For many of you, it is support renewal time with IBM Cognos but do you even see the bill to review it?  Does the invoice go to accounts payable and they just pay the bill?  You may not realize a brief review of your bill could save you thousands of dollars.   Here are some steps Lodestar Solutions can help you with how to save money on IBM Support

1. AMOUNT INCREASE – Review your invoice in comparison to the prior year’s bill.  Look to see how substantial the increase is, and if it seems high, Lodestar Solutions can help get the increase down to a tolerable amount.  You should also check if you negotiated special terms when you purchased the software that protected your support increase.  If you have special terms, make sure the increase is what was negotiated.
2. REVIEW YOUR PRODUCT MIX – Do you even know what each license does and if you need it?  IBM has different licensing rules than Cognos previously had.  For example, if your BI licenses are all Authorized Users you probably do not need a Non-Prod BI license, whereas Cognos required it. Lodestar Solutions would be happy to walk you through what you own, what it does, and areas you might want to consider trading up.   A common trade-up license is to move from Consumer to Enhanced Consumer as it provides access to a lot of the new C10 functionality.
3. CHECK YOUR STATE SALES TAX RULES – Lodestar Solutions makes an effort to understand the software tax laws in your state and make recommendations that can save you money.  Some states have a download only exemption from Sales Tax even for canned software; GA, VA, and FL are a few, but watch out!  You have to have the correct paperwork on file with IBM to protect yourself in the case of a sales tax or use tax audit.  Most vendors just charge the state sales tax and don’t dig deeper to find out if it is applicable to what they are selling.
4. RESELLERS OFFER DISCOUNTS – As a reseller of IBM support, we have the right to provide prices lower than IBM by giving up some of our margin we receive for selling support.
5. DIVERSIFIED SUPPLIER – Check with your purchasing department if your organization tracks purchases from Diversity/Minority Suppliers.  Many do, especially if you are a government contractor.  Lodestar Solutions is certified by the WBENC as a woman owned small business.  By purchasing from a diversity supplier, you earn the credits your organization may need to satisfy state and federal contracts.
6. DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE – Plan ahead and request a support quote early; it will give us time to save you money.

For a competitive quote on you IBM Support Renewal, or to consolidate multiple IBM Support bills into one, contact renewals@lodestarsolutions.com.