Software Licensing

Use Case: Software Licensing

Title:
Software Licensing Management and Compliance with CIQ ITAM

Objective:
Ensure that the company is always in compliance with licensing rules, avoiding legal and financial risks, as well as optimizing costs with underutilized or unauthorized software.

Main Actor:

• IT / Helpdesk Team
• Licensing / Compliance Managers
• IT Management / CFO (when there is direct financial impact)

Preconditions:

• The CIQ ITAM software inventory must be up to date.
• All SKUs, contracts, and software agreements must be registered on the platform.
• User permissions must be configured to view, register, and audit licensing information.

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Detailed Use Scenario

1️⃣ License and Contract Registration
The IT team registers in CIQ ITAM all information related to licensing:

• Licensing contracts.
• Manufacturer, version, and software SKU.
• Acquisition, validity, and renewal dates.

2️⃣ Automatic Software Inventory
The agents collect all installed software:

• Operating systems and versions.
• Installed software.
• Unauthorized software is automatically flagged as “Red Alert.”

3️⃣ Usage and Compliance Monitoring
CIQ ITAM compares the number of licenses purchased vs. installed software.

It identifies cases of:

• Under-licensing (fewer licenses than installations).
• Over-licensing (more licenses than needed, generating waste).
• Unauthorized software.

4️⃣ Reporting and Auditing
Consolidated reports include:

• Actual usage per user.
• Licensing and renewal history.
• During audits, the company can present documented evidence of usage and acquisition.

5️⃣ Integration with Microsoft 365 and Other Systems
Microsoft 365 licensing is tracked in real time:

• Number of licenses allocated per user.
• Available license balance.
• Compliance status with the subscription.

6️⃣ Financial and Strategic Planning
CIQ ITAM generates insights to:

• Reduce costs by removing unused software.
• Plan contract and subscription renewals.
• Negotiate with vendors based on real usage data.

CIQ ITAM Features Used

• Complete software inventory.
• License, contract, and SKU registration.
• Compliance and usage reports.
• Under- or over-licensing alerts.
• Integration with Microsoft 365 and other licensing systems.
• Permission management for access to the licensing module.

Benefits

• Guaranteed compliance in software audits.
• Elimination of legal and financial risks related to irregular license usage.
• Cost optimization in software acquisition and maintenance.
• Greater control over which software is actually used.
• Reliable basis for vendor negotiations and strategic planning.
• Centralized visibility of the entire licensing lifecycle.