Everybody needs applications, but not everybody needs every application.' That's been a fallacy for too long.' Applications are expensive, in part because determining how much they're actually used is difficult.' In this article, Greg Shields talks about some simple solutions he's created using Windows PowerShell for metering application usage via the Get-Process cmdlet.

As he explains his miniature solution, he also admits that it's a stopgap method at best.' Software metering is a challenging activity, one that often requires a management infrastructure complete with installed agents.' While metering the software might be easy with Windows PowerShell, getting useful information out of that data isn't so easy.' Generating the reports you need usually requires a third-party solution.'

The activities associated with software metering aren't natively found in Microsoft Windows, but the wasted dollars are exactly what you'll want out of your IT budget.' Learn more about this important IT activity in Greg's article.

How much money are you wasting on software?