Microsoft plans to continue running the service of its latest acquisition, AssetMetrix, for the next six to nine months as it mulls product and service options for its new software asset management (SAM) offering.
Felicity McGourty, director of product management and marketing for Microsoft's Windows and Enterprise Management Division, said the company is exploring the logistics and legalities involved in productizing the AssetMetrix SAM tool. However, an online service is likely, she said.
"The online service is a potential offering if we continue it as a software service, but that has not been determined yet,"
Steve O'Halloran, co-founder of AssetMetrix and a former company executive, said although there could be ramifications for customers and partners, he thinks Microsoft is more interested in the technology than the customer data.
"I'm not sure if Microsoft will operate it as software as a service. But over the five years I was involved with [AssetMetrix], there were customers who said, 'No way would their inventory be held by a third party while others had no issue with it,a " O'Halloran said. "Customers would ask us, a What are you going to do with our data? Are you giving it away to Microsoft?a I guess we did--in a way."
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