Any business professional researching IT asset management (ITAM) will realize that having an inventory is a crucial part of the process. Part of inventorying assets involves discovering and identifying all the assets you use within a business.
To help you out, we’ll dive into some examples of assets in IT within this article. That way, you can better understand what they are and how to identify them. Let’s get started.
What Is an Asset ITIL?
Before we get into specific examples, let’s establish a good definition of what IT assets are. The ITIL is a good resource for dedicated information and best practices that companies should be following in this process.
The ITIL defines IT assets as any piece of physical or digital equipment that provides value to a company and requires financial investment. If you think about the amount of computer equipment and software you invest in, you’ll quickly realize there’s a lot to track and manage in an ITAM system. Let’s look at some examples to give you a better overview of this definition.
What Are 10 Examples of Assets in IT?
Ten common IT asset examples that businesses use are:
- Personal computers: Computers like laptops and desktops will be one of the first things most businesses invest in to manage daily operations. They must be updated and maintained regularly to ensure top performance.
- Hard drives: Hard drives can be part of personal computers or external storage systems that the company uses. There will be a lot of critical information on them, so they’re very essential to manage.
- Network switches: A network switch essentially connects all the computers within the company’s local system. It can help efficiently manage many other IT systems.
- Monitors and projectors: Most businesses with employees at stationary desks will want to supply monitors for the best performance, or it will be necessary if you use desktop computers. Additionally, projectors will need to be used and set up correctly if big meetings are conducted that require a display.
- Mice and keyboards: Again, outside of laptops and portable devices used on the go, most businesses will want to invest in high-quality keyboards and mice for employees at stationary desk setups. These need to be maintained and replaced on a schedule to ensure the best performance.
- Printers and fax machines: While several processes are digital, many businesses still use printers and fax machines for hard paper copies of important documents. They should be maintained appropriately for best use whenever they’re needed.
- Video conferencing equipment: With many employees reporting virtually and company meetings conducted over services like Zoom, video conferencing software is a must. You want your meetings to go off without a hitch, so this equipment is essential to maintain.
- Servers and backup systems: Most companies have servers to manage aspects like their website and key information that is stored. In addition, backup systems are usually implemented to prevent the loss of any key information. All these systems are crucial to track and manage.
- Security equipment: Information security is a top priority for every company. You don’t want to lose key information or have customer data land in the wrong hands. So all software and hardware assets involved should be tracked and managed regularly.
- Downloadable or cloud-based software: Any downloadable or cloud-based software you use should be managed and updated regularly. These can be programs used for processes like marketing, accounting, or storage of information.
What Is an Asset Inventory?
You may have heard about an IT asset inventory but still want to know more about what it is and how one can be deployed effectively to track and manage assets.
An IT asset inventory is a central location where all pieces of computer equipment and related information can be tracked. This is usually done through manual spreadsheets or software programs.
In addition, asset discovery systems are very helpful in ensuring all assets are identified within a company’s operations when beginning an inventory system.
What Is the Relationship Between IT Asset Inventory and Information Security Operations?
An accurate IT asset inventory is pretty crucial to information security. When you’re taking an asset inventory, many of those devices are active parts of your company’s network. In terms of cyber security, any piece of equipment part of the network could be vulnerable to outside attacks from those trying to steal information.
An accurate inventory keeps everything tracked and secured, preventing this from happening. It ensures you always know where and how equipment is being used and that it is updated and checked over regularly to ensure compliance with security regulations.
If you’d like help with creating an inventory or setting up a proper system for success, Multiply will be a great partner for your needs.
How Multiply Can Help
Multiply is a team of senior service technicians and IT consultants. We partner with companies to help create effective asset and data management systems. We can help you with asset discovery, setting up inventories, conducting audits, and bridging communications between all teams involved.
Contact us today to learn how Multiply can help with your needs!
