Oracle applications: Any Good Discovery/Monitoring Tools Out There?

We certainly have received a lot of queries in the past year about monitoring tools and while there are some very interesting tools that seem to have reached some type of maturity out there, the simple fact is that no matter how wonderful the monitoring tool may be there simply is no tool out there that allows for comprehensive monitoring. Currently, there are no monitoring tools that consistently tracked all Oracle applications or even most Oracle applications from what we’ve […]

Is Java’s New Fee Structure Pricing Companies Out?

Oracle’s new and well-published fee structure for Java is now in full force. It represents the fourth fee structure change in four years. Under the new schedule, companies using Java could pay 2-5 times more to continue using it. This begs a particularly important question: is the new fee structure pricing companies out? A January piece from Forbes Council’s Member Scott Sellers suggests that this is a very real possibility. Sellers notes that 98% of all businesses use Java for […]

Warning: Your Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool is NOT Certified

IT professionals must remember that a tool does not understand the rules Many software license management tools claim to be certified by Oracle, Microsoft, IBM and others, but none actually are. For example, Oracle’s LMS page does list a number of tools, but only as supplements, not as certified tools, and they often miss 90% of Oracle products. “Tools from the following vendors have been verified to provide the required data set to supplement a LMS engagement. The scope of […]

In the News

Alliances Awards & Honors Careers @ Miro Case Studies In The News Leadership References Value In The News Media/marketing contact: Shawn Donohue VP of Marketing 732-738-8511 x1205 sdonohue [at] miroconsulting [dot] com [tboot_accordion_bootstrap name=”UniqueName”] [tboot_accordion_bootstrap_section color=”default” name=”UniqueName” heading=”News from 2015-2013″ number=”1″ open=”yes”] Enterprise Apps Today – November 2015 IBM ILMT: It’s All about the Money Database Journal – November 2015 Is It Time to Move from Oracle Database Standard Edition 2 or Enterprise Edition? Database Journal – November 2015 Is […]

No downside to automation

Naturally, there are cost benefits to buying fewer licenses when re-negotiating a contract. The question is – how do you weigh the cost benefits against the risk of having too few or even being out of compliance because you are using your licenses improperly? Having an accurate account of business need is essential in reducing risk associating with contract negotiation and estimated licensing usage. The benefits of having a clear understanding of your licensing needs outweigh the cost of defining […]

Six steps to SAM

Software asset management (SAM) doesn’t have to be a daunting process. It can be very simple and rewarding if implemented properly. Here are six necessary steps to a successful SAM program (tongue twister eh?): 1.     Know and understand your SLAs for all your software vendors (not all licensing agreements are created  equal), the terms and conditions, and if you have questions, ask your rep or a consultant to explain them to you. Now this seems basic and it should be, […]

A new free guide is out!

We had such positive feedback from clients and colleagues in the industry with our last free guide; we decided to publish a second on Software Asset Management Practices. The new white paper discusses the following: Understanding Oracle’s core licensing models 8 tips for effectively managing Oracle assets The discovery process: automated software asset management (SAM) solution Tactics for successfully negotiating with Oracle based on SAM best practices To get your copy send an email to freeguide@miroconsulting.com.

Knowledge is King for Software Licensing Contract Discussions!

We have a great series of Webinars in April and May. On April 21, we are co-presenting with ManageSoft on Oracle and Microsoft licensing and how knowledge is a critical factor during any software licensing contract discussions. We will discuss the discovery and inventory process for Oracle database instances and options, and explain how to establish a strong Vendor License Position. And, both companies will be presenting case studies. It’s sure to be a great discussion. Graeme Port, ManageSoft’s CTO […]