January 14th, 2020
Are you one of the many clients that haven’t upgraded to Cognos Analytics version 11 yet? As much as we encourage our clients to upgrade you are not alone. Common questions Lodestar Solutions get’s asked by Cognos clients includes, “Is my Cognos BI 10.2 supported?” and “Am I wasting my money on IBM support if I am on an unsupported version of Cognos?”
Is My Cognos BI 10.2 Supported?
Technically Cognos BI 10.2 is no longer supported by IBM. Yes, almost 2 years ago Cognos Business Intelligence 10.2.x reached End of Support (April 30, 2018). But wait, that’s the technical answer. Due to the fact that many clients had not upgraded to Cognos Analytics by the May 1st, 2018 date, IBM modified the status a little. They stated that clients that purchase annual Cognos Support from a business partner like Lodestar Solutions, or IBM, will receive “continuing support” beyond the published end of support date. Click here for more information.
What is IBM Continued Support of Cognos BI 10.2?
Cognos Continued Support for Cognos Business Intelligence 10.2.x. will provide you with continued access to the same IBM knowledgeable global support team you have worked with in the past but without the fixes, patches and code corrections available in a service extension. This may be a little confusing, but it’s really a fabulous thing for companies that haven’t upgraded.
Here’s the Skinny on IBM Cognos BI Continued Support for 10.2 (per IBM)
Included in Continued Support for
Cognos BI 10.2.x
· 7 days, 24-hour support for mission critical emergencies (Severity 1)
· Provided by voice in most countries.
· Provided in English, with the local language accommodated when possible.
· Remote problem analysis and assistance during normal country business hours in your time zone.
· Support for routine, short duration installation and usage questions.
· Response time objective of two hours during prime shift for voice and electronic problem submissions.
· Response objective for critical/emergency problems during off-shift hours is two hours.
· Unlimited number of technical support incidents.
· Access to documentation, technotes and other online product material.
· Access to existing available fixes created before the product's EOS date to correct known defects.
Here’s what is NOT included in the Continuing Support Offering for Cognos BI 10.2
· Voice and electronic access support for code-related problems.
· Development analysis of new defects.
· Development of or packaging fixes that are not already available.
· Support for Supporting Programs and third party components.
· Infrastructure that are not included in the software version’s Hardware and Software Requirement page.
What’s My Risk If I Don’t Upgrade My Cognos BI 10.2 to Cognos Analytics v11?
If you don’t upgrade to Cognos Analytics you are missing out on powerful analytics capabilities that just aren’t in Cognos 10. If you use competitive tools like Tableau or Power BI and wonder why Cognos doesn’t have the cool visualizations that they do, well it’s because you are comparing an out of date version of Cognos! But the biggest risk I see is when a third-party software gets updated and breaks a connection to Cognos. I personally have experienced this when Microsoft sends an update. For those of you that have moved to Microsoft 365 you know updates come regularly. If you use the Cognos BI Integration with the Office Suite you could be at risk. Under IBM Continued Support, IBM will not be required to fix it. So, if you never plan to update any other 3rd party software, you are probably safe, but we all know that’s not reality. Lodestar Solutions, Inc. recommends upgrading ASAP. For a complimentary consultation email us at services@lodestarsolutions.com.
Want more information before we chat? Check out our blog on Why Upgrade to Cognos Analytics?
Another option is paying additional fees for Extended Support. See our previous blog covering this option.
Am I wasting my money on IBM support if I am on an unsupported version of Cognos?
If you have identified that you are on an unsupported version of IBM software and renewed your support you might be asking, “Did I waste our money?” I believe the answer is no! Even though you are on an unsupported version with Cognos BI 10.2 you have continued support. So, if you run into an issue that IBM knew about and fixed before April 30, 2018 they will give you a fix. You also have access to their knowledge base. But the biggest value you will receive from your support will be access to the upgrade when you are ready to upgrade to the amazing functionality in Cognos Analytics 11. So no, I don’t believe support is a waste of money even if you haven’t upgraded, but I have to ask, “Why don’t you upgrade?”
Time to Plan Your Upgrade to Cognos Analytics!
No matter if you just haven’t had time, or are challenged to get funding or support for your Cognos Analytics upgrade, Lodestar Solutions is here to help. Schedule a free Cognos BI Upgrade Consultation today by just emailing Services@lodestarsolutions.com and we can help you plan your upgrade even if you are on a tight budget!