Thursday, March 20, 2008

TSM License Pricing

What's up with IBM license pricing being insanely high? It doesn't help when the Netbackup reps are willing to give their product away (free Crap is still Crap!). I've heard of numerous HUGE accounts looking into Netbackup, and with Symantec basically giving it away, how do you stop management from considering it? With IBM's pricing out of control it doesn't help. I sure hope IBM reconsiders their pricing...it's forcing people off of TSM.

4 comments:

  1. Not to mention the performance issues on all non-Windows clients in 5.4 and above, security issues, etc. etc. And you have a recipe for migration. I wish I knew how to get a hold of the folks who set the pricing, to help them understand what their current path is actually costing them.

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  2. Hi,

    not only the price but also problems with understanding of the licensing terms. Although it tries to be very simple (CPUs x price), introducing the VUs adds a complexity layer not mention problems (questions) with licensing partitioned HW (Solaris zones etc) as there is "sub-capacity" licensing for several IBM products (WebSphere) but not for TSM (AFAIK).
    BAD thing is there is no easily accessible licensing guide with examples (I was able to get internal one, but you just cannot find it onthe IBM website ... WHY? Should be on the first page!).
    And IBM itself does not know its own licensing policy! Asked local IBM how to license NDMP filers - if they are free (I have licensed TSMEE for entire environment) or I have to count filer's CPUs and buy TSMEE for them as well. Guess what ...
    IBM Support says I have to buy it, Tivoli Branch leader here says its free .... Have both mails archived just for fun.

    Not a good policy ..... really

    Harry

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  3. Harry: I'm experiencing exactly the same in Hungary. What a mess it is???
    What is "q lic" for? I give you the answer: for NOTHING!!!

    Someone please tell us how to count the TSM licences? (we have several tricky virtual machines, clusters, inactive nodes, DB2s, APIs, ContentManager, Ondemand clients ...) Brrrrrrrr..........

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  4. The licensing problem is only pushing people away. I mean lets face it management cares about the bottom line and if it means saving half a million or more on licensing TSM over veritas then they will...damn the admins who have to do the conversion. IBM software sales needs to get its head out of its ass and figure out how to work with customers.

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