Blogs

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

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

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

How to extract maximum value from your SAM tool investment

September 16 2020

Most large organizations will have invested in a SAM or ITAM tool. If not, they’ve probably at least contemplated it. At Livingstone we consider these tools vital to best practice asset management as they provide much needed visibility into software deployments, usage levels and entitlement. Not... 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

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

Do you know your audit risk?

June 09 2020

When it comes to software audits, organisations typically keep a keen eye on the vendors that they spend the most money with. Afterall, if they’re audited by a tier one provider, the financial ramifications could be significant. Focusing on the bigger providers also makes a great deal of practic... Read More Read More

Rapid change and the law of unintended consequences

May 07 2020

Covid drives tactical deployments As the Covid-19 pandemic sweeps across the world, organisations have had to adapt to a changing way they need to do business. From furloughing staff to increasing remote working capabilities, business certainly isn’t as usual for many. Indeed, the near-ter... 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

Is your SAM program doomed to failure?

May 20 2019

If your organization is – or is considering – investing in a Software Asset Management program, then there is a strong chance that you’ve either already paid for, or are about to buy, a SAM tool. It has become the default position for most organizations around the world: “in or... Read More Read More

Managing software applications post-COVID

August 20 2020

As organizations settle into the new normal, it’s time to take back control of your software applications and address all the changes that will have been implemented during the Pandemic to allow ‘Business As Usual’ to reign. In this 15 minute session Livingstone Group’s Chie... Read More Read More

A Blueprint for Public Sector Software Cost Optimisation

January 23 2020

In this 30-minute webinar 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... 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 best practice guide for successful ITAM lifecycle governance

December 08 2020

IT Asset Management (ITAM) governance is a key part of overall corporate governance programs, and helps organizations protect against a variety of corporate risks, from commercial and legal to reputational and security. It empowers organizations to switch from being reactive to proactive in their risk... Read More Read More

IT Asset Management for the Public Sector: Part 1

December 08 2020

As the current pandemic affects organizations globally, widespread scrutiny on public spending has increased. Heightened pressure is being felt across all public institutions as central and local government is being forced to tighten the purse strings. There has never been a more important time for pu... 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

IT Asset Management for the Public Sector: Part 3

January 13 2021

In Part 1 and Part 2 of ‘IT Asset Management for the Public Sector’, we looked at why it is essential to create a strategic objectives framework and the first two stages of our five-part blueprint for software and cloud asset management. In Part 3, we will explain stages three to five of t... 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 08:15 to 09.00 on 16 Mar 2021 with Guest SpeakerChris Gough, Chief Strategy Officer, Livingstone Group The last 18 months has seen massive acceleration taking place i... Read More Read More