BMC has begun shipping new capabilities in its mainframe management suite, aimed at helping IT executives reduce IBM Monthly License Charge (MLC) software costs. BMC Cost Analyzer now delivers a combination of analytics and actionable intelligence intended to help business leaders gain visibility into hidden charges.
BMC Cost Analyzer is designed to help users better manage their mainframe budget and reduce MLC costs by up to 20% through workload placement, the vendor claims.
“With the introduction of MLC software budget management in Cost Analyzer, we are extending the use of our solution from the backroom into the board room,” said Bill Miller, president of ZSolutions and Select Technologies for BMC. “This release continues our delivery of innovative solutions for optimizing costs, built to help IT executives effectively manage MLC costs and improve the economics of their z Systems.”
Often, the cost of MLC software can represent 30% or more of the total mainframe budget – more than the cost of the hardware, and often more than the cost of the mainframe IT staff. The complexity of the MLC cost mechanisms, combined with the IT agility needed to support the digital enterprise, make it difficult for IT to proactively manage the MLC budget. Unplanned peaks in demand can drive up MLC costs, and lead to unexpected and undetected MLC budget overruns.
The BMC Cost Analyzer now includes budget tracking of actual versus planned MLC costs provides analytics for making cost and budget decisions. In addition, the tool helps forecasting future MLC costs, with a forward-looking picture of MLC expenditures. Budget variance reports provide warning of potential MLC cost issues.
To learn more, visit bmc.com.