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Many software-solution vendors utilize third-party infrastructure or a......
Can a Software Publisher Force You to Audit Your Customers?

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Businesses that have endured software audits from industry groups like the BSA and the SIIA or from softw......
IBM Software Audits Complicated by Diverse License Types

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It is standard practice for software vendors to include clauses in their license agreements giving the vendors the right......
IBM’s Standard Audit Clause is a Time Bomb

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IBM software is expensive. In some cases, very expensive. While this may rep......
Avoid Pitfalls When Deploying ILMT for IBM Software

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Software license compliance is a task that typically requires constant vigi......
What If I Discover Unlicensed IBM Software on My Servers?

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One of the most critical steps of any business faces in any software aud......
Don’t Short-Sheet the Internal Analysis in an IBM Audit

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Each of the major software publishers has one or two tricks up its sleeve – tricks that often ......
Arguments Against ILMT – What Does and Doesn’t Work?

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IBM may be making it more difficult for IBM customers to qualify for sub-capac......
New ILMT Policy Could Increase Financial Exposure in IBM Audits

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Are Artificial-Intelligence Software Audits Around the Corner?
Recent weeks have seen a number of news reports and
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Customers Using Software Recently Acquired by IBM Should Proceed with Caution
In 2015, IBM acquired no fewer than 11 software and services companies. Many software customers are surprised that after IBM purchases a company, IBM often significantly changes the license terms of the products. For some customers that have purchased unlimited or site l......
0701
IBM’s Audit Rights Take a Turn for the Worse
The software-audit language contained in IBM’s standard license agreements never has been anything that anyone would mistake for customer-focused or even very fair ......
0601
Varicent Customers Should Plan for Audits by IBM
In April 2012, IBM announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire Varicent Software, Inc., an Ontario-based publisher of analytics software for compensation and sales performance management. According to the announcement, Varicent’s customers include Starwood Hotels......
0601
New IBM Passport Advantage Agreement Drastically Changes Support Requirements
One of the major changes in the latest version of IBM’s Passport Advantage Agreement is the requirement that customers maintain subscription and support (S&S) on either all of the licenses that are installed and in service or none of the licenses. Customers can no long......
0601
Top Three Challenges in Standard IBM License Agreements
IBM software licensing can present an array of interpretive and compliance challenges for even the most sophisticated licensees. Here are three of the most important things to keep in mind when planning to license IBM products under the company’s standard-form agreements (......
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Tread Carefully When Deploying IBM Software in Server Clusters
Many businesses are realizing the processing and failover benefits of incorporating clustered servers in their IT environments. Having groups of servers whose processing resources are shared and centrally allocated means that server malfunctions can be remedied without compr......
0601
The Basics of Sub-Capacity PVU Licensing for IBM Software
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 is installed. A server’s PVU count is defined by the brand, model and number of physical processors runn......
0601
IBM Software Audits Involve Complex Licensing Rules
Business owners and managers whose companies have been targeted by IBM for a compliance audit often express surprise at the complex method IBM uses to determine the licensing requirements for many of its server software products, such as WebSphere and Tivoli. Many software v......
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IBM Initiates Expansive Compliance Audits
IBM has begun a comprehensive program of compliance audits of its software clients. Scott & Scott’s clients have begun receiving letters from IBM Software Compliance demanding cooperation with a “routine assessment” of the client’s deployment of IBM software. Acc......
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Campaign for Clear Licensing Turns its Sights to IBM and SAP
Having shone its spotlight on Oracle’s notoriously complex licensing policies and often adversarial audit practices, the Campaign for Clear Licensing (CCL), a UK-based org......
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Beware IBM Acquisitions and Product Transitions
IBM software licensing can be a very complex knot to untie. While IBM does develop new products in house, many of its most popular offerings (Cognos, Tivoli and ILOG, to name a few) are the result of its active history of acquiring smaller publishers and then continuing to o......