When conveying the level of service that PC-WARE offers, there is no substitute for customers' own testimony to their experience of services provided by PC-WARE.

Herbert Smith

"A partnership based on trust and confidence that consistently delivers high quality and value for money"

“We have an exceptional relationship with PC-WARE based on several years of working together. They are easy to work with and understand our business. They proactively maintain our existing assets and introduce us to the latest products that are appropriate to our environment.

“We know that if we have any immediate requirements or issues, PC-WARE will solve them very quickly. We trust them implicitly to offer us the best products, prices and advice, and to provide an effective and efficient service.”

Mark Rowley Head of Purchasing for IS Department, Herbert Smith

Company

Herbert Smith LLP is an international, full-service legal practice with 1,100 lawyers, including over 200 partners and a network of offices in Europe and Asia.

With global headquarters in the UK, Herbert Smith’s IT is co-ordinated from London but managed locally at offices in Paris, Brussels, Moscow, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Bangkok and Abu Dhabi. The subsidiaries also have responsibility for IT procurement. The combined network incorporates 2,300 users worldwide.

Solution

PC-WARE partners with Herbert Smith to supply software, hardware and peripherals. A one-stop shop for IT requirements, it supports Herbert Smith with supplier negotiations and efficient procurement. PC-WARE adds value to the partnership by providing complex vendor appraisals, expert advice and leading ad-hoc projects.

When Herbert Smith began planning to standardise its laptops worldwide, PC-WARE drew on its close relationships with manufacturers to effectively evaluate the market and co-ordinated an event where 10 leading manufacturers showcased their laptops. This provided Herbert Smith with a unique opportunity to assess and compare products side by side. As a result, it selected 300 new laptops for distribution around the world.

In 2007, PC-WARE worked with Herbert Smith on a full Software Asset Management (SAM) audit to ensure compliance and avoid overspending and under-licensing. The audit established the baseline for vendors, software licence numbers and usage from which Herbert Smith could monitor and control on an ongoing basis.

To provide flexibility for the organisation, PC-WARE is exploring ways to integrate Herbert Smith’s e-procurement with PC-WARE’s website. This will enable a wider group of individuals to purchase IT products according to their needs and timescales and will help the IS department control cost.

PC-WARE is also helping to launch an employee purchase scheme which enables Herbert Smith staff to benefit from discounted prices and buy hardware for home use through the PC-WARE Portal.

Benefits to the customer

Herbert Smith benefits from economies of scale, ease of procurement and access to in-depth market knowledge. PC-WARE helps Herbert Smith to procure smartly, leveraging its size to achieve better pricing and quality.

As a one-stop shop, PC-WARE is convenient, easy to work with, has access to all manufacturers, and is flexible and responsive to challenging specifications and timescales.
 
PC-WARE proactively informs Herbert Smith about upcoming maintenance renewals and software agreements to ensure compliance, while also supporting ongoing innovation by proposing new technologies and alternative solutions that are appropriate to Herbert Smith’s business.

The partnership is based fundamentally on trust. Herbert Smith is confident of securing the best value for money through PC-WARE, who understands that vendor appraisals are effective, advice is impartial, service delivery is accurate and on time and that solutions are focused on meeting Herbert Smith’s requirements. It can also leverage PC-WARE’s European presence to support initiatives in the UK and overseas.

Promens

"Effective management of software licence compliance, cost and strategy development through multi-dimensional visibility of estate."

“As a result of PC-WARE’s SAM implementation, we increasingly understand our software licence position and are getting increased control of our software estate on an ongoing basis. “We are quickly seeing the benefits of having greater visibility in terms of managing cost, usage and compliance. With this information, we are also confident about improving our software licence strategy to better support IT and business objectives.”

Andrew Brierley Senior IT Consultant, Promens

Company

As a leading global plastics manufacturer, Promens employs over 6,000 people and operates over 60 manufacturing facilities in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa. In 2006 it acquired Polimoon and as the two companies integrated, Promens’ IT environment grew significantly and its software estate expanded.

Promens recognised that with an increasing range of software licences across multi-vendor platforms it needed to establish control so that it could manage legal compliance and copyright efficiently, and licence renewal and procurement costs effectively. As the business consolidated, IT also needed to be able to make informed decisions on future strategies.

Promens needed a tool that could provide visibility across its software estate. It required clear understanding of its licence situation, by manufacturer, product, computer and user as well as accurate information for planning. It turned to PC-WARE in the UK.

With unrivalled expertise and many years’ international experience in Software Asset Management (SAM), PC-WARE worked closely with Promens to clarify requirements and select appropriate SAM vendors to showcase their technologies.

Solution

Following a live web demonstration, PC-WARE’s key vendor, Express Metrix, was selected as providing the best fit and most compelling solution in terms in software usage monitoring, functionality and support.

Express Metrix, a specialist in PC hardware and software usage tracking solutions, worked closely with Promens’ IT team to install the software, provide onsite training, demonstrate features, functionality and reporting, launch the initial roll out, configure applications and help import the physical and electronic licence information into the tool.

The tool provides three-dimensional insight into Promens’ users, computers and applications. Licence and usage data is collated by the system and presented in reports that can be imported to Excel spreadsheets and uploaded to Promens’ own asset database. It also provides control capabilities so that specific users, computers or applications can be locked down for restricted use.

The solution incorporates around 2,000 users and 1,900 computers and hundreds of software licences throughout Promens’ Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

Benefits to customer

Through PC-WARE’s knowledge of the market and partnership with Promens, the most appropriate SAM tool was selected for the business. Results are ongoing as the tool is rolled out across Promens’ organisation and licences are renewed throughout each year.

The immediate benefits for Promens have been achieving visibility of its software estate following the Polimoon acquisition and having access to increased data. The three-dimensional capability of the tool provides Promens with unique understanding of its users, computers and applications.

Comparing information generated by the tool with its own asset database, Promens is able to set up appropriate controls on usage, budget for licence renewal and procurement costs more effectively, and manage the risks associated with compliance and copyright efficiently.

The information also provides Promens with a solid basis for optimising its software estate development and licence procurement strategies for the future.