ITAM Forum

Executives don’t buy inventories, they buy outcomes. Yet many SAM and ITAM programs still struggle to turn the data they generate into decisions that CFOs, CIOs, and CPOs will commit to. As ITAM converges with FinOps and Procurement, organizations need a unified, outcome‑driven approach that breaks silos and uses data to guide measurable change.

In this session, SHI introduces a practical, repeatable model for converting SAM insights into actionable, executive‑level decisions across ITAM, FinOps, and Procurement. We’ll explore the governance challenges that bury SAM in operations, the misalignment created by isolated tooling and reporting, and the increasing need for consistent metrics, shared language, and joined‑up accountability. Drawing on customer patterns, cross‑discipline program experience, and SHI’s ongoing work with both the ITAM Forum and FinOps Foundation, we outline a lightweight decision framework that elevates SAM from reporting to relevance, and from counting assets to driving commitments.

Participants will leave with a clear understanding of how to integrate SAM data into strategic decision cycles, improve cross-functional governance, and deliver measurable financial and risk outcomes that resonate at the executive level.

This event is brought to you by The ITAM Forum and SHI. When you register for this event, you are consenting to your data being supplied to all parties for the purposes of delivering the event and post-event follow up. More details about how we use your data can be found within our [*privacy policy.*](https://itamf.org/itam-forum-privacy-and-data-protection-policy/)


Elevating SAM Data for Executive Decisions

As organisations become more data-driven, the importance of reliable, high-quality information continues to grow — particularly within ITAM. When data about the technology estate can’t be trusted or aligned, even well-established IT practices find it difficult to deliver consistent value.

We’ll dive into how ITAM’s relationship with data quality is evolving, and whether ITAM is best placed to take on the role of trusted data steward across the organisation. Our panellists will discuss who benefits most from accurate IT asset data, how ITAM should prioritise its focus, and what effective collaboration with key stakeholders looks like in the real world.

**Why attend?:**

*   **The role of ITAM in data quality:** Examine whether ITAM’s future lies in becoming a data quality shepherd and what that responsibility entails.
*   **Understanding stakeholder impact:** Identify which IT and business stakeholders gain the most value from accurate, reliable estate data.
*   **Prioritisation strategies:** Learn how ITAM teams can decide where to focus their data quality efforts for maximum organisational impact.
*   **Collaboration in action:** Discover what effective prioritisation and partnership with key stakeholders actually looks like day-to-day.
*   **Stronger outcomes through better data:** See how improved data quality enables better decision-making, reduces risk, and elevates ITAM’s strategic value.

*This event is brought to you by The ITAM Forum. When you register for the event your data will be added to our Marketing communications for the purposes of delivering the event and following up after. More details about how we use your data can be found within our *[*privacy policy*](https://itamf.org/itam-forum-privacy-and-data-protection-policy/)* .*


ITAM Data - The IT Manager's Superpower

In hybrid and multi-cloud organizations, financial accountability and asset visibility often live in separate domains — leading to blind spots in spend, compliance, and operational risk. This session will explore how IT Asset Management (ITAM) and FinOps practitioners can break down silos and build integrated data models that deliver unified visibility across cloud, SaaS, and on-prem environments. Attendees will walk away with actionable frameworks for data unification, governance processes that support both cost optimization and compliance, and real examples of how collaboration between ITAM and FinOps drives measurable business value.In hybrid and multi-cloud organizations, financial accountability and asset visibility often live in separate domains — leading to blind spots in spend, compliance, and operational risk. This session will explore how IT Asset Management (ITAM) and FinOps practitioners can break down silos and build integrated data models that deliver unified visibility across cloud, SaaS, and on-prem environments. Attendees will walk away with actionable frameworks for data unification, governance processes that support both cost optimization and compliance, and real examples of how collaboration between ITAM and FinOps drives measurable business value.It’s 2026 and it’s time to make new friends.

Come along to this Online Summit and hear everything you need to know about fostering close ties between ITAM and FinOps, playing to your strengths, and managing your increasingly complex and essential IT estate.

