Blogs

IBM’s year-end is looming: time to plan your negotiation strategy – Part 3

October 20 2020

InPart 1andPart 2of‘IBM’s year-end is looming: time to plan your negotiation strategy’,we looked at how to ensure your IBM estate is optimized and future-proofed, looking at everything from the IBM Effective License Agreement (ELA) renewal process, getting audit ready and creating a ... Read More Read More

A best practice guide for IT procurement professionals

October 13 2020

IT procurement professionals face increased pressure to deliver efficiencies and cost-savings as businesses assess their finances amidst evolving demands.Finding innovative ways to deliver value back to the business and gain the competitive edge requires effective IT procurement processes. All soft... Read More Read More

IBM’s year-end is looming: time to plan your negotiation strategy – Part 2

October 06 2020

In Part 1 of‘IBM’s year-end is looming: time to plan your negotiation strategy’we looked at how you could plan your next steps to ensure your IBM estate is optimised and future-proofed, looking at everything from the IBM Effective License Agreement (ELA) renewal process, to getting a... Read More Read More

Why the public sector needs to optimise its software costs now more than ever

September 28 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has deeply impacted industries across the globe and the UK’s public sector has been no exception, with increased pressure felt beyond central government, impacting all public institutions. All eyes are on the public sector’s handling of the current situation, and o... Read More Read More

IBM’s year-end is looming: time to plan your negotiation strategy – Part 1

September 21 2020

IBM’s year-end in December is just around the corner, and it’s never too early to start planning your IBM roadmap and to decide on your future Enterprise License Agreement (ELA) strategy. To ensure you are able to negotiate the best deal for your organisation, you’ll need a defined s... Read More Read More

Re-booting ITAM for the cloud era

August 21 2020

Most US enterprises today have well organized, highly-skilled IT departments that are laser-focused on supporting and enabling wider business objectives. As part of this, the department typically has a dedicated software asset management (SAM) team, whose job it is to ensure that the company has the s... Read More Read More

Careless talk: undermining your software vendor negotiations

August 12 2020

We know that getting into negotiations with vendors is a daunting process. There are many facets to consider, from having clarity on product requirements through to having a market view of what commercial terms you should be able to achieve. Being confident in your commercial position is a must, yet i... Read More Read More

Navigating the twists and turns of Oracle ULA exits and renewals – Part 2

July 28 2020

In‘Navigating the twists and turns of Oracle ULA exits and renewals – Part 1’,we discussed the challenges and mistakes organisations experience whilst executing Oracle ULA exits and renewals. In this second part, we’ll look at the consequences of these mistakes as well as the p... Read More Read More

Nine Steps to Take Back Control of Your Applications after Lockdown

July 16 2020

The 2020 coronavirus outbreak has meant a significant change to the way the majority of businesses operate. As well as facilitating a steep rise in remote working with collaboration tools like Teams, WebEx, Skype, Zoom and Slack, organizations have also had to rapidly adopt cloud-based and virtualized... Read More Read More

How to keep control of your BYOD usage

July 15 2020

A Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy has long been a popular option for organisations and employees alike. Indeed, with much of the workforce now home-based, many enterprises will be seeing a new spike in the number of users electing to use their own devices as part of their daily job. This approa... Read More Read More

Navigating the twists and turns of Oracle ULA exits and renewals – Part 1

July 08 2020

When it comes to Oracle ULAs, mishandling the renewal or exit can have serious consequences for your organisation. The complex process is filled with potential financial pitfalls and in order to overcome them, you’ll need robust and detailed planning based on specialist knowledge and expertise o... Read More Read More

IBM is removing RSVP pricing on over 7,000 products on July 1st and almost no one seems to have noticed

June 23 2020

Back in April 2020,IBM very quietly announcedsome changes to its pricing structure. So quietly in fact, that almost no one seemed to notice, which is a surprise considering the significance of these changes. Here at Livingstone we have even reached out to a number of colleagues in our IBM ecosystem to... Read More Read More

Understanding and eradicating your technical debt

June 04 2020

As we continue to while away the hours in lockdown, we have been provided with the opportunity to reflect on some of the indirect issues revealed by COVID-19, including where the need to implement rapid business transformation has been hindered by the unforeseen consequences of historical IT technical... Read More Read More

The Software Vendor negotiation game has fundamentally changed, do you understand the new rules?

January 24 2020

I have worked across a wide range of Public Sector organisations with a multitude of software licensing programs throughout my career. Common themes always remain “am I getting a good value from my investment” and “do I have enough confidence in my current & future requirements t... Read More Read More

How to achieve the best outcome from your SaaS contract renewal and negotiations

November 19 2020

At Livingstone Group, we provide our customers with visibility of their entire SaaS estate and offer continuous advice on how to optimize their cloud spend. Our global team of Cloud Investment Managers assist clients on exploring the options available and prioritizing the actions that will make the bi... Read More Read More

A Blueprint for Public Sector Software Cost Optimisation

January 23 2020

In this 30-minute video Gareth Redshaw will share insights and recommendations that will show best practices to implement when negotiation with the mega vendors. In addition, you will learn how to optimise what you are purchasing and reduce what you spend. Gareth will showcase a recent example of a... Read More Read More

An expert guide to SAP S/4 HANA Contract Migration Challenges

February 20 2020

After 2025 SAP will only be supporting Customers who are converted to S/4 HANA. Many customers are already in the process of planning the technical migration since this is a quite complex exercise. Whilst the technical migration is complicated, the license contract conversion will also confront you... Read More Read More

