Best 6 IT Asset Tracking Software for Free
For Organizations that want to manage and optimize their IT resources, IT asset tracking is always vital process for them. IT asset tracking software helps you to scan, inventory, monitor, and report on your IT assets, such as hardware, software, licenses, and configurations. It also can help you to comply with regulations, reduce costs, improve security, and enhance performance. In this article, we will introduce you 6 best IT asset tracking software free available in the market. We will compare their features, pros, and cons and help you to choose the best one for your needs.
Part 1 : What is IT Asset Tracking Software?
IT Asset Tracking Software is a computer program that helps businesses keep track of their IT assets. This can include items such as furniture, computers, printers, and other equipment. The software can help businesses keep track of where their assets are located, how they are being used, and when they need to be replaced.
Additionally, the software can provide valuable information about the depreciation of assets and the potential for future repairs or replacement costs. By using Office Asset Management Software, businesses can save time and money by more effectively managing their office assets.Here are some benefits that IT asset tracking software has:
- Reducing IT costs by eliminating non-essential or poorly utilized assets, optimizing the use of existing assets, and avoiding penalties for license non-compliance.
- Enhances IT security, detecting and preventing unauthorized or malicious access, use, and modification of your IT assets, enforcing policies and standards.
- Helps to improve IT performance ensuring your IT assets are current, updated, perfectly configured and optimized and working issue problems fast and quickly.
- Achieves IT regulations, allowing proper maintenance of accurate IT asset and complete records and support in demonstrating compliance during audits and inspections.
- Support IT strategy through alignment of IT assets to business goals and objectives together with planning for future IT needs and investments for IT.
Part 2 : Best 6 Free IT Asset Tracking Software
Many IT asset-tracking software solutions are available in the market, but not all are free or suitable for your needs. Here is six of the best IT asset tracking software free that you can consider:
1Snipe-IT
Snipe-IT is an open-source IT asset management software that delivers a single view to track and supervise ownership of all your IT and non-IT assets. Snipe-IT allows you to scan and inventory all your devices in your IT department and deploy packages to keep your environment safe. Snipe-IT also supports custom fields, plugins, API, and SNMP scans.
Pros
- Free and open-source
- Easy to install and use
- Unlimited users and accessories
- Customizable and extensible
Cons
- Compatibility issues with certain Windows operating systems
- Limited documentation and support
2 Spiceworks
Spiceworks is a platform for IT professionals to share and learn from each other. It also allows them to amuse themselves in a marketplace to buy IT-related services and products. Spiceworks also offers a set of free IT tools, including IT asset management, network monitoring, help desk, and remote support. Spiceworks can scan and inventory your IT assets, manage software licenses, and generate reports and dashboards.
Pros
- Free and unlimited
- User-friendly and intuitive
- Large and active community
- Integrated with other IT tools and services
Cons
- Missing some features like social media links and chat support
- Little to no dashboard customization
- In-app advertising
3 Open-AudIT
Open-AudIT is an application that tells you just what is on your network, how it is configured, and when it switches. Open-AudIT can run on Windows and Linux systems and scan and inventory your IT assets using bash or VBScript. Open-AudIT can also query the network to discover active elements that cannot receive an agent and support SNMP scans.
Pros
- It is free to use and its open-source nature allows for customization and community support.
- Supports a wide range of operating systems, including Windows, Linux, macOS, and more.
- Capable of detailed hardware and software inventory across the network.e
- Allows for centralized software deployment, ensuring uniformity across the network.
Cons
- The available documentation can be sparse and user support is not as extensive as commercial solutions.
- It lacks a cloud-based version, limiting flexibility for remote management.
- Does not include features for network discovery or SNMP scans.
- Lacks integrated help desk and ticketing functionalities.
4 GLPI
Open-AudIT is an application that tells you just what is on your network, how it is configured, and when it switches. Open-AudIT can run on Windows and Linux systems and scan and inventory your IT assets using bash or VBScript. Open-AudIT can also query the network to discover active elements that cannot receive an agent and support SNMP scans.
Pros
- Efficiently tracks hardware and software assets
- Feature-rich and versatile
- Customizable and extensible
- Supports multiple languages and currencies
Cons
- Installation and configuration can be challenging.