This summit will cover:

*   What is FinOps and why is it important for ITAM teams
*   Practical strategies for engaging with FinOps teams
*   Understanding how your strengths in ITAM are vital to FinOps’ continuing success – and to ensuring your IT estate delivers business value and competitive advantage
*   The role you will play in managing the coming wave of AI solutions – measuring ROI, measuring business value, and ensuring governance which enables innovation
*   Best practices and case studies provided by our patrons

## **Agenda:**

**14:00 - 14:05: Welcome & Introduction, AJ Witt**

**14:05 - 14:35: Executive Reality Check: Your AI Spend Isn’t Special—Apply FinOps Unit Costs + ITAM Controls Before You Scale, Kevin Wade, SHI**

AI promises transformation—but without financial discipline, it can quickly become a margin-killer. AI workloads don’t just consume resources—they magnify bad financial habits. Boards are asking tough questions: What’s the true cost per inference, per customer, or per model run? Traditional chargeback models can’t answer—and that’s where risk begins. This session shows how FinOps unit economics and ITAM governance deliver the clarity leaders need to turn AI from an uncontrolled experiment into a strategic advantage. Learn how to enforce tagging standards for model IDs and GPU pools, apply lifecycle controls for AI licenses, and calculate cost per inference or training epoch. By mastering these practices, FinOps and ITAM become strategic catalysts for innovation—helping CFOs, CIOs, and CTOs scale AI responsibly, make smarter investment decisions, and deliver measurable ROI. Don’t let AI derail your forecasts—govern it for growth.

**14:35 - 15:05:** **Maximising ESR: Win at cloud cost optimisation with this playbook for ROI, Jeremy Chaplin, Flexera**

We’re all making significant investments in technology to power our businesses, whether it’s on AI, containers, on-premises, or IaaS and PaaS services from the hyperscalers. Measuring and achieving a return on this investment can be challenging, but when done well, FinOps can help improve margins, deliver better value, and drive growth. Hear how Flexera’s FinOps portfolio can help you achieve market-leading Effective Savings Rates (ESR), a key FinOps metric for ROI.

**15:05 - 15:35: Java, AI, and FinOps: Intelligent Control at the Intersection of ITAM and Cloud Spend, Simon Taylor, Azul**

As AI adoption accelerates, Java continues to underpin enterprise AI platforms, data pipelines, and cloud-native services. These Java-based AI workloads introduce highly dynamic consumption patterns that challenge traditional IT Asset Management (ITAM) and drive unpredictable cloud spend. FinOps is essential to restoring visibility and accountability—but without application-level intelligence, cost optimization remains reactive. By combining AI-powered in-use intelligence with Java runtime data, organizations can converge ITAM and FinOps into a unified decision framework. Machine learning enables teams to correlate Java activity with AI workload demand, cloud consumption, and licensing exposure—transforming raw telemetry into actionable insight. The result is smarter forecasting, optimized licensing strategies, reduced cloud waste, and proactive risk management. This session explores how Java, AI, ITAM, and FinOps together enable intelligent governance of modern AI-driven cloud environments.

**15:35 - 16:05: Bridging ITAM and FinOps for a Unified Cloud & Asset Strategy, Beau Nelford, Anglepoint**

In hybrid and multi-cloud organizations, financial accountability and asset visibility often live in separate domains — leading to blind spots in spend, compliance, and operational risk. This session will explore how IT Asset Management (ITAM) and FinOps practitioners can break down silos and build integrated data models that deliver unified visibility across cloud, SaaS, and on-prem environments. Attendees will walk away with actionable frameworks for data unification, governance processes that support both cost optimization and compliance, and real examples of how collaboration between ITAM and FinOps drives measurable business value.

**16:05 - 16:35: 3 ways to apply FinOps practices to your SaaS Management Strategy. Ben Kamper, Calero**

As perpetual licenses age into obsolescence (or become an intolerable security risk), successful ITAM practices must identify models accommodating increasingly complex SaaS license and pricing scenarios. The FinOps framework offers a compelling solution by emphasizing shared ownership, continuous optimization, and event-based management. Attendees of this session will get practical tips for transitioning to a SaaS-first environment, including how to balance cost avoidance, accountability, and business agility in a dynamic software landscape.

