6/5/2018
Are you receiving multiple IBM Cognos support bills throughout the year? You might want to consider consolidating your IBM Cognos support bills by merging your agreements to a single Passport Advantage site. Besides getting a single bill on your anniversary date, if you buy other products from IBM you may get the benefit of IBM’s Relationship Suggested Value Price (RSVP) Program. The Relationship Suggested Value Price (RSVP) Program rewards clients that spend more money with IBM. Consider it like the frequent buyer discount program. Click here more information on the RSVP Program.
Why Do I Have Multiple Cognos Support Bills?

Typically, this happens when you purchased your licenses at various times and did so under the Passport Advantage Express program. You see, IBM has two ways to buy IBM Cognos licenses, either with their Passport Advantage Express program or the Passport Advantage program. The basic difference is the Passport Advantage Express program is transaction based and the Passport Advantage program is relationship based and allows for multiple sites to roll up to a single Passport Advantage account. If you want to understand the differences, check out our blog. When you buy additional IBM Cognos licenses under the Passport Advantage Program, IBM will typically co-terminate your support renewal with your existing licenses after the first year. This results in one bill for all the licenses on the site.
How to Move IBM Cognos Licenses
You can move your IBM Cognos licenses and entitlements from one site to another site within your Enterprise or you can move them from a Passport Advantage Express site to a Passport Advantage site.
- If you have a Passport Advantage Express site or want a new Passport Advantage site you must first establish the Passport Advantage site. You should make sure you don’t already have a Passport Advantage Agreement with IBM before setting up a new one, so you maximize your savings. Check out this blog on the RSVP Program. Your Lodestar Solutions or IBM representative should be able answer any questions. Contact us at renewals@lodestarsolutions.com Here’s the link to the online system.
- Your Passport Advantage Primary Contact for the “source” site (this is the site currently possessing the licenses) must complete a Passport Advantage/Passport Advantage Express License Transfer Request Form. Lodestar Solutions or your IBM representative can provide you this form. Contact us at renewals@lodestarsolutions.com
- The Primary Contact for the Target Site must agree to the transfer. For information on Primary contact, click here.
So, now you know the process but you don’t have to go it alone! Our support renewal experts are here to guide you. Just contact renewals@lodestarsolutions.com and we’ll get you started.