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Inmeta Crayon acquires FAST Limited

Jens Rugseth, CEO of Inmeta Crayon

Jens Rugseth, CEO of Inmeta Crayon

Norwegian licensing reseller and SAM specialist Inmeta Crayon has acquired FAST Limited.

InMeta Crayon, with headquarters in Oslo, has presence in Northern Europe, Germany, France and the Middle East. The team has over 600 employees, over 10% of which are said to be ‘SAM Experts’. The company provides licensing, SAM services and consulting and claim that ‘SAM is key to our go to market strategy’.

Jens Rugseth, CEO of Inmeta Crayon stated the acquisition of FAST Limited represented both an entrance to the UK market and access to a proprietary process framework which they hope to replicate across other European subsidiaries.

When asked about the role of independence with SAM partners, since Inmeta Crayon are a Microsoft LAR and provide license fulfilment. Jens argued that only those who know the day-to-day working practices of software publishers can know the intricacies of licensing and those companies with close working relationships with the publishers can provide the best advice.

I’m not entirely convinced by this argument. I agree that LARS and other licensing resellers usually have excellent and unrivalled licensing knowledge, but they also receive bonuses and rebates from the licensing providers they are supposed to be advising clients with. Whilst I respect the skills and palate of the fox, I don’t necessarily want him running the hen house.

(One way to address this potential conflict of interest is to offset one LAR against another, one or more to supply licensing and another LAR to provide SAM services.)

This acquisition represents a great step forward in the growth of the SAM market in Europe – but I believe there is still a place for a European wide truly independent SAM provider for those clients looking for global reach.

FAST Limited is a commercial operation providing ‘Support with software, education, consulting and managed services’ – not to be confused with The Federation Against Software Theft the not for profit. It was not definitive whether Inmeta Crayon will continue to use the FAST brand to promote their SAM services – my personal view is that it creates more grief than benefit.

In separate but related news; Alex Hilton, formerly of the Microsoft UK Anti-Piracy and FrontRange Solutions, has recently joined FAST (The Federation not for profit) as Chief Executive.

About Martin Thompson

Martin is owner and founder of The ITAM Review, an online resource for worldwide ITAM professionals. The ITAM Review is best known for its weekly newsletter of all the latest industry updates, LISA training platform, Excellence Awards and conferences in UK, USA and Australia.

Martin is also the founder of ITAM Forum, a not-for-profit trade body for the ITAM industry created to raise the profile of the profession and bring an organisational certification to market. On a voluntary basis Martin is a contributor to ISO WG21 which develops the ITAM International Standard ISO/IEC 19770.

He is also the author of the book "Practical ITAM - The essential guide for IT Asset Managers", a book that describes how to get started and make a difference in the field of IT Asset Management. In addition, Martin developed the PITAM training course and certification.

Prior to founding the ITAM Review in 2008 Martin worked for Centennial Software (Ivanti), Silicon Graphics, CA Technologies and Computer 2000 (Tech Data).

When not working, Martin likes to Ski, Hike, Motorbike and spend time with his young family.

Connect with Martin on LinkedIn.

8 Comments

  1. Kevin says:

    Martin,

    I find your views on “the fox running the hen house” insulting against the integrity of the LAR community. Any LAR worth their salt puts their clients interest first rather than the vendors – the battle that LAR’s face is to appease both parties to reach a win/win situation. I’ve never known vendors to pay “bonuses” from vendors – we get paid a rebate to manage agreements for our customers, and I can certainly state that we can look every customer we speak to in the eye and demonstrate capability, knowledge and value and believe any rebates that are paid are justified.

    Your suggestion of having one LAR providing SAM and the other providing licensing is counter productive and creating an unneccessary increase in the supply chain. What would be better advice is to review your current supply chain and choose a supplier that can act with honesty and integrity, whilst providing the customer with the best advice for their needs. They do exist!!

  2. itsmreview says:

    I don’t doubt your integrity and professionalism Kevin, but ultimately your employer receives rebates based on activity. These rebates are specifically designed to change your behaviour to help meet the publishers strategic goals.

  3. Guest says:

    Integrity of the lar community. Good one.

  4. Guest says:

    FAST (for profit) but who call themsleves “A Leading UK Authority in Software Asset Management & IT Compliance”. These guys help the software customer?

    Then FAST (not for profit, but who “license” the use of their logo to the other for-profit FAST). These guys are an actual “federation” ? representing software vendors and protecting software theft etc. These guys help vendors?

    Okay, I think I’m confused. These are two completely separate entities each with a completely opposite agenda to the other yes?? They must have made some agreements years ago to share the logo and subsequently, and accidentally, used really confusing and misleading business descriptions. Yes, that could be it. There wouldn’t be any conflict here, any hint of fraudulent behaviour. Data privacy I’m sure is paramount at both of these (what are they again, let me see, oh yes here it is..) limited companies.

    With that cleared up, I’m just supremely confident that it is sheer coincidence they both turned up at the same office, same day, with same logo and accidentally moved into the same building.

    Now, giv

  5. Guest says:

    …. Now, given that everything looks completely rosey about this set up here, I don’t feel any need to review the FAST executive board bio’s to just double check it’s not filled with vendors, resellers, independent SAM solution company founders and top UK audit firm partners, plus verious Government IT council members. That couldn’t be the case could it??

    Well, I’ll be damned, imagine that..

  6. Guest says:

    ..Experience gained in 8000 organisations.. Wow, serious numbers here. There must not be a single competitor in the SAM industry comes close to this. I wonder how they are so successful

  7. RMcDonald says:

    Fast Corporate services uses the same logo as Fast(The Federation Against Software Theft) as well as Fast Ltd Using all the Same logo Fast at the top of their letterhead.

    This is illegal as 3 companies cannot use the same trading name, because of this confusion all the directors of Fast group as well as CS Group and Iris which bought the companies Now being bought again by crayola are all breaching company act.

    Check company house records and see the confusion all the companies have on their corporate information.

    If you want to come away from your contract with the fast programme read the small print and use section 82-84 company act. they will settle you so (Fast) out of court.

    I have had to deal with companies trying to get out their contract.

    Watch this space for further updates on what is currently happening with all Fast related companies.

    I would like to hear more stories about companies having problems with this company

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