Any business that relies on technology to run its operations needs to have some form of asset discovery in place. Asset discovery refers to identifying and cataloging an organization's hardware and software assets. This information helps to generate an inventory that can be used for various purposes, such as compliance with regulations, managing assets, and troubleshooting technical issues—the larger the assets, the more pain points associated with putting them in order.
For example, many businesses are required to comply with regulatory requirements such as Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and others. Failing to comply with these regulations can result in heavy fines or criminal charges. Asset discovery tools can help businesses inventory their assets and ensure compliance by providing detailed reports on what is installed on each device on the network.
This article will overview what IT asset discovery tools are and how they can help your organization.