What You Need to Know About IBM’s IASP Initiative

IBM’s New Authorized SAM Provider Offering

On August 14, 2019 Anglepoint’s CEO, Ron Brill, along with the Sanjay K. Saxena, IBM’s Worldwide IASP Director, presented a webinar about the new IBM Authorized SAM Provider offering. We took a few notes from the webinar and compiled them here.

What is the IBM Authorized SAM Provider (IASP) offering?

– The IASP offering is a friendlier, non-punitive approach to compliance. It is an alternative to traditional software license review, “an alternative designed to have a more delighted customer” as stated by IBM’s Worldwide Director of IASP, Sanjay K. Saxena.

– Selected IBM customers work with one of four Authorized SAM Providers (ASPs) to proactively manage IBM software assets across their enterprise.

– The IASP offering is not a “back-door” audit. The ASP works directly, and only, with the customer and is bound by strict confidentiality.

What are the requirements to join the IASP program?

– Currently, participation in the program is by invitation-only.

– The customer must use one of IBM’s four approved global SAM providers in a managed SAM service covering all IBM products (PVU and Non-PVU).

– Per IBM, the ideal IASP candidate:

• • Is a large, dynamically changing, and complex organization.
  • Has multiple sites and sub-entities as part of a larger portfolio of businesses.
  • Leverages a large number of software publishers across its IT estate to support business.

What are the benefits of the IASP offering?

– Audit Exemption: Customers in the IASP program are fully exempt from traditional license reviews, thus reducing business disruption and surprises.

– Sub-Capacity licensing: Anglepoint ensures that installation is optimized and compliant for Sub-Cap licensing. There are no Full-Capacity charges regardless of historical ILMT status. 

– Commercial benefits: No audit fees, back S&S, or other punitive charges. Customers receive normal discounts even for compliance issues, all transactions may be processed through customers’ preferred IBM resellers. 

– IBM License Optimization & Insight: Customers have the opportunity to perform certain optimizations prior to submitting reports to IBM. Anglepoint will support in mitigating risk, optimize license spend, predict license budget, and aid with intelligent procurement and planning. 

– Reduction of needed SAM tools: IASP customers can use Flexera in place of ILMT/BigFix as the approved IBM sub-capacity tool. 

– Industry-leading IBM licensing knowledge: IASP customers will have access to some of the industry’s greatest minds when it comes to IBM licensing – Anglepoint’s dedicated IBM team.