**16:35 - 17:00 Q\&A & Close**

This event is brought to you by The ITAM Forum and our sponsors. When you register for this event, you are consenting to your data being supplied to all parties for the purposes of delivering the event and post-event follow up. More details about how we use your data can be found within our [*privacy policy.*](https://itamf.org/itam-forum-privacy-and-data-protection-policy/)


Online Summit: FinOps

Join us to explore how the right ITAM tool can transform the way your organisation tackles today's FinOps challenges. Whether you are struggling to get visibility into cloud spend, frustrated with your current solution, or simply curious about what else is out there, this event offers a unique chance to see the latest tools in action, with no hard sell, no pressure.

So register now, bring your questions, and get ready for some insightful and interactive demonstrations.

Why attend:

*   **Learn from the experts**: Hear from the ITAM Forum and leading ITAM tool and service providers about the latest trends, challenges and best practices for aligning ITAM with FinOps in 2026.
*   **Discover new solutions:** See live demos of tools that help you optimise cloud costs, improve forecasting, and leverage asset data for financial accountability and better decision making.
*   **Get your questions answered:** Participate in a live Q\&A session with the speakers to explore how ITAM tools can support your FinOps journey.
*   **Stay ahead of the curve**: Gain insights on what's important, what's new and what's next for ITAM and FinOps in 2026 and beyond. 

## **Agenda:**

**14:00 - 14:05: Welcome & Introduction, Kelly Yip**

14:05 - 14:35: How to bring cloud software licensing into your ITAM practice, **Mark Bradley, Flexera**

Cloud software licensing in AWS/Azure is a growing problem for ITAM. You have to deal with siloed visibility, difficult manual tracking and AWS and Azure tools that aren’t designed to help. We’ll show you how to get hours of time back every week and recognize immediate hard-cost savings. Flexera’s Cloud License Management surfaces daily software spend/usage from cloud bills, maps it to entitlements and cost centers, flags over/underprovisioned BYOL(s), and recommends the most cost efficient license type per instance. You’ll walk away ready to collaborate with FinOps and tighten compliance while cutting costs.

14:35 - 15:05: ITAM + FinOps: Unlocking Cloud Savings with Better Data, Not Bigger Dashboards, **Robbie Plourde, USU**

In 2026, organizations struggle with incomplete or inaccurate asset data, shadow IT and misaligned ownership—all of which undermine FinOps efforts before they begin.

This session explores how modern ITAM practices provide the data accuracy, lifecycle context, contract intelligence, and software usage visibility required to operationalize FinOps at scale.

Attendees will learn:

-Why inaccurate inventories and entitlement data inflate cloud + software spend

-How ITAM data eliminates rework in allocation, forecasting, and optimization

-Where FinOps and ITAM processes naturally intersect (e.g., cloud usage, license compliance and financial accountability)

-KPIs that evaluate the effectiveness of joint FinOps and ITAM processes

-Practical examples of how enterprises unlocked 6–7 figure savings through ITAM-driven FinOps

-What “good FinOps data” looks like in 2026 and how to build it

**15:05 - 16:00 Q\&A & Close**

This event is brought to you by ITAM Forum and our sponsors. When you register for this event, you are consenting to your data being supplied to all parties for the purposes of delivering the event and post-event follow up. More details about how we use your data can be found within our [*privacy policy.*](https://itamf.org/itam-forum-privacy-and-data-protection-policy/)


Online Tools and Services Day

As AI adoption accelerates, organisations must move beyond hype to ensure AI investments drive real business value. This webinar explores how enterprises can establish effective AI governance, align AI initiatives with strategic objectives, and mitigate risks. We’ll discuss the critical role of IT Asset Management (ITAM) professionals in guiding AI adoption, optimising costs, and ensuring compliance.

Attendees will also gain key insights into the fundamental questions every business leader should ask to maximise the return on AI investments.

Key Takeaways:

*   Why AI governance is the #1 business priority for ensuring AI delivers value.
*   How ITAM professionals can guide AI adoption and governance.
*   Key questions every business leader should ask about AI investments.

