Software management and deployment are perhaps among the most difficult and time-consuming activities undertaken by your IT team. Software, in many ways, is at the root of many IT problems. As applications start to proliferate, as versions become inconsistent, and as users are missed by upgrade cycles, the environment becomes less stable and more difficult to support.

In fact, it’s more accurate to say that software management practices are at the root of those IT problems. Software management is difficult, and operating systems rarely provide effective tools to make that management easier. But with the right capabilities in your environment, you can save money, reduce overhead and improve your users’ work experiences.

The key is to acknowledge that software deployment - merely getting the software in place to begin with—is just the start of a complex, ongoing lifecycle. Learning to manage that lifecycle effectively can deliver many benefits, including the eight presented in this guide.