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BS ISO IEC 19770 โ Information Technology โ Software Asset Management Series
Information Technology โ Software Asset Management (2012โ2016 Editions, 4 Parts)
๐ป BS ISO/IEC 19770 is the British Standard implementation, adopted by BSI, of the ISO/IEC 19770 international series prepared by Technical Committee IST/15 (Software and systems engineering), classified under ICS 35.080. The series provides a standardized framework for software asset management (SAM), covering processes and tiered assessment of conformance, software identification tags (SWID), entitlement schema, and overview and vocabulary. It is a key standard for controlling software costs, reducing license compliance risk, and improving IT asset management maturity.
๐ก Software is a valuable intangible asset: without systematic management, organizations face license overuse penalties, redundant software waste, and supply-chain security risk. BS ISO/IEC 19770 makes software assets controllable and auditable from “procurement to retirement” through standardized processes, identification tags, and entitlement schemas.
1. Series Overview ๐
The BS ISO/IEC 19770 series consists of several parts; this batch covers Parts 1, 2, 3, and 5. Part 1 covers processes and tiered assessment of conformance; Part 2 software identification tags (SWID); Part 3 entitlement schema; Part 5 overview and vocabulary. The series supersedes earlier editions and is continuously updated with the evolution of IT asset management and software supply-chain security.
The series primarily serves enterprise IT asset management and software licensing teams, software procurement and compliance audit personnel, software vendors and distributors, IT service and cloud resource management platform developers, and third-party services performing software inventory and supply-chain compliance.
2. Structure and Technical Highlights ๐
| Standard | Title | Core Content |
|---|---|---|
| BS ISO/IEC 19770-1:2012 | Processes and tiered assessment of conformance | Software asset management process framework with tiered (level 1โ4) conformance assessment by maturity; supersedes the 2006 edition |
| BS ISO/IEC 19770-2:2015 | Software identification tag (SWID) | Standard tag format for software identification, with tag elements, attributes, and software identity information, supporting inventory and supply-chain transparency |
| BS ISO/IEC 19770-3:2016 | Entitlement schema | Metadata schema for entitlements (rights, licenses), describing software license rights and compliance requirements |
| BS ISO/IEC 19770-5:2015 | Overview and vocabulary | Definitions of software asset management concepts, terms, and abbreviations (scanned version, written from public-domain knowledge) |
โ ๏ธ BS ISO/IEC 19770-5 in this material is a scanned version; its description is written from public-domain knowledge of the standard. Please refer to the official BSI publication for the authoritative text.
3. Key Technical Requirements ๐ง
The key technical requirements of the BS ISO/IEC 19770 series are reflected at the process, tag, and entitlement levels:
- Process framework (Part 1): specifies software asset management processes and capabilities, assessing organizational conformance by maturity tier (e.g., level 1โ4), covering procurement, deployment, use, and retirement.
- Software identification tag (Part 2): specifies the SWID tag format containing core software identity, version, vendor information; embeddable in installation packages or distributed separately, enabling automatic identification and inventory.
- Entitlement schema (Part 3): specifies the metadata schema for entitlements (rights and licenses), describing license type, quantity, term, permissions, and compliance constraints.
- Product conformance: Parts 2 and 3 specify conformance requirements for tags and entitlement data, ensuring accurate, standardized identification information.
- Overview and vocabulary (Part 5): unifies core software asset management concepts and terms, eliminating cross-organization communication ambiguity.
๐จ The accuracy of software identification tags is a prerequisite for inventory: if SWID tags are missing, incorrect, or not distributed with software, automated inventory cannot identify software, causing distorted asset records and compliance blind spots. Software procurement should require vendors to provide standard-conforming SWID tags.
4. Engineering Practice Applications ๐ ๏ธ
In engineering practice, the BS ISO/IEC 19770 series is mainly applied to:
- ๐ Software inventory and asset records: use SWID tags and automated discovery tools to build accurate software asset records, capturing each software’s name, version, quantity, and installation location.
- ๐ง License compliance management: compare actual installed quantities against actual licensed quantities per the entitlement schema (Part 3), identifying overuse and redundancy, avoiding compliance risk and waste.
- ๐ Software procurement and vendor management: require vendors to provide SWID tags and entitlement information in procurement agreements, enabling supply-chain software transparency and traceability.
- ๐ Software retirement and data compliance: combined with asset lifecycle management, standardize license recovery and data cleanup at software retirement, meeting security and privacy compliance.
โ
It is recommended that organizations build a software asset management system per BS ISO/IEC 19770: set capability targets via the Part 1 process framework, achieve asset identification via Part 2 SWID tags, manage licenses via the Part 3 entitlement schema, and unify terminology via Part 5, progressively raising SAM maturity.
5. Frequently Asked Questions โ
โ Q: What is the relationship between software asset management and IT asset management?
A: IT asset management (ITAM) covers all IT assets โ hardware, software, network; software asset management (SAM) is a specialized domain focused on software procurement, licensing, deployment, and retirement. BS ISO/IEC 19770 provides a dedicated standard for SAM.
A: IT asset management (ITAM) covers all IT assets โ hardware, software, network; software asset management (SAM) is a specialized domain focused on software procurement, licensing, deployment, and retirement. BS ISO/IEC 19770 provides a dedicated standard for SAM.
โ Q: What is the role of a SWID tag?
A: A SWID (software identification tag) is a standard identifier embedded in or distributed with software, carrying software identity, version, vendor, etc., letting management tools automatically identify and inventory software, supporting accurate asset records and supply-chain transparency.
A: A SWID (software identification tag) is a standard identifier embedded in or distributed with software, carrying software identity, version, vendor, etc., letting management tools automatically identify and inventory software, supporting accurate asset records and supply-chain transparency.
โ Q: What does “tiered assessment of conformance” in Part 1 mean?
A: It assesses how well an organization’s software asset management processes conform to the standard by maturity tier (e.g., level 1โ4); higher tiers indicate more mature management. Organizations can identify gaps, define improvement paths, and demonstrate capability to auditors.
A: It assesses how well an organization’s software asset management processes conform to the standard by maturity tier (e.g., level 1โ4); higher tiers indicate more mature management. Organizations can identify gaps, define improvement paths, and demonstrate capability to auditors.
โ Q: What does the entitlement schema (Part 3) describe?
A: The entitlement schema describes metadata for software licenses, including rights type, licensed quantity, term, usage permissions, and compliance constraints, making license information machine-processable for automated compliance comparison and audit.
A: The entitlement schema describes metadata for software licenses, including rights type, licensed quantity, term, usage permissions, and compliance constraints, making license information machine-processable for automated compliance comparison and audit.
โ Q: Does BS ISO/IEC 19770 apply to open-source software?
A: Yes. Open-source licenses (e.g., GPL, Apache, MIT) also require asset management; SWID tags and the entitlement schema can describe open-source versions and license obligations, helping organizations meet open-source compliance (license terms, copyright notices).
A: Yes. Open-source licenses (e.g., GPL, Apache, MIT) also require asset management; SWID tags and the entitlement schema can describe open-source versions and license obligations, helping organizations meet open-source compliance (license terms, copyright notices).