The Canadian IT Asset Management Users' Group is a non-profit organization, established in 1992 in response to customer issues with certain vendor practices and rising software costs, and a shared interest to formulate a collective response to same.

CITAMUG participants represent medium to large private and public Canadian organizations from a wide range of industries including banking, retail, insurance, utilities and telecommunications.

Individual and collective experiences, solutions and issues are shared during interactive meetings - informally and through user presentations. By invitation, vendors present their licensing and related business practices and asset management solutions, and obtain valuable feedback from the members. Special emphasis is placed on identifying and resolving key issues surrounding management of software investments, with a focus on cost reduction and contract and vendor management.

Originally, the focus of CITAMUG was primarily on mainframe software; the focus has been expanded in recent years to include software management on distributed platforms, as well as selected hardware asset management issues (e.g., leasing).

Objectives: The Canadian IT Asset Management Users' Group provides a forum to:

• Establish and cultivate relationships with user and vendor contacts in the Canadian software industry.
• Provide education and awareness on industry trends and issues, customer experiences, vendor practices and solutions.
• Share experiences and formulate strategies related to all aspects of software asset management, especially as pertains to Canadian issues and experiences.
• Influence the software industry and vendor directions, through consultation, collective feedback and escalation of shared requirements and issues.

Organization and Management:

• Sponsored and administered by Technology Asset Management Inc., at the request of the participants and under the direction of an Advisory Committee. Member organizations set or influence the agenda, topics and overall direction to the fullest extent possible.
• Meetings are held in Toronto three times per year: winter, spring, and fall.
• A meeting registration fee is in effect, to cover expenses; there is no membership fee.
• Meetings are open to all Canadian software customer organizations. Vendors may participate by invitation only.
• A pro-active approach and collective position on industry trends and issues, and vendor policies and practices, will be taken where necessary and practicable.

Comments from Participants:

• Excellent group, I always come away with good info on changes in the marketplace and what my peers are doing.
• Great forum in which to share information, and learn what is going on in the industry, as well as reactions from my peers.
• Good group of professionals with lots of common ground - I want to come back!

For information on the Canadian IT Asset Management Users' Group, contact:
Sherry Irwin, Technology Asset Management Inc., at (905) 602-9298 or
citamug@tam-inc.com