There are rumors flying around about “What is the Future of Cognos Planning?” I think IBM accidentally created the buzz in July 2016 when their website showed the lifecycle of Cognos Planning 10.1.x was having an EOS (End of Support) date of September 2017. Typically, an X means all.

This raises some alarm bells, so the Lodestar Solutions team started asking IBM a lot of questions about their intentions for the older Planning product. There are rumors out there that IBM might be selling Cognos Planning to a partner. However, it turns out those were just rumors but I would not rule it out. Unicom is known for buying products IBM doesn’t want any more like Cognos Finance.

We never did receive a direct answer from IBM when we asked, “What is the future of Cognos Planning?” However, IBM did update their website on August 3, 2016 to show that 10.1.0 is EOS (End of Support) in September 2017. It currently looks like IBM gave Cognos Planning 10.1.1 a longer life. How long is the million-dollar question. To find out how long IBM is going to support the IBM Cognos Enterprise Planning Product, use THIS LINK.

We think the writing is on the wall as to the future of Cognos Planning. We have heard it for years that TM1 is the go forward strategy for IBM’s budgeting and forecasting solution. Over the years, IBM has added so many kick butt features to TM1. This old Adaytum (the predecessor to Cognos Planning) consultant is wondering why clients are still on Cognos Planning.

I know for a fact there are a large number of companies still on Cognos Planning. So I have to ask you… how long are you going to wait? Do you not know the benefits of how much better your life can become by moving to TM1? For benefits on moving from Planning to TM1 check out our blog.

I get that it has not been a priority, but let’s play out your options…

1. Act now and start to plan your migrations. Begin to ask for funding in your next budget process. You’re able to plan your resources around your schedule. The migration can begin and have your Cognos Planning system as a backup until you receive the new TM1 system just the way you need it.
2. You wait and stay on your current Cognos Planning system. Memory challenges, size restraints & laborious maintenance, and inflexibility will just have to be tolerated. Then, one day, IBM announces that it is sun setting Cognos Planning forcing you to possibly run unsupported. (We never recommend running unsupported especially with the frequency of updates from Microsoft which can cause issues.) Worse yet, you have to scramble to find funding and resources at a time when all the other Cognos Planning clients are doing the same thing. Do I need to explain to you what happens to consulting rates when demand for consultant knowledge on Cognos Planning and TM1 skyrockets? I didn't think so.
   

So which option to you prefer? The great thing about Option 1 is you just have to start planning. To make it really easy, we have a little video on “What is the Future of Cognos Planning?” After you watch our video, the next step is to click the green button next to the video. You will then be asked to set up your free account with your name, email address and password.

This gives access to Lodestar Solutions’ Move to TM1 Program which consists of an exclusive library of videos and templates covering IBM TM1 Cloud (SaaS) vs on premise, Cost and benefits of moving from Planning to TM1, a demo of TM1, an ROI calculator, and much more.

Once you subscribe to our Move To TM1 Program, you can return to the library at any time by going to our website   LodestarSolutions.com and clicking the login button in the top right corner. If you have questions or comments, please add them to the videos and we will respond so everyone can see the answers.

If you wish to speak with one of our business analytics coaches or our service manager directly, email us at coaching@lodestarsolutions.com or call us at 813-254-2040.