
| Free or Paid | Identifies whether the software requires a license fee. |
| Estimate Cost | Approximate cost per license (if applicable). |
| Number of Installs | Count of detected installations. |