SOFTWARE LICENSING

Flexera Software Integrates App Portal with Software Licensing and Application Readiness Solutions

By Rajani Baburajan, TMCnet Contributor

Flexera Software, a provider of software licensing solutions, recently unveiled upgrades to its enterprise app store. The new App Portal comes integrated with FlexNet Manager Suite, the company’s software licensing optimization solution, and AdminStudio Suite, a leading application readiness solution.

The integration provides enterprises the ability to embrace the consumerization of IT with greater efficiency and effectiveness, according to Flexera officials. The employee self-service feature allows users to view, request, access and deploy enterprise applications to their devices from an easy-to-use, self-service application catalog.

By integrating with FlexNet Manager Platform, the App Portal obtains asset data from the software licensing platform. It shows the number of licenses owned, the number of copies of the software installed and/or in use and how many licenses are currently available.

The integration of license reclamation process also ensures that licenses are not being wasted by employees who don't use the software. The systems can identify unused applications, query relevant users to determine if the application is still needed, and if not, reclaim the licenses and add them back into the available software license pool.

The App Portal can initiate a workflow process that automatically routes and fulfills requests based on this data once necessary approvals are obtained. The app store also filters app requests enterprise groups for licenses that are allocated to specific departments, cost centers or countries.

Flexera Software AdminStudio Suite is designed to deliver compatibility testing, application packaging and migration capabilities, which are essential to deploying Application Readiness best practices. By integrating App Portal with AdminStudio Suite, the company ensures fast, efficient and simultaneous automated handoff of the packaged application to the organization's deployment system and to App Portal.

"Enterprises need to be able to meet the business needs of employees while ensuring that essential business processes are integrated and automated," said Maureen Polte, vice president of Product Management at Flexera Software, in a statement.

"App Portal is the only solution that takes the entire software license lifecycle into account,” Polte added. “By integrating license management, application preparation and packaging into the enterprise app store, it will give employees the enterprise apps they need to do their job in an efficient, automated process that reduces IT costs and risks."

 According to Polte, App Portal surpasses any other enterprise app store on the market in delivering an “iTunes-like” experience for employees to access their enterprise apps - while ensuring continual software license optimization, application availability and choice.