Podcast: Getting started with IBM Licensing
The ITAM Review Podcast Episode 4: Getting started with IBM Licensing
In this podcast guests Eric Chiu and Koen Dingjan provide an introduction to the main risks and complexities of IBM licensing and audits.
View all our podcasts on SoundCloud or iTunes.
Discussion Topics:
The main IBM technology stacks
Common IBM License types including:
- Capacity of hardware, PVU
- User based licensing
- Storage capacity
Common pitfalls during audits including:
- IBM Subcapacity
- IBM User types
Other topics:
- IBM Software License Agreements
- IBM Audit Process
- IBM Software Licensing Optimization
Links
- IBM Software License Agreements
- IBM License Metric Tool (ILMT)
- IBM Tivoli Asset Discovery for Distributed IBM (TAD4D)
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Podcast Host – Martin Thompson
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Podcast Guest – Eric Chiu
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Podcast Guest – Koen Dingjan
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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.
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.
Great, thank you! I know only few people in IT industry that do not struggle with IBM licensing. I know I do and ILMT still scares me after 4 years of working with it.
Thanks again!
Based on my experience with IBM licensing, including PVUs, I would concur that within an estate already deploying and consuming IBM products, it is imperative to create and maintain a complete and accurate (trustworthy) Software Asset Inventory including entitlements (certificates of entitlement).
/* Do not confuse your software Asset inventory as a refection of a discovery of deployments. That is your Installed Inventory essentially reflecting your Liabilities. */
If your purchasing records are suspect, PPA will provide a history of transactions that can lay the foundation of your inventory including invoice numbers; however, (1) your orgs purchase history can be distributed across multiple IBM sites requiring multiple queries from PPA and (2) all blue-washed products, as a result of IBM acquisitions, will not be included in IBM’s purchase history provided by PPA.
In addition to reviewing your IBM-License impacting agreements, also review your purchasing history since, subsequent to the effective date, transactional POs can be placed under an active Agreement which are not necessarily reflected in that agreement: your agreement may provide a product catalog with associated pricing against which you can create transactions (POs) for additional licenses/entitlements. ( in our case, we had approx. 90 POs across the 3yr term that had no associated amendment to the IBM agreement. )
Additionally, the IBM PPA site provides Proof of Entitlements (PoE) for each purchased product license which, as noted in the certificate itself, together with your invoice establishes entitlement – the legal right to use their IP.