*This event is brought to you by The ITAM Forum. When you register for the event your data will be added to our Marketing communications for the purposes of delivering the event and following up after. More details about how we use your data can be found in our *[*privacy policy*](https://itassetmanagement.net/about-the-itam-review/privacy-policy/)* .*


AI is Transforming Enterprises: how do we ensure it delivers business value 

Join AJ Witt and ITAM Forum patrons as they discuss all the important news stories of the past year - and gaze into the future to predict what's coming in 2026 and beyond.

*This event is brought to you by The ITAM Forum. When you register for the event your data will be added to our Marketing communications for the purposes of delivering the event and following up after. More details about how we use your data can be found in our *[*privacy policy*](https://itamf.org/itam-forum-privacy-and-data-protection-policy/)* .*


Stories which shook the ITAM world

As IT environments become increasingly complex, the lines between financial, security, and asset governance are blurring. This webinar explores how FinOps, SecOps, and ITAM are converging to provide a unified view of IT risk, compliance, and spend. Learn how integrating these disciplines helps organisations make smarter financial decisions, strengthen security postures, and improve overall governance.

*This event is brought to you by The ITAM Forum. When you register for the event your data will be added to our Marketing communications for the purposes of delivering the event and following up after. More details about how we use your data can be found in our *[*privacy policy*](https://itamf.org/itam-forum-privacy-and-data-protection-policy/)* .*


The Convergence of FinOps, SecOps, and ITAM

Discover how to bridge the data gap between ITAM and FinOps to achieve a unified view of your IT spend. This session explores strategies for creating a single source of truth across hybrid environments - covering cloud, SaaS, and on-prem—enabling more accurate reporting, better cost management, and informed decision-making.

This event is brought to you by The ITAM Forum and its sponsors. When you register for this event, you are consenting to your data being supplied to all parties for the purposes of delivering the event and post-event follow up. More details about how we use your data can be found within our [privacy policy](https://itamf.org/itam-forum-privacy-and-data-protection-policy/) .


Bridging the Data Gap: Unifying ITAM and FinOps Reporting for Holistic Cost Management

AI is a present-day disruptor. We’ll examine what AI means for ITAM, compliance, and business strategy, and how you can adapt with confidence. You’ll learn how to anticipate AI-driven changes, prepare your organisation for the challenges ahead, and how to build a resilient AI governance strategy.

## Agenda:

**14:00 - 14:05: Welcome & Introduction**

**14:05 - 14:35: Bringing SaaS into FinOps: Visibility, Governance, and Cost Control**

SaaS spend is rapidly growing but remains hard to track and control. This session explains how FinOps teams can gain visibility, reduce waste, and optimise costs by bringing SaaS under active management—using audits, chargeback models, and actionable dashboards to drive real savings.

Speakers: Gary McAllister, Leigh Martin

**14:35 - 15:05: Driving Sustainable IT: The Art of Cost + Carbon Optimization in the Age of AI**

As organizations face mounting pressure to align IT operations with both fiscal responsibility and environmental stewardship, the convergence of IT Asset Management (ITAM), FinOps, and sustainability practices offers a powerful path forward. This session explores key sustainability concepts and challenges, highlights how AI is reshaping the landscape of green IT, and provides practical guidance on getting started with cost and carbon optimization. Whether you're advancing your practice’s maturity or just beginning your sustainability journey, you'll gain actionable insights to drive smarter, greener decisions across your technology portfolio.

Speaker: Aaron Soto

**15:05 - 15:35: Reimagining IT Asset Management for the AI-Driven Enterprise**

AI is transforming how enterprises manage technology, control costs, and maintain compliance. For IT leaders, this shift brings both opportunity and risk. In this exclusive session, Robbie Plourde, Global Principal Solution Engineer at USU, will uncover how AI initiatives are redefining IT Asset Management and what every organization must do to stay in control. Learn how to align ITAM with your company’s AI strategy, strengthen governance and audit readiness, and create a foundation for intelligent, automated asset management across on-premise, cloud, and SaaS environments. Prepare your ITAM strategy for the next era of AI-driven enterprise success.

