Jon Oltsik, Senior Analyst at the Enterprise Strategy Group and contributing writer for CNET’s News.com, wrote a great article this morning on the prevailing lack of proper asset management and tracking strategies in corporations. He even sites the Department of Homeland Security’s inability to properly document its technology infrastructure:

“If you think that I’m exaggerating, check out the past few Federal Information Security Management Act report cards. Massive federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) get low marks for asset management. If DHS can’t identify its assets, how secure can it be?”

I won’t discuss how pitiful and scary this is (although not entirely unexpected), however I WOULD like to encourage you and your organization to take another look at your resources and make sure you have a proper handle on your environment. With such rapid technology growth, infrastructure additions and innovation over the past five to 10 years, do you really know what you have in your arsenal? Not just all of your servers, but what software (including versions) they are running and how they fit into your short and long-term business strategy? This may be too much to ask, however just taking the smallest steps to document your assets will pay off in the long run. I encourage you to read the entire article, as Oltsik makes some very insightful points.