Generally speaking, an IT asset is a piece of hardware or software found within the environment of information technology. Keeping track of all IT assets, whether hardware or software, can be crucial to the day to day operations, or financial success of any business. IT assets are essential components of the organization’s systems or even parts of the network infrastructure itself.
In most cases, an asset is classified as merely something that is useful or has value. In the case of an IT manager, their task is to make sure that current IT assets remain helpful or valuable. Whether it be hardware or software, there is no denying that every IT component has a limited life cycle. Inevitably, hardware will eventually break down. The software can become obsolete or need updating. Ultimately, every system will become obsolete. It is the role of the IT asset manager to keep these assets functioning.
To manage IT assets effectively, the IT manager should set forth well-developed policies and transparent organizational processes. The software used for IT asset management should have the ability to track physical components, software licenses and even the housing units or case components. IT asset managers need to be able to track vendor information and warranties to understand how each asset contributes to the overall environment of an organization. An effective way to manage these upgrades and replacements is to issue change control procedures.