Speakers: Robbie Plourde

**15:35 - 16:05: AI and the Future of Java Licensing: Expanding the Role of ITAM and SAM**

Java licensing has become increasingly complex, with evolving terms, hidden deployments, and rising audit and security risks. This session explores how AI and machine learning models can help ITAM and SAM teams move beyond manual reporting to predictive insights — detecting unauthorized Java use, forecasting license needs, and identifying vulnerabilities from runtime data. Attendees will learn how to reduce audit exposure, optimize costs, and strengthen compliance while expanding the role of ITAM and SAM from cost control to strategic enabler.

Speakers: Simon Taylor

**16:05 - 16:35: Q\&A and Closing**

*This event is brought to you by The ITAM Forum and its sponsors. When you register for this event, you are consenting to your data being supplied to all parties for the purposes of delivering the event and post-event follow up. More details about how we use your data can be found within our *[*privacy policy*](https://itamf.org/itam-forum-privacy-and-data-protection-policy/)* .*


Online Summit: The Future of AI in IT Asset Management

Many organizations already have vendor agreements and negotiation teams in place – but the real challenge lies in the journey to that point of strength. This webinar explores the critical steps in onboarding vendors into Software Asset Management (SAM) tools to produce accurate Effective License Positions (ELPs).

We’ll unpack:

*   The nuances of data extraction and manipulation, including what to request from vendors (e.g., Microsoft MLS, Oracle license inventory reports),
*   How to consolidate and validate entitlement data across years of renewals.
*   Learn why relying solely on purchase records can lead to inaccuracies, and how to ensure full inventory coverage and entitlement visibility.
*   Through real-world examples and expert insights, we’ll introduce a framework for vendor onboarding that applies across your tier 1 vendors—whether you’re facing an audit, launching a new project, or planning a vendor transition.

You’ll leave with a clear understanding of how to align discovery and entitlement data, avoid common pitfalls, confidently navigate the complexities of SAM tool integration, obtaining a clear roadmap of what steps they need to take to be successful in their audits and negotiations in 2026.

*This event is brought to you by The ITAM Forum and its sponsors. When you register for this event, you are consenting to your data being supplied to all parties for the purposes of delivering the event and post-event follow up. More details about how we use your data can be found within our *[*privacy policy*](https://itassetmanagement.net/about-the-itam-review/privacy-policy/)* .*


Audit-proof, SaaS-Smart, Negotiation-Ready: Your 2026 Tier 1 Roadmap

As AI reshapes the technology landscape, the skills required for effective ITAM are rapidly evolving. In this session, we’ll explore how asset managers can adapt by building a deeper understanding of AI and its impact on asset management practices. From master data management (MDM) to new data models and governance frameworks, we’ll examine how AI is redefining the way organisations manage and leverage asset data.

What you’ll gain:

*   Future-ready skills: Learn which competencies ITAM professionals need to thrive in an AI-driven environment.
*   Data management insights: Understand how AI is transforming MDM, governance structures, and the way organisations handle asset data.
*   Practical strategies: Discover approaches to upskilling and adapting ITAM practices to align with AI advancements.
*   Proactive preparation: Gain tools to anticipate challenges and take advantage of new opportunities AI introduces into ITAM.
*   A stronger ITAM role: See how equipping your team with AI knowledge can enhance decision-making, efficiency, and long-term value.

This event is brought to you by The ITAM Forum. When you register for the event your data will be added to our Marketing communications for the purposes of delivering the event and following up after. More details about how we use your data can be found in our privacy policy  - [https://itassetmanagement.net/about-the-itam-review/privacy-policy/](https://itassetmanagement.net/about-the-itam-review/privacy-policy)


AI Driven Technology Management: Evolving Skills for AI and Data Governance in Technology Management

Join AJ Witt and Flexera experts for an early preview of upcoming research into how ITAM & FinOps are working together to deliver business value. The talk is of closer working between FinOps & ITAM and this research will see if it's happening in reality - and also provide insight into where the gaps are and how ITAM & FinOps should work to close them. 

