Blogs

Three areas to watch out for in a SPLA audit

October 27 2020

At Livingstone, we are increasingly approached by service providers – systems integrators, hosting providers or any other organizations providing managed services to their end-user customers – to help them navigate Microsoft Services Provider Licensing Agreement (SPLA) audits. On the su... Read More Read More

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

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

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

Forget products, it’s time to understand your organisation’s portfolio of application services

August 24 2020

The old model of procuring IT is no longer relevant Traditionally, when organisations went about compiling their IT portfolios, the building blocks were made up of two things: the perceived IT infrastructure and the technological capabilities of both software and hardware. During this time, innovat... 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

Do you know your audit risk? Part 2

July 28 2020

In my previousblog, I looked at the some of the most common triggers that will spur a supplier into asking to audit your IT estate. These varied from the differing ‘personality’ traits of various publishers, to global economic forces. These factors – and many more – all have a ... 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 ILMT: the good, the bad and the complicated

July 07 2020

An increasingly common topic of discussion when we’re talking to clients about their IBM deployments is the IBM License Metric Tool (ILMT) or, to be more specific, the importance and value of using it.There is no getting round that fact that ILMT can be extremely complicated to install, let alon... 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

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

Will 2020 be the year we reach ‘peak audit’?

May 26 2020

Software vendors usually send out their audit letters on a fairly predictable basis. The most common triggers are a contract term or ULA coming to an end, or indeed the end of the publisher’s financial year, something we covered in more detail in a previous blog aboutOracle’s audit strateg... Read More Read More

Welcome to Oracle audit season

May 19 2020

This time each year, we see a marked spike in the number of audits requested and undertaken by Oracle and 2020 is no different. While this May is by no means a typical month for many of the enterprises and public sector organisations running Oracle, it’s clearly very much ‘business as usua... 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

Cloud Shock: what is it & why should you care?

April 17 2019

As a term, cloud shock has been with us a few years now, but it’ use is not yet quite yet sufficiently widespread to safely assume that everyone knows what you’re talking about when you say it.Cloud shock is, in very simple terms, the moment of realization that money being spent on cloud s... Read More Read More

Beware the guard dog

April 09 2019

While the debate about the actual volume of software audits performed by vendors continueswhat’s not in doubt is that software vendor audits are disruptive, time-consuming and expensive. And that’s not even presuming there’s any ‘guilt’ on your part. Even if the audit exe... Read More Read More

Notes from the ITAM Review USA conference

March 25 2019

I recently had the pleasure of attending The ITAM Review USA conference in sunny Florida. It was a great opportunity to meet with both experienced and first-time SAM managers from many organizations across North America as well as to network with industry peers. There were also plenty of interesting p... Read More Read More

Why your RFI/RFPs are leading you to make bad SAM tool decisions

January 03 2019

SAM tools often get a bad rap. While it is normal for anyone embarking on a program to better discover and manage their software consumption to initially create and issue an RFI to a number of SAM tools providers (possibly narrowed-down to a shortlist with the help of independent analysts), give it si... 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

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

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

September 24 2020

In this 15 minute webinar Livingstone 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 Unders... 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

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

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

Microsoft Cost Optimisation – Negotiating the best renewal

May 21 2020

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

Oracle Licensing & Contracts – What you really need to know in 2020

April 23 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

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

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

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

A Blueprint for Software Portfolio Management Optimisation

November 22 2019

This year many vendors made important announcements regarding both their license subscription roadmap and product support offerings, for example Microsoft and M365. These changes will affect almost every organisation’s IT strategy in the coming years and will only accelerate the growing level of... 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

The Art of War: How to defend your organization against a software audit

January 24 2019

ITAM Governance PART 1 - What is it and what are the benefits?

December 02 2020

Join Livingstone Group's Head of Business Strategy & Partnerships, Lisa Maines and Chief Strategy Officer, Chris Gough In the first in our series of 20 minute ITAM Governance Executive Briefings. We have seen how effective governance of ITAM practices can drive real business value and mitig... Read More Read More

Build the Perfect SAM team with 7 Skills

April 25 2019

One of the greatest misunderstandings around Software Asset Management (SAM) is to think that it’s a single skillset. In fact, managing and optimizing your software estate on-premises and in the cloud requires no less than seven distinct hard skills. Join our SAM experts online to learn more abo... Read More Read More

Soft Skills for SAM

October 25 2018

You know your Microsoft from your Micro Focus, your PVU from your PUR. You’ve got the hard skills for SAM success. But perhaps you’re still struggling to get buy-in, support and cooperation from the wider organization? Learn more about how ‘soft skills’ can make a big differenc... 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

ITAM Governance Part 2 - Best Practice

December 19 2020

Join Livingstone Group's Head of Business Strategy & Partnerships, Lisa Maines for the second in our series of 20 minute ITAM Governance Executive Briefings. In this session Lisa discusses ITAM Governance best practices, presenting recommendations on how to build an ITAM Framework with cons... 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

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 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

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

ITAM Round Up - Key trends and how ITAM needs to respond

February 02 2021

Join Livingstone Group's Chief Strategy Officer, Chris Gough and Principle Consultant, Hugh Skingley, who in this video blog, discuss the market trends and changes that organizations experienced during2020,how these will affect the relationships between IT, Procurement and Finance and how they nee... Read More Read More

Vendor audits are on the rise in 2021; here’s how to prepare

February 05 2021

Over the last three or so months, Livingstone Group has witnessed a marked up-tick in the number of audit letters and new audit requests being sent out to our clients. Our conservative estimate is that requests are up by 40 percent when compared to pre-pandemic levels. While worrying for ITAM profe... Read More Read More