BMC Helix ITSM replaces Remedy. It is a broad suite of ITSM, tools with strong integrations to other BMC tools and in-built ITAM. The product is used mainly by global brands and is offered in on-premise and SaaS configurations.
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Snow License Manager
Score 8.7 out of 10
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Snow License Manager enables organizations to gain an accurate view of software usage and entitlements. Organizations can then dynamically reconcile these findings against license entitlements to optimize their IT environments and be audit-ready. HOW IT WORKS Snow License Manager is the central hub for the Snow Software Asset Management platform, providing a unified view of installed software, SaaS, cloud resources and hardware. With Snow License Manager, usage data is…
BMC is the obvious choice for medium—to large companies. With all the functionality included, most of it will be used by more prominent companies. The cost vs. use makes sense for them. For smaller companies, the high cost of license implementation and running costs usually make BMC too expensive. Having a light version for them could increase BMC's market share.
In large organizations especially with extensive networking among branches, Snow License Manager provides comprehensive information for software application management and acquisition. Users can be given privileges in Snow License Manager commensurate with their job profile. In smaller organizations it could be oversized. Snow License Manager has a stiff learning curve requiring dedicated human resources to grasp, implement and deploy. For small organizations that could be too costly in terms of initial costs and the time the user needs to become proficient
Remedy is great for housing much of the ITIL process in one System: if you want a complete package with every bell and every whistle, Remedy is for you
Remedy breaks down the functions of ITIL into "consoles": separate areas of the System, that allow one to focus on Changes, Incidents, Assets, etc
The interface is VERY compatible with legacy web browser tech: The last surviving member of the browser wars is still the favorite for remedy users: IE 11
Standard applications reports i.e. reports of applications flagged as denied on the allowed list. This would make the reporting and scheduling automated rather then being manual.
License / Agreement email notification with to users who do not have access to Snow License Manager with predefined text messages i.e. informing users what they need to do as next steps. The text can be updated based on privilege's set up on Snow License Manager e.g. Snow License Manager administrator
Standard report which returns empty container application records
schedule email of dashboards
ability to record application versions greater then 0.x.x in the SRS library. This is critical to tracking of applications where the latest version.
consistency of labels of columns through the various reports
The ability to select and move multiple columns at the same time when building or updating a report .
one report which shows a application, user, computer, if the application requires a license and which users have a valid license for the application.
Snow License Manager is an integrated part of our Licensing Compliance software solution. It does help us manage current license needs and actual license usage, as well as inventory shadow IT usage. The nice side effect of being able to see hardware specifications and keeping track of hardware usage by users is a bonus!
At least Remedy is all contained in a single platform, so the interface is consistent. Also, the most heavily performed functions are generally usable. However, to use some of the more advanced modules can be a bit more cumbersome (such as Change Management and CMDB (Not Including ADDM)). So, overall BMC Remedy ITSM is better than some applications like CA SDM or HP SM, but not quite on par with ServiceNow.
We currently have the on-premise solution, which is very good indeed. If we were starting working with Snow now, we'd probably select the Atlas (SaaS) managed platform. This would reduce/remove work required to keep the Snow servers up-to-date with Windows and software updates.
Their tech support is top notch. They respond and get back to us, even on lower level incidents and issues, very quickly. It is rare that we deal with a support technician who does not know what they are doing.
Support for the most part is responsive, but there are times when it takes more time than I would like to resolve. But then, most of the time it is related to growing pains and the fact I do not have a Dev/Test environment to test items and upgrades before going to Production
the trainers dont have so much practical experiences. its mostly follow up and reading existing documentation withou own input. of course experiences people are on shore or have no free time. sad truth
As I mentioned, as an MSP we are exposed to most ITSM products on the marketplace. On completeness of offering, we find BMC ahead of the rest. The only other comparable product is ServiceNow, and functionality is neck and neck with BMC ahead in ITOM, and with ServiceNow pricing is premium for the branding and marketing
All the top tools out there do the same sort of job, one quarter product A has a new service and within the next 3 quarters the other all have that service, some vendors innovate, other just buy in and integrate (to varying levels of success), and Snow License Manager does a bit of both. One area we did look at was the manpower that comparable business took to run those services and Snow License Manager came out with the smallest overhead, this meant that we could direct more money to the use of the tool, rather than making to tool work.
Utilization statistics have helped us to eliminate unused licenses and software.
The central repository has eliminated the multiple spreadsheets and folders, which also reduced the amount of time our asset manager spends looking up information for others.
The computer software mapping has helped our staff during computer upgrades. It allows them to see what software is installed on a current workstation without having to go and inspect the old computer itself. They can now look up the software that needs to be added to the new workstation, saving time.