This event is brought to you by ITAM Forum and our sponsors. When you register for this event, you are consenting to your data being supplied to all parties for the purposes of delivering the event and post-event follow up. More details about how we use your data can be found within our [*privacy policy.*](https://itamf.org/itam-forum-privacy-and-data-protection-policy/)


ITAM Meets FinOps: Defining Responsibilities in Hybrid Cloud Management

Join us to explore how the right ITAM tool can transform the way your organisation tackles today's SaaS Management challenges. Whether you are struggling to get visibility into application spend, frustrated with sprawl, or simply curious about what else is out there, this event offers a unique chance to see the latest tools in action, with no hard sell, no pressure.

So register now, bring your questions, and get ready for some insightful and interactive demonstrations.

**Why attend:**

*   **Learn from the experts**: Hear from the ITAM Forum and leading ITAM tool and service providers about the latest trends, challenges and best practices for aligning SaaS Management in 2026.
*   **Discover new solutions:** See live demos of tools that help you optimise SaaS costs, uncover Shadow IT, automate onboarding and offboarding, and more.
*   **Get your questions answered:** Participate in a live Q\&A session with the speakers to explore how ITAM tools can support your SaaS Management journey.
*   **Stay ahead of the curve**: Gain insights on what's important, what's new and what's next for ITAM and SaaS Management in 2026 and beyond. 

*This event is brought to you by The ITAM Forum and our sponsors. When you register for this event, you are consenting to your data being supplied to all parties for the purposes of delivering the event and post-event follow up. More details about how we use your data can be found within our *[*privacy policy.*](https://itamf.org/itam-forum-privacy-and-data-protection-policy/)


Online Tools Day & Services: SaaS

As enterprises accelerate cloud and SaaS adoption, traditional silos between ITAM, SaaS Management, and FinOps are breaking down. Each discipline holds part of the cost, risk, and value picture — but only together do they form the unified control plane modern organizations need.

In this session, we’ll explore the forces driving convergence, including hybrid IT complexity, rising SaaS waste, multi-cloud commitment pressures, and the governance gaps created by fragmented tooling. You’ll learn how leading organizations are connecting discovery, usage, entitlement, and spend data to create a single system of intelligence for technology value.

**Key Takeaways**

*   A practical model for building a converged ITAM, SaaS, and FinOps practice
*   Real-world examples of successful cross-team collaboration
*   Proven approaches to improving cost control and reducing risk
*   Clear steps to elevate your team’s strategic impact within the organisation

This event is brought to you by ITAM Forum and our sponsors. When you register for this event, you are consenting to your data being supplied to all parties for the purposes of delivering the event and post-event follow up. More details about how we use your data can be found within our [*privacy policy.*](https://itamf.org/itam-forum-privacy-and-data-protection-policy/)


The Convergence Blueprint: Why ITAM, SaaS & FinOps Must Unite in 2026

Automation has been a hot topic for many years but has become increasingly important (and possible) thanks to advances in tooling and the use of agentic AI. In this panel webinar we will discuss:

**Why will I learn?:**

*   Which ITAM processes are best suited to automation?
*   To what extent is a human-in-the-loop beneficial?
*   How will agentic AI change how we approach automation of ITAM processes and deliverables?
*   How do we govern this? What happens when an automation produces undesirable results?

*This event is brought to you by The ITAM Forum. When you register for the event your data will be added to our Marketing communications for the purposes of delivering the event and following up after. More details about how we use your data can be found within our *[*privacy policy*](https://itamf.org/itam-forum-privacy-and-data-protection-policy/)* .*


ITAM in the Automation Age

A roundup and discussion of industry news - license changes, product launches, financials and other vendor intelligence. Plus an opportunity for patrons to talk briefly about how their products and services are evolving to keep pace with the rapid changes we're seeing in the technology world. 

*This event is brought to you by The ITAM Forum. When you register for the event your data will be added to our Marketing communications for the purposes of delivering the event and following up after. More details about how we use your data can be found in our *[*privacy policy*](https://itamf.org/itam-forum-privacy-and-data-protection-policy/)* .*
