IBM Cognos recently announced a licensing change in IBM Cognos Planning 8 Version 8.4.1 . If you weren’t anxiously awaiting the news like Lodestar was, I’ll bet you missed it. Why were we anxious for the announcement? It paves the way for IBM Cognos clients to leverage both Enterprise Planning and TM1 to provide the Best of the Best Cognos Planning solution at a reasonable price.
The announcement from IBM about Cognos Planning:“IBM Cognos Planning 8 Version 8.4.1 includes an Enterprise Planning Licensing change. All customers under Enterprise Planning licensing will be granted equivalent Enterprise Planning TM1 Contributor rights when they purchase an IBM Cognos Analytic Server and at least one TM1 Modeler Role. Customers not on the Enterprise Planning licensing can trade up their licenses to the current version of Enterprise Planning licenses if they wish to participate in this expansion.” Translation: Enterprise Planning clients can leverage their investment in Planning Contributor on both Enterprise Planning data and TM1 data after a minimal investment in TM1’s Analytic Server and a TM1 Modeler.
Why would you want to use TM1 with Enterprise Planning? The latest release of the powerful in memory TM1 9.5 modular handles very large models, allows for real-time reporting with Cognos 8, and enables end users to create on the fly sandbox for “what if” modeling.
In Lodestar’s opinion, TM1 9.5 satisfies the wish list of many Enterprise Planning Clients. The new licensing allows existing Cognos Planning clients to leverage TM1 where it makes sense. They would need to make a small investment but we believe you will find it’s well worth it. Lodestar Solutions is a reselling partner, so we can help you get the best rate possible on the required licensing. We also pride ourselves on leading the IBM Cognos Consulting world on how the pieces fit together. Model design for an integrated deployment of Cognos Planning, TM1 and BI is important to make Cognos sing. Contact Lodestar if you would like more information on how IBM Cognos is leaving the competition in the dust with its integrated technology.