BMC Helps CIOs Trim Up to 20 Percent of Hidden Mainframe Costs

BMC Cost Analyzer for zEnterprise(R) Adds MLC Software Budget Analytics, Forecasting and Management Dashboards


HOUSTON, March 4, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BMC introduced new capabilities to its leading mainframe management suite aimed at helping CIOs and IT executives significantly reduce IBM Monthly License Charge (MLC) software costs. BMC Cost Analyzer now delivers a powerful combination of analytics and actionable intelligence that help business leaders gain visibility into hidden charges. BMC Cost Analyzer is designed to help IT leaders better manage their mainframe budget and reduce MLC costs by up to 20 percent through workload placement.

The surging growth of mobile, Internet of things (IoT) and big data analytics is increasing mainframe workloads. In turn, this heightened activity is driving up the charges for key mainframe enabling software. Often, the cost of MLC software can represent 30 percent 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. For institutions in the financial services, insurance, manufacturing, transportation and public sectors that rely on mainframes for everything from ATM transactions to application management, it should come as no surprise that containing mainframe cost is a major impediment for CIOs.

"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, 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."

"The tools provided in the Cost Analyzer Release unlock powerful opportunities for an organization to actively manage its mainframe software budget," said Frank DeSalvo, former research director at Gartner. "Finally, workload decisions can be viewed in terms of their financial impact so that technical, financial and procurement personnel can collaborate meaningfully to optimize their software investments."

The BMC Cost Analyzer for zEnterprise is available today. New management-focused enhancements to the solution include:

  • MLC Budget Tracking of actual versus planned MLC costs provides analytics for making cost and budget decisions
  • Forecasting Future MLC Costs delivers a forward-looking picture of MLC expenditures
  • Budget Variance Reports provide warning of potential MLC cost issues
  • Automatic Drill Down to Expense Drivers delivers actionable intelligence to use for cost-reducing course corrections
  • Predictive Cost Planning offers alternatives for cost-constrained periods
  • MLC Effectiveness Index tracks effectiveness of cost reduction strategies
  • Management Dashboards present historical and projected information in an intuitive interface for easy consumption and decision-making.

About BMC

BMC delivers software solutions that help IT transform digital enterprises for the ultimate competitive business advantage. We have worked with thousands of leading companies to create and deliver powerful IT management services. From mainframe to cloud to mobile, we pair high-speed digital innovation with robust IT industrialization—allowing our customers to provide amazing user experiences with optimized IT performance, cost, compliance, and productivity. We believe that technology is the heart of every business, and that IT drives business to the digital age. To learn more, visit bmc.com.

Press Contacts

Tami Casey, Senior PR Manager, BMC Software, tami_casey@bmc.com, (408) 571-7131

For Sales and Marketing Information

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