Bath Spa Software Asset Management Case Study

Bath Spa University recently undertook five months of research to find the ideal software license management system that would suit its desired requirements. One of the university's main priorities when looking for the ideal solution was compliance; an issue many institutions are aware of.

Bernie Jackson IT Service Delivery Manager, comments, "With so many systems currently available on the market it takes a lot more than just looking at product details to find the right package that works well for the university. We were previously using a manual database system, with basic PC specifications - CPU, Memory and Manufacturers software titles installed which we found time consuming to keep up to date throughout the year. It was decided a system was needed that would remove the manual process, giving the required information in an efficient but simple manner."

Bernie explains: "We compiled a list of our requirements; I then went on to research the products available to establish which were suited to us and our needs. With budget reductions in mind, a cost-effective system was another priority. I found that many solutions boasted features that were overcomplicated or we simply did not need; these were disregarded in the decision-making process. The education network collaborates very closely and we are always in contact, so I decided to ask other institutions about their experiences with SAM systems and the companies they worked with. I received excellent feedback which I then took into account when considering my own research."

"Traditionally management systems are deployed on internal servers but in addition to the products easy to use features we were also able to see how a web hosted would work for us. In doing so this enabled us to use far less internal resource both in terms of people and hardware."

The right match

It was after extensive research that Bernie chose to implement the SAM system for Bath spa University, "We eventually narrowed it down to two systems, and although one did claim to be web based, it was actually network based with a web portal requiring its own web server. This needs to be viewed as a cost even if you don't buy one specifically, the application will still be a burden on your infrastructure and you will need an SQL database...not to mention staff time!"

"Of the two that were shortlisted only one system met our criteria, Parago, an asset management system that was originally developed for schools and colleges and whose technical specification meant it met all of our mandatory requirements (Available on request from This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )...and our budget. This included discovering Macs and their installed software which many fell short on. I was immediately taken by the ease of use of the Parago system. You can create a virtual image of the campus layout and it meant I knew my way around the system within a couple of hours. The online tutorial videos were of great help and although I didn’t require much support, when I needed it I always got a timely response. During the negotiation I was able to deal with people in sales and support which really helped during the 30 day trial."

"Although we have only had the product deployed for a short time, we are impressed with the results so far" summarised Bernie. "It is an application that I am already recommending to my network of university colleagues."

Six Month Update

6 months on following the implementation of Parago we have been able to realise a 50% return on investment through reduced licensing costs, better ensure legal compliance for software licensing, plan better for future projects and deal with ad hoc problems in a far more precise manner. This puts us much more in control of our ICT environment. Further cost reductions in software licensing are expected over the next 12 month. These benefits are also coupled with a very friendly and reliable support function from Parago.

All in all Parago is proving to be a very successful product for us and we would find it difficult to work without it.