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Automations
Learn what computer asset management is and how it differs from IT asset management. Discover key benefits and the best tools for asset management.
Level
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Managing IT assets is an important responsibility for IT teams and managers, but it’s not always clear how to approach it.
Should you focus on overseeing computer assets like hardware or prioritize IT resources such as software and cloud services?
In this article, we'll cover the key differences between computer asset management (CAM) and IT asset management (ITAM). We'll also discuss their benefits and objectives to help you decide which strategy to implement.
Computer asset management is the process of tracking, maintaining, and optimizing an organization’s hardware assets throughout their lifecycle.
CAM involves tasks like inventory management, hardware repairs, and asset replacements. This ensures every physical asset is accounted for, working properly, and aligned with organizational needs.
Computer asset management oversees physical hardware devices, such as:
Implementing computer asset management can benefit businesses in several ways. Here are the advantages:
Tracking hardware assets helps your IT team identify potential issues early and prevent unexpected failures.
For example, if a laptop shows signs of overheating or slow performance, a computer asset management solution allows technicians to address the problem before it disrupts work. This minimizes interruptions for employees and keeps operations running smoothly.
Fewer outages mean greater productivity and lower costs associated with unplanned repairs or replacements.
CAM simplifies the hardware asset management process by providing a centralized view of physical devices. This makes it easier to allocate resources, schedule maintenance, or plan hardware upgrades.
Since everything is in one place, it eliminates the need to switch between different platforms. This can save significant time and increase IT efficiency.
Untracked hardware devices can pose security risks. Unauthorized users might access them and leak sensitive data or download malware, which can disrupt operations.
Having a computer asset management system ensures all hardware assets are accounted for. It integrates with asset tracking software to monitor each device’s location, owner, and security status.
For instance, if an employee leaves your company, CAM allows IT teams to quickly recover and reset hardware devices. This reduces security risks and maintains compliance with privacy standards.
CAM helps IT teams monitor device performance while ensuring timely repairs and updates. Regular maintenance can extend the lifespan of hardware assets.
It prevents larger issues down the line, such as laptops slowing down. It also reduces the frequency of replacements, which can support your company's sustainability initiatives.
CAM prevents unnecessary hardware purchases and helps you optimize budgets. It keeps track of the physical assets you own to avoid overspending on equipment.
A computer asset management platform can also highlight underused devices that can be reassigned instead of buying new ones.
IT asset management involves tracking, managing, and optimizing all IT assets within an organization. These include both physical devices, like servers and computers, and intangible resources, such as software licenses and cloud networks.
CAM is a subset of the IT asset management process.
While CAM only focuses on hardware devices, ITAM takes a broader approach that tracks all IT resources.
Together, they form a unified framework that supports effective asset management practices, cost control, and alignment with organizational objectives.
IT assets include both physical and digital resources important to IT operations. Examples include:
Effective ITAM upgrades the way your IT teams manage assets, which can benefit your entire organization. Let's break down each advantage of IT asset management:
ITAM consolidates information about hardware, software, cloud services, and asset data into a single system. This centralized view helps IT teams identify gaps, avoid redundancy, and align resources with organizational goals.
For example, a comprehensive asset inventory allows managers to see which software licenses are underutilized or when server upgrades are due. Then, they can make informed decisions to maximize resource utilization.
With real-time asset discovery, IT teams can forecast expenses more accurately and prioritize spending. For instance, analyzing lifecycle trends allows managers to plan hardware replacements proactively instead of reacting to failures.
An IT asset management tool can also generate reports that identify cost-saving opportunities, such as reallocating underused licenses or optimizing hardware usage.
ITAM tracks both hardware and software assets to ensure they meet legal and regulatory requirements. It can flag expired licenses, monitor device activity, and alert you to network issues, among other tasks.
This allows IT teams to address compliance issues before they lead to fines or license violations. At the same time, it can protect an organization’s reputation, which is especially important for managed service providers (MSPs).
ITAM provides real-time insights into asset usage, performance, and health. IT leaders can use this data to make proactive decisions, such as reallocating resources or upgrading infrastructure.
This approach keeps operations running smoothly and supports organizational growth.
Effective IT asset management can identify vulnerabilities, track asset locations, and enforce security protocols.
For example, ITAM can alert teams to outdated software that requires patches or identify unapproved devices connected to the network. These measures reduce the likelihood of data breaches and other security incidents.
After defining both CAM and ITAM, it's time to focus on their differences. However, it's worth noting that CAM is simply a subset of ITAM rather than a separate discipline. Both practices can be valuable to businesses of all sizes.
Here's a closer look at how they compare:
CAM focuses solely on physical assets like desktops, laptops, and peripherals. Think of computer asset management as a detailed inventory of hardware.
ITAM, on the other hand, can oversee both hardware and software inventory. It can also manage IoT devices, cloud resources, and even data.
While CAM is ideal for tracking physical devices, ITAM provides a more comprehensive view of all your company's technological resources.
The primary goal of CAM is to keep hardware running efficiently and minimize downtime. For example, it ensures laptops are well-maintained by replacing physical parts, like hard drives.
Meanwhile, the objective of IT asset management is broader. It can optimize all IT resources, maintain regulatory compliance, and support strategic decision-making.
