The most important part of IT Asset Management (ITAM) is the ability to scan all the IT assets in your network. When you can effectively account for all the IT assets in your network, you can then efficiently monitor and manage them.

IT asset management software has been around for many years, but until recently it's been one of those categories that sounds good but is rarely implemented, until now. IT has been besieged by tighter budgets, growing security concerns, and regulatory efforts. This means IT departments need tighter controls, better visibility into its processes, clear lines of accountability, consistent ways to measure success/failure, predictable customer service, and projects and goals aligned tightly with the business goals of the larger organization. In many cases it also means charging the business units for the services IT provides.

IT departments are implementing quality control procedures and best practices for IT service management and operations. IT Asset management provides one of the key building blocks for running IT as a business. IT inventory data is continually updated to keep up with changes and upgrades to the network, and all the data is stored in a single central data repository that can also be used for generating analyses and integrating with other corporate applications. Most IT departments, will find that they can't meet the requirements of government or corporate regulations in order to run themselves like a business without knowing what they have. Having a handle on IT asset management is one of the most effective ways of getting there.

With Graphical Networks' netTerrain solution a company can effectively map out their entire IT landscape and stay compliant with IT documentation requirements such as:

• Real-time, on-demand visualization of the Data Center & Network infrastructure
• 100% web-based IT visualization
• Highly scalable, SQL Server based repository with a reporting engine and audit trail
• Fast deployment with built-in discovery engine, third party Adapters, and data parsers 
• Highly flexible, automated and customizable IT logical and physical maps
• Complete end-to-end circuit path generation, including all related ports, cards, and equipment
• Dynamic connectivity views based on groups of devices, entire cabinets, rooms or sites