IBM recently discontinued support for the legacy License Metric Tool version 7.x (as of April 30, 2017). Companies running any versions of ILMT prior to version 9.2.x will no longer receive product updates, patches, or software catalog updates. Continuing to run these legacy versions of ILMT will likely lead to non-compliance with the latest security patches, and will also lead to non-compliance with IBM for PVU-based software usage/reporting.
Here are the good, bad, and ugly points regarding the ILMT upgrade:
The Good – The latest version of ILMT comes packaged with the BigFix endpoint management platform—one of the industry leaders for enterprise endpoint management. BigFix comes packaged with many different modules that may be enabled to expand your organization’s endpoint management capabilities, including lifecycle, security & compliance, patching, and software inventory/usage for all vendor products.
The Bad – Companies that do not currently use ILMT or are operating off a legacy version are not capturing usage metrics to allow them to effectively manage software compliance and recognize savings and/or compliance risks. If your company falls into this scenario and you are audited, get ready for big fines and a potential loss of the reduced PVU-licensing costs.
The Ugly – Organizations not on an updated ILMT platform are living on borrowed time. IBM requires companies that do take advantage of the reduced pricing offered through PVU-based licensing to stay on the latest-and-greatest version of ILMT. IBM is strict about these requirements and is serious about enforcement and penalties for those that do not adhere to their PPA agreements. Those that are not currently in the process of an upgrade are putting themselves at risk as there are indicators within Passport Advantage that serve to tell a company’s position with ILMT, as well as the version they are operating on.
Don’t delay in preparing for and implementing ILMT, or the upgrade of your existing ILMT platform. Whether your company is just in the exploratory phase or is starting to plan for deployment, you are not alone.
CleanSlate is currently upgrading ILMT for clients of all sizes. Whether your organization manages 100 or 100,000 endpoints, we have the experience as IBM’s go-to partner to assist you with your deployment and reporting. You can contact us for more information, or learn more by viewing our most recent upgrade webinar.