Starting a fresh IT Inventory, recommendations?

[psydii]

Thanks for checking, embarrassed to have been (slightly) wrong.

 

While you may feel those terms to be acceptable, those who are targeted by these people are often not used to the way of software/licencing vendors using trials to lock into a full term contract.

 

The irony being it did actually seem like quite a good product when we used it.

[Norphy]

We use Lansweeper. It even picks the serial numbers off the monitors connected to the PC's...

 

£600 for the year.

 

I second this, LANSweeper is excellent. Highly recommended.

[mcoyne]

We're looking at ITSM, Help Desk Software, IT Asset Management | Samanage because it ties in with Zendesk, which we already have. Would be good to tie assets to tickets.

[localzuk]

I think we're mixing up 2 different types of asset list here.

 

The first being a list of all IT assets, regardless of whether they're network connected or not.

The second being a list of network connected devices with whatever details a network scanner can pull in.

 

Which one is it you're wanting to set up @elliot-w?

[mthomas08]

The contract length is up to you. There's discounts for longer contracts. There is a 3 month notice period to cancel your contract, in writing to them. Not entirely sure why, as its just a web service. It isn't an unreasonable notice period, but it does make some alarm bells ring.

 

1: How did you negotiate the contract length? This is something we didn't negotiate we simply got told that it will auto renew after the trial period if we didn't tell them and the period was automatically set to 5 Years.

2. Discounts for longer contracts?

3. 3 month notice period?

 

Again can't go in to details but we are really not happy with them at the moment.

[localzuk]

1: How did you negotiate the contract length? This is something we didn't negotiate we simply got told that it will auto renew after the trial period if we didn't tell them and the period was automatically set to 5 Years.

 

When the rep came out to show us it, he showed us the prices for different contract lengths. We chose the one we would likely go with then, but he said we could change our mind if we kept the system after the trial period.

 

2. Discounts for longer contracts?

 

Yeah. The pricing was higher, per year, for a 1 year contract than a 2 year or whatever.

 

3. 3 month notice period?

 

Its in the contract fine print. To end your contract at the end of the contract period, you have to give 3 months written notice to the address in the contract.

Edited March 23, 2015 by localzuk

[stitch]

another SAM here. Just swapped from parago. Got to redo the asset over summer but should be quite easy with the app.

 

Also use the simple helpdesk with it.

@pickman

 

If you you dont mind me asking, what was the reason for changing from Parago to SAM.

[Roberto]

1: How did you negotiate the contract length? This is something we didn't negotiate we simply got told that it will auto renew after the trial period if we didn't tell them and the period was automatically set to 5 Years.

 

Isn't this something you should normally make a point of talking about. It's as well to remember (and to remind the occasional supplier who thinks all educational establishments are run by cletus the slack-jawed yokel clones) that you're the customer and as such you get to set the terms of a deal by ultimately taking your money elsewhere if they don't give you what you want.

 

2. Discounts for longer contracts?

3. 3 month notice period?

 

These sound like fairly standard business terms for a service contract.

[elliot-w]

I think we're mixing up 2 different types of asset list here.

 

The first being a list of all IT assets, regardless of whether they're network connected or not.

The second being a list of network connected devices with whatever details a network scanner can pull in.

 

Which one is it you're wanting to set up @elliot-w?

 

Were looking on a whole school scale of IT assets so as you say regardless of wether they're networked or not.

 

Thanks for all the responses everyone there all appreciated.

[pickman]

@pickman

 

If you you dont mind me asking, what was the reason for changing from Parago to SAM.

 

No problem.

 

Cost was the main factor. With a 3 year deal the my business manager managed to push the price well below the parago renewal.

 

Also I found parago a bit clunky and SAM a bit slicker and easier to use.

[knotty_]

I've just joined a school with SAM and find it one of the worst pieces of software I've ever used. Just an excel spreadsheet is a much better option!

[JoeFulford]

I use school asset manager at my school. Great little system! Never had any problems with it whatsoever.

[SBM_London]

Take care with School Asset manager (from Results Squared Ltd)

There is evidence of some quite sharp practice from them, the annual cost for the licence is very high (eg £2k pa) contracts can be from 3-5 years with automatic rollover. It's a large financial commitment and they are quite happy to encourage a network manager to sign up to a 'free trial' where the small print ties the school into a very costly contract with no getout clause.

[SBM_London]

When the original term expires, say after 3 years, if you don't give 3 months notice prior to that date, the contract rolls forward into another 3 year contract. Very bad practice. beware! After all, if a company is confident it has a good product, it doesnt need to use sly tricks to force customers to renew.