- Requires robust server infrastructure for optimal performance.
- Users may need training to fully utilize all features.
- Demands significant time and effort for upkeep.
5 OCS Inventory NG
OCS Inventory NG is a free and open-source tool to scan and inventory all your devices in your IT department. It also allows you to deploy packages, integrate plugins, and use web services and third-party tools. OCS Inventory NG can collect and store data about your IT assets, such as hardware, software, licenses, and configurations. OCS Inventory NG can also detect CVEs, inventory VMs, and consult logs.
Pros
- Efficiently scans and identifies devices on the network
- Easy to install and use
- Supports multiple platforms and languages
- Integrates with plugins and third-party tools
Cons
- Limited documentation and support
- No cloud hosting option
- No network discovery or SNMP scans
- No help desk or ticketing system
6 ManageEngine AssetExplorer
ManageEngine AssetExplorer is a web-based IT asset management software that provides complete asset lifecycle management, hardware and software discovery, and inventory with software license management and licensing compliance. ManageEngine AssetExplorer can scan and inventory your IT assets, manage contracts and suppliers, and generate reports and dashboards. ManageEngine AssetExplorer also supports project management, role-based access control, and network configuration management.
Pros
- User-friendly and intuitive
- Comprehensive and detailed inventory
- Supports network discovery and SNMP scans
- Integrates with help desk and other IT tools
Cons
- The free version is limited to 25 nodes
- Expensive and complex pricing plans
- Requires installation and maintenance
- No open source or cloud hosting option
Part 3 : Which industries are mostly using asset tracking software?
Any industry reliant on IT assets can apply IT asset-tracking software to manage their whole system. However, the degree of likelihood of using IT asset-tracking software is apparent in industries like:
1IT and Software
Companies in this sector need to keep records of IT assets such as servers, computers, software, and licenses and optimize them for performance, security, and compliance.
2Educational Institutions
These institutions use these software to track and optimize their IT assets, like laptops, tabs, projectors, and other software, to enhance learning outcomes and bring down costs, besides following compliance.
3Healthcare
These organizations use these software in tracking and optimizing their IT assets, like medical devices, scanners, software, and licenses that improve patient care, prevent errors, and adhere to regulations.
4Manufacturing
These companies run this software to control and raise their IT assets, be it machines, sensors, software, or even licenses, in order to enhance productivity, quality, and efficiency and reduce downtime and waste.
5Government Agencies
These agencies are involved in running this software to oversee and manage their IT assets regarding computers, software, and licenses for the delivery of public services, reducing costs, and regulations.
Part 4 : How to choose an IT Asset Tracking Software?
Choosing the right IT asset tracking software can be a tough job; there are quite a number of factors to consider. First of these is the features and functionalities. Features that would be needed from the IT asset tracking software have to be assessed, such as inventory, monitoring, reporting, deployment, among others, and then compared to what every software offers.
- Compatibility and Integration: Check if the IT asset tracking software supports the existing running IT infrastructure, like operating systems, devices, or platforms, and integrates with other installed IT tools and services, such as the help desk or the CMDB, among others.
- Scalability and flexibility: You have to determine if the IT asset tracking software scales and flexes to your changing IT needs and demands, whether in terms of the number of assets, users, locations, etc., and if it could be customized and extended for the satisfaction of your specific needs.
- Cost and value:Capable of calculating the overall cost of ownership and return on investment of IT asset tracking software, which involves license fees, maintenance fees, support fees, etc., and setting this beside the benefits and value that can be gained from the software.
- Security and Reliability:The IT asset tracking software has to be secure and reliable. It needs to protect your IT asset data from unauthorized access, usage, and modification; in addition, it needs to guarantee high availability and performance.
Summary
The IT asset tracking software is one of the most valuable tools any organization could have in order to manage and optimize its IT resources properly. It will be able to discover, inventory, monitor, and report all of your hardware and software assets, licenses, and configurations. It can also aid in compliance, cost reduction, security improvement, and performance enhancement. We have introduced you to six of the best free IT asset tracking software available in the market in the above article. Every tool has its strong and weak points; therefore, use the one that best suits your needs and preferences. However, if we have to pick one, then Snipe-IT should be our choice for the best free IT asset tracking software overall.
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