The changing vendor audit landscape - Expose your new Vendor Audit Risks

March 26 2020

As organisations adopt an ever increasing number of cloud solutions with subscription based licensing, so the traditional landscape of software publisher audits and related risk is also evolving at an ever increasing rate. Working with our global customers gives us a unique view of the market and e... Read More Read More

Oracle Licensing & Contracts – What you really need to know

April 24 2020

Oracle have been hitting the headlines recently and there are some important changes taking place that could have significant implications for your organization both from a financial, commercial and technical perspective. In this executive briefing our Oracle experts will bring you up to date with ... Read More Read More

Microsoft Cost Optimisation – Negotiating the best renewal

May 20 2020

In this 45-minute video Gareth Redshaw discusses key points that will help you optimize your Microsoft estate and validateyour Bill of Materials (BOM) to reduce your spend. He will share insightsand recommendations that will show best practices to implement when negotiation with Microsoft. Gareth w... Read More Read More

ULA Exit or Renewal? – Myths, Mistakes and Making it work!

June 25 2020

Exiting or renegotiating an Oracle ULA renewal can have serious consequences for your organisation if the wrong approach is taken. This is a complex process littered with potential financial pitfalls and therefore requires careful consideration, robust and detailed planning based on specialist knowled... Read More Read More

Not long until IBM year end; time to get moving on your negotiation strategy!

July 23 2020

With December looming, so too is IBM’s year end. Give yourself enough lead time to plan your IBM roadmap and decide on your ELA strategy. To ensure you are able you to negotiate the best deal you will need this strategy defined along with a clear visibility of any vulnerabilities within your IBM... Read More Read More

Get the best outcome for your SaaS contract renewal - Salesforce.com Case Study

September 24 2020

In this 15 minute videoLivingstone Group’s Salesforce Practice Lead Karen McAllister outlines key considerations for renewing SaaS Software contracts using Salesforce as a case study. This session covers: This session covers Understanding your current and future requirements Understan... Read More Read More

IT Asset Management for the Public Sector

October 22 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has deeply impacted industries across the globe and the UK’s Public Sector has been no exception, with increased pressure felt beyond Central Government, impacting all public institutions. All eyes are on the Public Sector’s handling of the current situation, and o... Read More Read More

A Blueprint for Software Lifecycle Management Transformation

November 28 2019

Delivering outcomes on budget risk, cost control and investment value requires a holistic approach to understand and implement the necessary SLM target operating model. In this session we explore the relationship between data, process and skills leveraging technology investments within complex enterpr... Read More Read More

Negotiating a renewal? Start early to derive maximum value

December 11 2020

A contract renewal with a major vendor is always a key milestone for any procurement or ITAM professional as it provides the opportunity to showcase your true worth to your employer. Getting this process right is critical as the agreed terms will dictate the organization’s usage and costs for ma... Read More Read More

IT Asset Management for the Public Sector: Part 2

January 05 2021

In Part 1 of ‘IT Asset Management for the Public Sector’, we looked at the reasons for why it is essential to create a strategic objectives framework, highlighting the risks and three main areas to watch out for. In Part 2, we will provide guidance on how to overcome these risks by crea... Read More Read More

Cloud licensing and procurement: what does good look like?

January 26 2021

Livingstone is a proud member of Innovation Martlesham, a network of innovative tech companies of all sizes and maturity, based at BT’s world-renowned Adastral Park in Suffolk. At the end of 2020, a couple of the Livingstone team were invited to talk to other members – from start-ups ri... Read More Read More

Governing rapid IT transformation & increasing cloud consumption

March 16 2021

Innovation Martlesham, in association with TechEast,would like to invite you to another Breakfast Networking Webinar Event with Guest SpeakerChris Gough, Chief Strategy Officer, Livingstone Group VIEW BRIEFING>> The last 18 months has seen massive acceleration taking place in ho... Read More Read More

Planning for a Microsoft renewal in 2021? Two key factors to bear in mind

February 01 2021

Microsoft’s ubiquity means a large number of enterprises and public sector organizations will be gearing up for a contract renewal exercise during 2021. As with all vendors, it is absolutely vital to start planning for renewals as early as possible (have a read of the blog from my colleague Ian ... Read More Read More

What is software portfolio management and optimization? Livingstone Group on Innovation Martlesham podcast

March 02 2021

Livingstone Group’s Nigel Someck (BT Account Director), recently joined Nicky Daniels, Head of Innovation Martlesham on her podcast ‘Nicky In Conversation With…’ to discuss software portfolio management and optimization. On the podcast, you can hear Nicky and Nigel discuss: ... Read More Read More

Oracle renewals: The myth of the Oracle May spend?

March 03 2021

May, Oracle’s year end, is commonly considered to be the best time to renew contracts with the vendor, with deals and discounts being offered across the board. But this year, as May draws near, maybe it is worth taking the time to reflect before rushing into signing any contracts. Last year w... Read More Read More

2020/2021 Trends

March 18 2021

The coronavirus pandemic and the mass move to remote working have brought forward a whole host of business challenges. From ensuring operations run smoothly by providing employees with the right equipment and software, to maintaining online security with everyone out of the office, organizations acros... Read More Read More

How to justify your SAM tool investment to your CIO

March 30 2021

It is undeniable that SAM tools have become an important part of best practice IT asset management. Offering much-needed visibility into software and cloud deployments together with usage levels and entitlement, these tools enable organizations to optimize their IT estates and control their spend. Ind... Read More Read More

How to negotiate the best deal for your major software renewal

April 26 2021

The increased digitalization of business operations today means that organizations are ever more reliant on software and cloud suppliers. Since this technology takes up such a large amount of total expenditure, contract negotiations with these providers have never been more important for IT and Procur... Read More Read More

Public Sector: How to reduce cloud and software spend without impacting public service delivery