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. |
Frequently Asked Questions:
Where can I find which devices have which software installed on them?
You can find this by exporting the Recognized, Excluded, or Unrecognized product tables within the SIM report.
Each export includes indexed data that links software products to the corresponding devices, allowing you to see exactly which applications are installed where.
How long does it take for unrecognized software to be processed?
The standard SLA for recognition is 72 hours, though most unrecognized software entries are dynamically categorized within 24 hours.
My SIM report says it’s still processing — why?
If your report is still marked as “Processing”, it likely means the dynamic recognition service is still running for your unrecognized software entries.
Once this process completes, the report status will update automatically. This can take up to 72 hours.
Can you enrich the data with additional details or attributes?
Yes. Through Licenseware’s Catalogify service, we can enrich recognized software with additional metadata, such as publisher info, edition details, or classification tags.
Please contact your Licenseware representative for more information or to request enrichment.
Can I upload multiple inventory sources into the same project?
Yes. SIM supports merging data from multiple inventory sources (e.g. Lansweeper, SCCM, BigFix).
The platform will attempt to deduplicate and normalize software records across those sources where applicable.
Is device-level software usage tracked or estimated?
SIM displays software installations per device, based on the source data provided.
It does not currently track actual software usage or access frequency unless this data is included from the inventory tool. This functionality is being evaluated for future development.