# Software inventory tool for Windows, Mac & Linux [![Software inventory tool report](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/software-inventory-screenshot.png)](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/software-inventory-screenshot.png) Software inventory is a catalog of all software and applications that are functioning in your IT network. Endpoint Central's automated software inventory tool helps you stay on top of all the software-related changes or additions in your network and ensures that you're software audit-ready at all times. You can view the list of Windows, Mac, and Linux software installed along with the software details like Software Name, Version and Manufacturer. In a few clicks, you can export the software-related stats and details in TXT and CSV format. Endpoint Central's software inventory tool lets you: - [Manage software licenses](#software-license-management) - [Meter software](#software-metering) - [Gain insights on software installed/uninstalled](#granular-control-and-visibility) - [Generate reports for software audit](#built-in-software-reports) - [Manage IT assets on Endpoint Central mobile app](#it-asset-management-on-the-go) - [Manage your software keys centrally](#software-product-keys) ## Key features of Software Inventory Tool ### Software License Management [![Inventory software for Linux, Windows and Mac](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/2_inventory_license.png)](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/manageengine/products/desktop-central/images/2_inventory_license.png) Software license management (SLM) is part of software asset management, which involves software license tracking, documenting, and controlling how and where software is used in your organization. Software license inventory lets you view detailed reports on software license compliance, licenses that need to be reviewed, receive notifications before a license is about to expire and **avoid hefty non-compliance fines**. In short, the software license inventory lets you manage software licenses used throughout the organization from a single console. ### Software Metering Want to monitor software usage in your enterprise? The software metering feature in Endpoint Central enables you to fetch the stats of software applications used in computers and also the list of prohibited software applications in your network. With built-in reports and other software inventory management tools, you can view the number of installations of different software assets across your network, the number of times the software was used, the usage period and other relevant details that help you with **license optimization**. ### Granular Control and Visibility [![Software usage report of the Software inventory tools](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/software-metering.png)](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/software-metering.png) Prohibit software across your network and prevent execution of applications from an external drive by blocking executables. Set up **real-time alerts** for every time a software is installed/uninstalled within your network and view reports for recently installed software. ### Built-in Software Reports [![Built-in software inventory reports](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/1_inventory_reports.png)](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/manageengine/products/desktop-central/images/1_inventory_reports.png) [Track software assets](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/it-asset-tracking-software.html), view IT software inventory or Linux software inventory and audit reports within your network within a few seconds. Whether you need a user-specific software report or a report of computers with/without a particular software, Endpoint Central has you covered. From verifying license compliance to software metering, Endpoint Central's software inventory management provides various out-of-the-box inventory reports to view the software details of the systems in the network. ### IT Asset Management on the go Keeping tabs on the state of IT assets is a crucial task for any IT admin. From managing the warranty details of hardware to knowing the software compliance status, this inventory audit software helps you manage both software and hardware assets within your network using a [mobile app](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/desktop-management-mobile-app.html) anywhere, anytime. ### Software Product Keys A software product key (also known as a software license key) certifies that a software copy is original. Endpoint Central allows you to store all your software product keys centrally, making it **convenient** to fetch one whenever required along with other license details such as number of licenses purchased, expiry date, and more. ## Endpoint Central's Software Inventory Process Endpoint Central's IT asset management module periodically scans all the Windows, Linux, and Mac computers and servers in a network to collect and store hardware and software inventory details. This data is presented in the form of reports with details about software along with the usage metrics for each computer/user. With software metering and license management capabilities, Endpoint Central's [IT Asset Management](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/it-asset-management.html) provides comprehensive management and audit of your IT software inventory. Learn more about [IT inventory management](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/it-inventory-management.html). ## Supported OS Endpoint Central offers the software inventory feature for the following operating systems. Click on the link to know more about the overall [IT asset management software](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/it-asset-management.html) and its features. ## What is software inventory? Software inventory keeps track of all the software and applications that are operating in your IT network. These applications might range from business applications operated on the organizational level to personal applications installed on end-user devices. Based on the vendor, version, or model, they can be grouped not just for audit but also to know their worth and impact on your business. ### Windows Software Inventory You can automatically detect, scan, and manage Windows machines and software. ### Mac Software Inventory This inventory management software allows you to manage and maintain macOS machines. ### Linux Software Inventory Cost and time are greatly reduced by automating the management of Linux machines. ## How to manage software inventories? Software inventory management is the tracking and recording of all software and applications that are installed or uninstalled in your network. It is an integral part of IT asset management. Endpoint Central's IT asset management software periodically scans all the Windows, Linux, and Mac computers and servers in a network to collect and store software and [hardware inventory](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/hardware-inventory.html) details. This data is presented in the form of reports with details about software along with the usage metrics for each computer/user, which can be exported in PDF and CSV.