Event Listing: IBM and SAP Seminar (London)

• IBM as a hardware manufacturer for different platforms (AIX, z/OS, Unix etc)
• The significance for SAM
• Effects on other vendor’s products (hard- vs. soft-partitioning)
• What are appropriate discovery-solutions?
• Alternatives to ILMT for PVU management
• Challenges for hardware-asset-management (CPU type, etc.)
• Optimization for PVU-licensed products

Mathias Knops – Presales Consultant, Aspera

Mathias has 10+ years of experience in the industry and worked with an IT Security Solution provider before joining Aspera. He studied law at the University of Bonn, Germany and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with focus on logistics and e-business as well as an MBA.Within the Aspera Team Mathias is responsible for both Presales and Product Portfolio Management – putting his experiences in the markets as well as with prospect-customers into action items for product development.

• IBM Products, Licencing Metrics and Key Risks
• Understanding IBM licence ownership – ESSO, PA and Legacy Contracts
• Measuring IBM license requirements correctly – the PVU, RVU, UVUs and many more
• Positioning your SAM tool to support IBM license management
• License Optimisation tips

IBM Licence Compliance Audits – understand and take advantage

• IBM global licence compliance operation overview* IBM’s standard audit procedures and defence tactics
• Audit case studies
• Say goodbye to audits – understand IBM’s Licence Management Option (LMO)
• Self-audit guide 

Eric Chiu Director – HW Fisher and Company

Eric leads the IT Asset Consulting practice at HW Fisher (FIAC), a top 30 professional service firm based in London.

Eric is a veteran of license compliance. In his previous role at Deloitte Eric was responsible the design of License Compliance Programmes for many of the top-10 software publishers, including IBM, and has led hundreds of enterprise-level license audits on their behalf. In recent years his focus has been on advising end-user organisations over strategic and tactical matters in establishing and operating Software Asset Management (SAM)

Software license managers and Software procurement professionals should be compliant without being submissive. When big software vendors generate 20% or more of their new license revenue each year on the back of license audits and non-compliance, you know that something’s not right and someone’s not in control. Licensing rules are often a grey area and can include vague, out-of-date and confusingly opaque wording; one example being SAP’s indirect access rules. The best vendor relationships and contracts have clear and reasonable rules and if these are accidently or unwittingly broken then you should be prepared to negotiate an outcome that satisfies both parties. 

Mark Bartrick – Principle Consultant, Forrester Research

As an expert in the software negotiation space, Mark believes that knowing what to ask for, how to ask, and when to ask are critical components of the software sourcing/negotiating process.

Mark is adept at dissecting software contracts and vendor proposals in order to identify opportunities for reducing cost and/or improving value. He is also a capable negotiator and can offer on-site or remote advice to clients at any stage of the procurement cycle to help maximize their effectiveness at the negotiating table. Mark applies his expertise to help businesses negotiate Microsoft, Oracle and SAP software contracts, licensing and pricing, coach IT organizations during software sourcing and contract negotiations, and learn software negotiation best practices.

SAP Audits are on the increase, which is probably not news anymore. What might be is the depth and breadth of them. What at one time was not included is now and there is more coming. Complexity of Licensing is increasing, not reducing as promised. Your business is getting leaner and faster. Combining all of these trends represents high risk. Are you fully prepared and empowered to do what it takes to successfully navigate the “mine field”? Probably not without a mine detector!

Kim Chalmers – Director, SAP Licence Watch

Kim Chalmers is an IT veteran of 35 years with extensive commercial experience of corporate business. He has spent the last 15 spent helping companies improve performance, reduce costs and be more innovative. The last 7 of which has been completely focused in the SAP arena delivering commercial rather than technical solutions to strategic issues and high risk areas.

Many of these measured in 10’s of £millions. Kim is a Subject Matter Expert on SAP licensing with the knowledge and skills to engage at all levels across Finance, IT, Procurement and Legal delivering an array of knowledge sharing and insights based on proven models and expertise.