Free asset inventory software has disadvantages to consider when seeking cost-effective management of IT, Atera has warned.
IT management platform vendor Atera said the potential risks of freeware for IT asset inventory management may outweigh any benefits. It’s not just about limited features and functionality.
“You may encounter limitations in areas such as the number of assets you can track, reporting options, or integration possibilities,” the vendor said.
Even if the offer is sufficient at first, an organisation might quickly outgrow its capabilities. Then you have to switch to something else, which might disrupt operations, it added.
In addition, there can be a lack of customer service and support.
“Many free tools rely on community support rather than dedicated customer service. This can lead to longer resolution times for critical issues or bugs,” noted Atera.
“You may need to invest more time in troubleshooting and problem-solving.”
Those inevitable security concerns
With freeware, vulnerabilities might not be as quickly patched due to limited resource availability, Atera added.
Organisations should also ask why the software is free. Does the vendor collect data about usage or assets, for analytical or advertising purposes?
At the least, examine their terms of service and privacy policy. This isn’t just about data handling, but what sort of support they promise, as discussed above.
Free tools also may not have been tested to the same standards as a paid-for alternative, Atera added.
With all software, it’s important to consider hardware requirements for running the software efficiently, how much training staff will require.
Organisations also need to think about how much time is needed for set-up, maintenance and troubleshooting, and how much customisation is on offer.
For managed services providers (MSPs), the choice is crucial.
Compliance needs and more
Consider what regulatory compliance needs you have, and whether the asset inventory tool is likely slated for market removal.
“A discontinued tool could leave you scrambling to find an alternative and migrate your data,” said Atera.
At the same time, organisations increasingly struggle to sort out “which IT asset is used where, when, and by which team members”, the vendor said.
This includes hardware, software, network resources, and even cloud-based services. Therefore, asset inventory software is increasingly desirable.
Atera said applications should offer asset tracking and discovery, rule-defined alerts, software licensing management, automation and the like.
The full Atera article also compares and contrasts free and paid-for brands.
( Photo by Studio Republic on Unsplash )
