Ibm licensing and audit management apsu managed it. If you have been audited by ibm, you need experienced counsel to protect your business. As a result, ibms software licensing is infamously complex with a variety of licensing metrics resulting in millions of audit findings. As an ibm software user you may from time to time be asked to participate in a software audit. Managed sockets are calculated every hour and logged to an entitlement audit log, containing ibm software license metric slm tags. While its not true that ibm wants to audit every software customer it has, like most it aggressively pursues audits of customers based on its. We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us.
It is intended to help you manage your ibm software licensing. Being properly prepared for an audit is your first line of defense. How to survive an ibm software license audit computerworld. One big difference in ibm s auditing practices is its use of outside firms such as deloitte to perform the work. How to beat the software license compliance audit if you have software, you will have a software license audit. Ibms standard audit clause is a time bomb comments 0 it is standard practice for software vendors to include clauses in their license agreements giving the vendors the right to invoke audits or some other mechanisms to ensure that the licensed. While its not true that ibm wants to audit every software customer it has, like most it aggressively pursues audits of customers based on its perception of potential noncompliance, according to miros report, managing and minimizing the impact of an ibm audit.
Software reports on completion of the onsite software audit, apsu will generate a report detailing the identified license install base. Ibm software audits are becoming more and more common. While many software vendors run software license audits on customers, there are some key differences customers should be mindful of when it comes to ibm, according to a new report from advisory. How to survive an ibm software license audit pcworld. Shouldnt companies spend more time focusing on microsoft, adobe or oracle audit compliance. How to survive an ibm software license audit while many software vendors run software license audits on customers, there are some key differences customers should be mindful of when it comes to.
These 7 signs of an ibm audit are red flags that you should recognize. More importantly, the penalties for being underlicensed can be extremely severe and may even extend to criminal action. Many companies are paying substantial fines and suffering negative publicity resulting from license compliance. Ibm refers to them as, third party independent auditors. If your company is unfamiliar with the audit process then this may not. Ibm is insistent on the key conditions being met in or outside any audit process. The challenges with ibm software licensing audits connor.
Vendors use it to ensure youre using your software correctly and following your contract. How to survive an ibm software license audit itworld. Beat the audit for ibm software compliance ibm is a confusing software vendor. The purpose of our licence audit is to provide an independent assessment of. The ibm license metric tool ilmt helps you maintain an inventory of the pvu based software deployed for your full capacity or virtualization sub capacity environment, and measures the pvu licenses required by software product. The cloud adoption process needs to be managed in some way to prevent problems during an audit. Consulted with missouribased commercial banking company against misleading and erroneous audit findings in an ibm software licensing audit. While many software vendors run software license audits on customers, there are some key differences customers should be mindful of when it comes to ibm, according to a new report from advisory firm miro consulting. Ibm licenses software for use either for a fixed term or indefinitely depending on the type of license obtained, and as long as the licensee complies with the terms. Learn how to avoid noncompliance risks by understanding the use and the rights of use for ibm licensing. Customers are responsible for supplying hardware and installation services. Passport advantage and ilmt, also require expert knowledge to understand and maintain. If you are contacted by a thirdparty software compliance auditor who plans to visit your enterprise to carry out a software audit, ensure that all reports are.
There are endless contracts, complex metrics, countless products, and unclear entitlements. Software audits by software publishers and their trade groups are on the rise. You can prepare the audit snapshot that is a valid document for audit purposes. Ibm licensing rules are complex and trying to measure your license position can be difficult. Failure to allow the audit to proceed may jeopardize an ibm users right to continue using the products. While its not true that ibm wants to audit every software. Chris kanaracus idg news service on 15 january, 2014 20. Software pricing licensing for ibm z mainframes ibm. This is the fourth and final installment in our series on software licensing audit preparedness and software asset management sam. The basics of subcapacity pvu licensing for ibm software. With the ever evolving license model and pricing, keeping ahead of the game with your license. The ibm license metric tool ilmt helps maintain an inventory of the pvu based software deployed for your full capacity or virtualization sub capacity environment and it measures the pvu licenses required by software. Many of ibm s customers are facing significant software audit risk, as ibm has implemented a comprehensive audit.
Ibm allows monthly license charge software licenses to be aggregated across a qualified parallel sysplex when certain criteria are met. If your company is unfamiliar with the audit process then this may. Eric chiu is the managing director of hw fishers it asset consulting business fiac and shares his expertise in software licensing with his clients through various consulting and services engagements as a veteran of software license compliance, eric has experience in the design and management of software license compliance programmes for ibm. Typically these can take 1218 months to complete and are usually run by external auditors such as. Apsu will audit all your systems that use ibm software and detail the information in an ibm approved document. Survive an ibm software license audit origina ibm support.
This is especially difficult when you do a software license audit. The traditional software purchasing process gives the software asset manager a chance to check the details of the order, ensuring that they can capture the details of license coverage and to identify any potential shortfalls in advance. Understanding the fundamentals of ibm software audits. From a cost perspective, this means that an audit by ibm is a significant undertaking by ibm as well as the audit. Miro consulting and forrester research analysts offer tips on navigating the complex process. How to survive an ibm software license audit itam channel. Most ibm license agreements give ibm the right to audit an organization that has its products deployed. The basics of subcapacity pvu licensing for ibm software in ibm audits a processor value unit pvu is a unit of measurement that ibm uses to determine licensing costs based on the kinds of processors deployed on servers where ibm software. How to survive an ibm software license audit network world. It is intended to help you manage your ibm software licensing requirements, and help you maintain an audit ready posture.
Top 100 ibm sam buzzwords a glossary of selected ibm terms from audit to zseries released june 2012, updated february 20 by andreas burghardt. This glossary is aimed at those in software licensing and software asset management with a strong background and interest in ibm product licensing. How high tech plays hardball truing up licenses amounts to billions of dollars in revenue for the major software makers. This site contains ibms license information li documents, which provide information and any additional terms specific to a program which applies to certain software. A software licensing audit or software compliance audit is an important subset of software asset management and component of corporate risk management. If not, and if there is a violation of the license, ibm may initiate a software audit. Our first article focused on preparing for an audit and the. In order to achieve ibm license optimization and compliance, a solid understanding of the use and the rights of use are essential to avoid noncompliance risks. Using license metric tool reports allows you to monitor your software license utilization and maintain license compliance. How to survive an ibm software licence audit pc world. In using their software, companies must be sure to comply with the terms of the applicable software licensing agreement. Ibm licensing can be a mine field and can easily lead to confusion. We discussed ibm licensing and the ibm audit program.
To qualify, machines must comply with the criteria in each of the following four categories. Miro offers software asset management, audit and contract negotiation services. How to survive an ibm software licence audit reseller news. If your company is unfamiliar with the audit process then this may not be a straightforward exercise. What to know before ibm audits your ibm cognos analytics. Under the ipla and passport advantage, ibm grants licensee a nonexclusive license to use the software when licensee lawfully obtains it up to the level of authorized use specified in the proof of entitlement poe. Ilmt is a free download and there is support provided the customer places a free order for ilmt in order to establish an ibm entitlement record for the license as well as software.