“I didn't have to use any of my resources to do the majority of the inventory work, so I could focus on what our business needs were in contrast to collecting data to make sure that we were compliant.”

Greg Schumacher, Director of IT, Riddle’s Jewelry

Riddle’s Jewelry was nearing its first True-Up software license reconciliation for its Microsoft Enterprise Subscription Agree-ment. Working with Microsoft Partner Insight, the retailer com-pleted a Software Asset Management (SAM) Assist for True-Up. Riddle’s saved time and money, and gained new insight into its IT assets. The company now has increased confidence in its licensing compliance and plans to use asset data to prepare for future projects.

Business NeedsThe IT team at Riddle’s Jewelry had an informal process for managing software licenses across dozens of retail locations. Licenses were purchased on an as-needed basis and installed by the IT team. “We didn’t really worry about licensing or what software was out there,” says Greg Schumacher, Director of IT at Riddle’s Jewelry. “Typically we knew of everything installed on company resources.”

Sometimes the IT team would encounter a computer that experienced problems due to unauthorized software. Consequently, that computer needed to be remotely reloaded with the authorized applications that were within Riddle’s guidelines.In October 2009, Riddle’s Jewelry entered into a Microsoft Enterprise Subscription Agreement, part of Microsoft Volume Licensing. Enterprise Agreements run for a period of three years and require an annual census and reconciliation of software in use, called a True-Up. A variation of the Enterprise Agreement, the Enterprise Subscription Agreement offers lower up-front costs and the ability to increase or decrease licenses and sub-scription counts on an annual basis to suit future business needs.

Although an informal license management method had worked for Riddle’s prior to participating in a Microsoft Volume

Licensing program, Schumacher now wanted a more definitive overview of the company’s technology assets. In 2010, Schumacher attended the Microsoft U.S. Corporate Accounts CIO Summit in Redmond, Washington. He had started to think about the company’s upcoming True-Up for the Enterprise Subscription Agreement and hoped to get tips about the best strategy for the license reconciliation. Microsoft representatives recommended that he consider participating in the Software Asset Management (SAM) Assist program. Based on those suggestions, Schumacher decided to begin the SAM Assist process almost immediately.

SolutionAfter confirming Schumacher’s interest in participating in a SAM engagement, Microsoft contacted Insight, a Microsoft Certified Partner with the SAM Competency. After an initial kickoff call in September to review the SAM Assist process, the engagement progressed very quickly. Insight arranged for Riddle’s Jewelry to have access to a hosted asset discovery tool that would gather hardware and software data from the company’s 320 computers. “It was all done remotely,” Schumacher explains. “The inventory tool was deployed, and we were permitted to use it for up to 60 days.”

Customer: Riddle's JewelryWebsite: www.riddlesjewelry.com Customer Size: 450 employeesCountry or Region: United StatesIndustry: RetailPartner: InsightPartner Website: www.insight.com

Customer ProfileRapid City, South Dakota‒based Riddle’s Jewelry is a family-owned business with 51 retail stores. The company sells jewelry and offers a range of jewelry-related services.

Services Software Asset Management− SAM Assist

Microsoft Volume Licensing− Microsoft Enterprise Subscription

Agreement− Microsoft Software Assurance for

Volume Licensing

For more information about other Microsoft customer successes, please visit: www.microsoft.com/casestudies

Microsoft Software Asset ManagementCustomer Solution Case Study

Retailer Saves Money, Gains Upgrade and Virtualization Readiness via SAM Engagement

Consultants compared the results from the network inventory with the information on the Microsoft License Statement for Riddle’s Jewelry, and found only a few items that didn’t match up. “We acquired a few licenses with full-package products from retail purchases, so of course those wouldn't show up on the Microsoft License Statement. We made note of them and that was pretty much it,” says Schumacher.

The entire SAM Assist process took a little more than two weeks to complete. “We had a small window to get this done,” says Schumacher. “Our True-Up date was rapidly approaching and we were under pressure to make our deadline for renewal.” Riddle’s made the deadline, and Schumacher was very pleased with the results of the inventory. “Overall, the results were pretty much what I thought we had out there in terms of hardware and software,” he says. “We were pretty close.”

BenefitsRiddle’s Jewelry appreciated having experienced SAM consultants guide the company through its first Enterprise Sub-scription Agreement True-Up. The retailer enjoyed an accelerated timeline for license reconciliation results, increased confidence in its software compliance, and a greater understanding of the company’s exact IT assets. Specific benefits include:

Time and money savings. Schumacher estimates that Riddle’s saved several weeks of time and avoided at least U.S.$20,000 in employee time by participating in the SAM Assist. “I didn't have to use any of my resources to do the majority of the inventory work, so I could focus on what our business needs were in contrast to collecting data to make sure that we were compliant.” Also, the accelerated timeline permitted the retailer to avoid the potential risks of not renewing on time.

Increased confidence. Schumacher is enjoying a greater confidence in his company’s licensing compliance. “I have peace of mind—knowing that when the reconciliation is all done, I don't have to worry,” says Schumacher. The SAM Assist process was simple and completed quickly, and Schumacher felt confident with Microsoft being involved. “There is a

trust factor knowing that Microsoft is behind the SAM Assist,” Schumacher says. “Working together with Microsoft allows both parties to be involved in the entire process. and that partnership makes the process more efficient and complete. With Microsoft using a third party to collect the data, our management was more at ease about the collection process knowing the opportunity for a conflict of interest was removed.”

Readiness for upgrade planning. The asset data obtained through the SAM Assist—information about both software and hardware—will help Riddle’s Jewelry manage its IT infrastructure more effectively. “The SAM Assist enabled my team to see not only what software was out there but also what hardware assets could potentially cause problems in the future when we want to upgrade soft-ware,” says Schumacher. Riddle’s Jewelry can upgrade to the latest versions of Microsoft software by using the Soft-ware Assurance benefit of the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement.

Foundation for virtualization project. Schumacher is planning a virtualization project, and the detailed information about the Riddle’s IT infrastructure will be helpful. “Knowing the servers and programs that we have running will help us better plan for server virtualization,” says Schumacher. Riddle’s is also planning to virtualize a number of desktops, and “just knowing the software that our employees are using will help us better determine how those virtual images should be configured and how they should be licensed for a virtual environment,” he says.

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

Document published April 2011