The document discusses 9 key considerations for licensing a new IT service management solution: 1) Flexible licensing models that don't require a license for every user and allow growth. 2) Avoid licensing end-users to access self-service portals. 3) Ensure notifications if license limits are exceeded and changes don't result in unexpected costs.

1. In a crowded market of IT service
management solutions, it can be easy
to find a solution that meets your
feature and functional requirements.
Conversely, it can be difficult to
calculate and understand the hard and
soft costs of a potential solution.
Getting clear answers from potential
vendors to the following questions is
critical in controlling your total cost of
ownership.
Will every single member of your IT
organization require a license, regardless
of how often they use the system?
A named licensing model is inflexible and
expensive and costs can add up quick if usage
increases or your organization grows.
1. Flexible Licensing Models
Will you be notified should the number of
logins surpasses your license count?
While this doesn’t feel like a Software-as-a-Service
issue, many SaaS based solutions regularly run
customer usage reports, and rather than provide
notification, the vendor will simply present an
order form to add these additional licenses. As
more users access the tool, these usage reports
and additional true-up order forms present
unbudgeted costs.
3. License Compliance
Can you choose your deployment model?
If your IT organization wanted to host the
ITSM solution on-premises, would it be
easy or inexpensive to select that model?
If you started in a hosted model, would
you be able to switch over the course of
your relationship with the vendor?
5. Choice Deployment Models
Does the solution you intend on
selecting known for facilitating easy
version upgrades?
One of the virtues of having JavaScript
developers to configure and customize
the platform is the flexibility to meet
unique requirements, but this can present
challenges when it is time to upgrade
versions, specifically with regards to the
time spent on regression testing.
7. Version Upgrades
What do other customers say about
the solution you intend on selecting?
Do they share feedback on the
challenges with licensing models,
contract negotiation, quality of
implementation or quality of
technical support?
9. Customer Feedback
Will business users require a license to
access the self-service portal and the
knowledge base?
According to Gartner, on average, end-users
contact the IT service desk once a month,
and if there is any cost associated with a
user browsing a knowledge base, requesting
a service, resetting a password, or
submitting a timecard, your organization
may not gain cost efficiencies in establishing
a self-service program.
2. End-User Licensing
Will named licenses be required for
capabilities outside of IT, in areas such as
Human Resources, Facilities Management,
or Security Operations?
Furthermore, does the solution you intend
on selecting require additional
development licensing to build your own
custom applications on its platform?
Lastly, do additional capabilities related to
orchestration or cloud provisioning require
additional licensing?
4. Beyond IT Fees
Does the solution you intend on selecting
have a steep learning curve?
Even if the solution uses Java or JavaScript
technologies and you have the resources to
provide the required administration, would
the best use of your JavaScript developer’s
time be on configuring, customizing and
maintaining your ITSM solution?
Will the changes that process owners and
business analysts requests be prioritized
appropriately, or will they need to wait for
long periods of time?
6. Time to Value
What do third-party analyst firms like
Gartner say about the solution you
intend on selecting?
Do they report on common customer
experiences, specific to concerns on
the solution requiring more time and
resources that expected when the
product was selected?
Do they report on customers have
challenges to achieve favorable deals
and renewals?
8. Industry Reputation
9 Considerations
Before You License
a New ITSM Solution
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