SAM Baseline Assessment
for the Microsoft Stack
Let PC Connection’s SAM Practice Transform Your Data into Confident Decisions
We Are Your Licensing Advocate
Our SAM Baseline Assessment is designed to help you maintain compliance and
maximize the return on your Microsoft investment. Let us work with your existing
SAM tool (e.g. SCCM, LANDesk, Altiris, etc.) to normalize your inventory data through
our cloud-based reconciliation tool. If you don’t have an on-site SAM solution, or prefer
to use a secondary source to validate your primary, we offer complimentary training,
deployment, and technical support.
Why PC Connection?
SAM Baseline Assessment
Benefits include:
J Clear picture of your Microsoft estate
J Understanding of what you own and use
J Peace of mind by eliminating guesswork
and uncertainty from licensing decisions
J Avoid overspending with accurate data
We live and breathe Microsoft licensing—and our experts have years of licensing
and business experience. We build our own templates and reports to simplify even the
most complex Microsoft licensing issues. We do the licensing equivalent of long-hand
division, showing our process and work to make the data behind the results both
approachable and understandable.
Contact Your Account Manager Today
1.800.800.0014
www.pcconnection.com
©2013 PC Connection, Inc. All rights reserved. PC Connection is a registered trademark of PC Connection, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All copyrights and trademarks remain the property of their respective owners.
Our Sales Policy—All sales are subject to PC Connection’s Standard Terms of Sale. You may review the Terms of Sale at www.pcconnection.com. #24062 0313
SAM Baseline Assessment
for the Microsoft Stack
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the timeline for a typical SAM Baseline engagement?
A. The SAM Baseline is a 30-day process, start-to-finish. They generally follow a timeline like this:
Qualification
Determine client
objectives
Determine
program eligibility
Project Schedule
and Scope
Tools, timeline,
and logistics
Data Gathering
Data Validation
Final Deliverables
Gather
entitlement
and asset
inventory data
Validate
entitlement and
inventory for
accuracy
Effective license
position and
executive report
Guided License
Reconciliation
Remedy overages
and shortfalls
Q. How much of my IT team’s time will this require?
A. The engagement itself takes 30 days, but we will estimate the potential workload during
the initial qualification call. Our goal is to take on as much of the work as possible, and we
will only engage if you feel comfortable with both the scope and timeline.
Q. Is this an audit? What is Microsoft’s level of involvement?
A. The SAM Baseline is not an official Microsoft audit. It is a voluntary process to assist customers
who wish to better understand their license position, and who are willing to remedy any shortfalls.
Microsoft is present at the initial scoping call and once more at the end when we review findings.
Q. I’ve received a letter from Microsoft offering the SAM Engagement
as an option. What does this mean?
A. If the letter is offering a Microsoft-funded third-party SAM assessment, they are referring to
the SAM Baseline process described here, which is voluntary. If the letter requires submission of an
Effective License Position (ELP) document directly to Microsoft, with or without partner involvement,
it’s most likely an official self-audit, which is not voluntary.
Q. What if I want don’t want to share my data with Microsoft?
A. We can still conduct a Baseline on a fee-basis, where your data is not shared.
Contact the SAM Practice or your Account Manager for more details
Contact Your Account Manager Today
1.800.800.0014
www.pcconnection.com
©2013 PC Connection, Inc. All rights reserved. PC Connection is a registered trademark of PC Connection, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All copyrights and trademarks remain the property of their respective owners.
Our Sales Policy—All sales are subject to PC Connection’s Standard Terms of Sale. You may review the Terms of Sale at www.pcconnection.com. #24062 0313