IBM has developed software to help IT directors track
the use of computing assets across different types of
systems.
Tivoli Usage and Accounting Manager is designed to provide
companies and IT outsourcing providers with a simple method to bill
internal departments or individual clients for the amount of
computing resource they consume.
Based on technology from IBM’s January acquisition of CIMS Lab,
the software provides a web-based interface that meters and bills
technology use, allowing users to measure their virtual server,
storage, network, software, middleware and e-mail “consumption” by
company, department or individual, IBM said.
This information can be used for billing IT services to business
departments, or to provide IT directors with a breakdown of
usage.
Michael Azoff, senior research analyst at Butler Group, said,
“This is an area under-used by IT departments. It allows the
business to assess what is being used and so rationalise their
software expenditure.”
He said the tool could be useful in helping businesses avoid
paying for unnecessary software.
Pricing for the IBM Usage and Accounting Manager for xSeries
begins at $599 (£320) per server and $75,000 (£40,000) per
mainframe in the US. UK pricing has yet to be fixed.