ITAM goes further by tracking software licenses installed on desktops, securing apps, and making sure they comply with standards. It can also manage hardware devices to ensure they operate efficiently.
Computer asset management tools are designed for monitoring hardware lifecycles. They come with basic features like asset inventory tracking and maintenance scheduling.
ITAM software platforms are more robust. They integrate software license management, cloud monitoring, and compliance tracking tools. They also include advanced features, like third-party patching, incident management, and reporting capabilities.
Computer asset management is typically used by hardware-focused IT teams.
In contrast, IT asset management involves IT managers, compliance officers, and procurement teams.
If your company simply needs to manage physical assets, CAM tools will suffice. But if you also want to focus on budgeting or ensuring compliance, ITAM software is a must.
Both CAM and ITAM involve managing the lifecycle of assets, but they differ in focus.
Computer asset management handles the lifecycle of physical hardware assets, from procurement to retirement. It tracks when devices are purchased, deployed, maintained, and eventually decommissioned.
On the other hand, ITAM covers the lifecycle of all IT assets, including hardware, software, and cloud resources. It includes renewing software licenses, optimizing cloud costs, and integrating hardware with other technological resources.
ITAM tools also manage hardware, just like CAM does.
Although both CAM and ITAM can cut down operational costs, they do so in different ways.
Computer asset management reduces hardware-related costs by extending device lifespans and reallocating underused equipment. It also offers a detailed inventory where you can see all the physical devices you own. This helps you avoid overbuying gadgets that aren't needed.
Meanwhile, IT asset management tackles overall IT cost optimization. It identifies savings opportunities across hardware, software licenses, and cloud subscriptions.
For example, ITAM software can flag over-provisioned cloud resources or unused software licenses. This helps IT managers renegotiate contracts with vendors or eliminate waste.
Additionally, ITAM can reduce hardware costs by optimizing procurement, utilization, and end-of-life asset strategies.
Computer asset management and IT asset management are interconnected. CAM is often part of a company's ITAM strategy.
This connection creates a unified approach to asset management. For instance, CAM systems provide detailed hardware data, such as device location and maintenance schedules, which ITAM uses to optimize IT operations.
CAM and ITAM have certain differences, but they shouldn't be treated as separate practices.
Computer asset management is a subset of IT asset management. The only distinction is that CAM focuses on physical IT resources, whereas ITAM covers all IT assets (including hardware and software).
Let’s discuss which discipline you should use and when is the best time to apply both.
If your primary concern is tracking physical devices like desktops, laptops, and peripherals, CAM is the better choice. It’s suitable for organizations with extensive hardware inventories that need efficient maintenance and lifecycle management.
Computer asset management tools help IT departments track device locations, maintain physical assets, and handle frequent hardware issues.
ITAM is essential when your IT operations involve a mix of hardware, software, cloud services, and compliance requirements.
Let's say you manage multiple software licenses and want to optimize cloud costs at the same time. An IT asset management solution provides a comprehensive asset inventory that can simplify these tasks.
ITAM software also suits organizations seeking to track and optimize hardware devices efficiently.
ITAM is useful for companies looking to align assets with their business objectives and maintain cost efficiency across all IT domains.
Yes, many organizations find that combining CAM and ITAM offers the most comprehensive approach to asset management.
Computer asset management handles hardware-specific needs, while ITAM offers a centralized view of your entire IT environment.
Together, they create a seamless strategy that can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance decision-making.
Here are tools you can use to manage computer and IT assets:
ITAM software offers real-time tracking of all IT assets, from hardware to software and cloud services. It can centralize data, automate workflows, and track compliance across your organization.
ITSM platforms integrate asset management with service desk operations. They provide a unified solution for tracking assets and handling IT requests seamlessly.
Remote monitoring and management, or RMM software, allows IT teams to control assets remotely. It is useful for organizations with distributed teams or hybrid work environments.
Level is a browser-based RMM solution that can automate computer asset management tasks. It instantly tracks every device in your network, anywhere, anytime. It also provides detailed insights into each asset's health, connection status, and usage. This data helps you stay ahead of issues and optimize costs.
Plus, Level features powerful scripting tools for automating complex workflows. It can deploy software patches at scale while maintaining peak network performance to maximize IT efficiency.
Book a demo or try Level on your own and sign up for a free trial right now!
Computer asset management (CAM) is the process of tracking, maintaining, and optimizing physical hardware assets. These include desktops, laptops, monitors, and peripherals.
The four types of computer assets include desktops, laptops, peripheral devices (like printers and monitors), and networking equipment (such as routers and modems).
The three main categories of asset management are hardware asset management, software asset management (like licenses and subscriptions), and cloud asset management (such as storage and virtual machines).
A software asset management tool helps organizations track, manage, and optimize software licenses. The goal is to comply with vendor agreements and avoid overspending or duplicate purchases.
At Level, we understand the modern challenges faced by IT professionals. That's why we've crafted a robust, browser-based Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) platform that's as flexible as it is secure. Whether your team operates on Windows, Mac, or Linux, Level equips you with the tools to manage, monitor, and control your company's devices seamlessly from anywhere.
Ready to revolutionize how your IT team works? Experience the power of managing a thousand devices as effortlessly as one. Start with Level today—sign up for a free trial or book a demo to see Level in action.
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