InformationWeek
Defining The Business Value Of Technology
| September 29, 1997 |
Janus Technologies: Asset-Management Software
By
Caryn Gillooly
Janus makes asset-management software called Argis that manages all IT assets-hardware as well as software-across all types of computing platforms. But Argis doesn't provide ordinary inventory-focused asset management. Instead, it tracks asset ownership. "Other tools provide physical logistics, which is a necessary function," explains Larry Shoup, president of Janus, in Pittsburgh. "We tell you what you bought, rente
d, leased, and licensed."
For example, Argis can tell you if you're paying for upgrades on software you're not using. Alternatively, it can tell you if you're using more licenses than you're legally entitled to. "This is a tool used by people that make financial decisions," Shoup says.
The main reason for using this type of tool is to save money, and Shoup says Argis does just that. Most of Janus' customers get their return on investment in just six months, he says. At least one did far better. Though Argis costs $50,000, one customer-a bank-used it to save $1 million in six months, says Shoup.
Although Shoup would not provide the name of the bank, he points to Computer Sciences Corp. as one customer that did, in fact, hit its ROI in six months. CSC's outsourcing division uses Argis to track the software assets on its 43 mainframes. Before using Argis, the division had no way to track licensing information or software versions and was about to begin developing a homegrown solution, says Al Lessi
g, manager of software assets for North America at CSC, in San Diego. "When I saw Argis, I was so impressed that I didn't look at anything else," he says. "You can just tell it was developed with real-life users in mind." Lessig says CSC now saves more than $100,000 a year by using Argis. Much of the savings come from spotting products or licenses that aren't being used.
Another Janus customer, Lockheed Martin Integrated Business Solutions in Orlando, Fla., uses Argis as the central repository for all its IT asset information. The company's systems integration division is using Argis internally and externally to track assets for itself and for clients, says Mark Arnold, Lockheed Martin's program manager for systems integration.
'Beyond The Call Of Duty'
While it may seem that Janus is alone in its market, in fact it has two primary competitors: Asset Software International in Ottawa, and Apsylog Inc. in San Rafael, Calif. Analysts do not see a clear winner. "Asset management as a whole is too immature to say who will emerge as the leader," says Norbert Kriebel, an analyst at Giga Information Group. "While I would put Janus on a shortlist of asset-management companies, it's still very similar to other companies in this space."
Possibly working in Janus' favor-and possibly the reason the company can provide real-world products and services-are its founders. Shoup and VP Jan Pini came from Legent Corp., where they worked in customer service. The two were keenly aware from firsthand experience what customers were looking for. "We didn't want to put garbage out there," Shoup says.
CSC and Lockheed Martin are just two of nearly 70 large customers of Argis. Others include DuPont and MCI
.
Are these companies concerned about putting such a crucial piece of their business in the hands of such a small company? Apparently not. While Janus is privately held and not required to make its financial status public, executives say the company has been growing at 300% a year since its founding in 1994. This seems to keep customers worry-free. "We looked at their growth and their products, and we're comfortable with the company," says Lockheed Martin's Arnold. "It's just not a concern."
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nly a few companies have a single, niche-market product that is so well built that its customers say they can't get along without it. Janus Technologies Inc. is one of those companies.
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