ISO/IEC 19770 is the family of international standards for IT asset management. It defines what a well-run ITAM system looks like and provides data standards that make software easier to identify and license. Few mid-sized organizations seek formal certification, but the standard is a useful reference for designing a program and a common language with auditors and partners.
The main parts
Requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and improving an ITAM system, in the style of other ISO management system standards. The current edition dates from 2017.
SWID tags: structured data that identifies installed software authoritatively, making recognition and normalization more reliable. See software normalization.
Terms and a format for describing software entitlements, such as license rights and limits, in a machine-readable way. See software entitlements.
An overview of the family and definitions of common terms.
What a management system means in practice
Part 1 is a management system standard. It does not prescribe a tool; it asks whether the organization has the elements that make ITAM work and keep improving:
- Context and scope
Which assets, entities and locations the system covers, and why.
- Leadership and policy
An approved policy, roles and accountability.
- Planning
Objectives, risks and how they will be addressed.
- Support and operation
Resources, competence, processes and records.
- Performance evaluation
Measures, internal audit and management review.
- Improvement
Corrective action and continual improvement.
How organizations use it
For policies, roles and processes.
See SAM maturity model.
With vendors, auditors and partners.
In a smaller number of organizations where customers or regulators value it.
How MI One helps
Frequently asked questions
Do we need ISO 19770 certification?
Rarely, for mid-sized organizations. Using it as a reference is usually enough.
Is ISO 19770 only about software?
The family covers IT assets broadly, though much of it focuses on software.
Where can we get the standard?
The standards are published by ISO and national standards bodies, usually for a fee.
Sources
- ISO/IEC 19770 family of IT asset management standards. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO/IEC_19770