DEC-PolycenterAssetworks

POLYCENTER AssetWORKS by Digital is a comprehensive, multi-platform asset management solution designed to extend and integrate with Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS).

Key functionalities and benefits include:

1. Extended SMS Capabilities: It broadens SMS's reach to manage hardware and software assets across diverse operating systems beyond Windows, including UNIX, OpenVMS, MS-DOS, Macintosh, SunOS, and others.
2. Automated Data Collection: Automatically gathers detailed hardware and software configuration data across the entire network, consolidating it into a central, automatically updated database.
3. Software Distribution: Streamlines the distribution and installation of software packages and upgrades to various systems, often via a simple drag-and-drop interface from the SMS Administrator console.
4. Software Metering & Auditing: Tracks actual software usage (what, when, and where applications are being used) and performs audits to identify underutilized licenses, enabling better resource utilization, cost savings, and compliance verification.
5. Comprehensive Reporting: Generates valuable graphical and text-based reports on software usage, inventory, and system configurations, providing crucial decision support for upgrade planning and overall asset management.
6. Cost Optimization: By providing insights into software usage and inventory, it helps reduce software lifecycle costs, improve inventory management, and facilitate more efficient upgrade planning.

AssetWORKS operates as a client/server solution and integrates with other Digital offerings like NetView for Windows NT. It's presented as a core component of Digital's "Software Utility," which offers additional services such as asset management consulting, software acquisition, and help desk support, aiming to provide an "optimum management solution" for controlling software-related costs throughout its lifecycle.