Microsoft keeps a lot of secrets from its clients. They can cost companies hundreds of thousands of dollars in compliance penalties and wasted expenditures. They can also cost you your job. 1. You’re Paying for Cloud Whether You Use It or Not Microsoft Enterprise Agreements typically include an “Azure Monetary Commitment” fee. This is Microsoft charging you for using their cloud, even if you didn’t want it or ever use it. Not only do Microsoft reps usually not explain what […]
Any mention of virtualization causes many people to immediately think of VMware, as they remain to be a main player among virtualization technologies. The challenge of keeping up with Oracle’s evolving licensing requirements of virtualization platforms can be a daunting endeavor for many IT departments and Oracle database administrators. Any technological advancement made by VMware, specifically relating to any abilities to easily move server sessions around the virtualized environment, prompts a new possible interpretation of licensing requirements by Oracle on […]
Software audits by companies like Oracle, Microsoft and IBM are frequently triggered when an organization engages in MAD activity; Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestiture. Software asset managers (SAM) and procurement staff should be aware of the specific challenges related to MAD activity within their organization. It’s vitally important to retain policy documents and licensing contracts to ensure compliance. When these vendors become aware of MAD activity at an organization, they typically investigate these specific areas: Has the organization purchased new licenses to […]
Executive Summary IT leaders focused on Oracle compliance risks are often unaware of the challenges in preventing Oracle Advanced Compression options from being triggered unintentionally. Failure to identify and implement Oracle Advanced Compression options according to entitlements in the Oracle estate can lead to an audit failure and significant penalty fees. Key Challenges: Determine which Oracle features and options are required for the organization Prevent employees from using Oracle options and features that the organization is not licensed for Continually […]
You know the basics, but do you know these advanced strategies for saving on your Microsoft spend? Your organization could save hundreds of thousands of dollars by taking advantage of these special techniques and Microsoft programs, but only if you know what to ask for. 1. Independent Contract Review When your contract is up for renewal, many organizations simply assume that there’s no need to review the details more than in the past. Unfortunately, a lack of diligence and oversight […]
Do you recognize the signs of an IBM audit? These 7 Signs of an IBM audit are red flags that you should recognize. You Get a Letter Introducing KPMG or Deloitte These are two of the “Big 4” accounting firms that manage the actual software license audit process on behalf of IBM. IBM refers to them as, “third party independent auditors”. Keep in mind that when it comes to their “independence,” these firms are paid by IBM for their services. […]
On January 23, 2017, Oracle introduced significant updates to their “Licensing Oracle in a Cloud Environment” guidelines document. Miro has been reviewing the document to identify the key changes, and how they relate to current environments and decisions for future environment plans. As is typically the case with Oracle, the document does not express a clear view of the true comparative impact of the changes they made against the previous guidelines. The changes appear to favor the Oracle Cloud over […]
FREE GUIDE: Smarter Microsoft License Management Best practices for Microsoft license management Updated three times a year, Miro Consulting offers insights and advice on the best strategies to manage and maintain Microsoft licenses. In this new issue, the report Managing Microsoft Inventory When Enterprise Edition Expires Microsoft Audits What is Worth Fighting For? Microsoft Licensing Lessons Learned Mobility, BYOD and Desktop Virtualization Licensing Mobility and Limitations Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 Licensing Tell Us About Yourself
