A recent article from Forbes called “Nobody Gets Fired For Buying IBM. But They Should.” reminds me that many things we care about have actual costs, even if they hit us indirectly. For instance, if I give you a free puppy, is it really free? Once you put the puppy into your car for the ride home and it begins to chew on your upholstery and furniture, eat your favorite shoes instead of the expensive kibble you bought, and have costly veterinary appointments, the meaning behind “there is no such thing as a free puppy” becomes obvious.

And in the world of enterprise software, the same is true. What do you intuitively know when a vendor tells you they will include product(s) or professional services “for free or heavily discounted”? I have observed three things. Which of these scenarios look familiar to you?

1. The “free stuff” from a vendor always seems to come from the lists of products and services they offer, which are struggling to compete in the marketplace anyway. For example, let’s say a vendor is world class with its hardware, and its operating system and database management system needed to support its hardware. Why is it that the “free stuff” never seems to include any of this?
2. “Free stuff” is a mirage, like an imaginary oasis as you struggle through a desert. It looks like the direction to go, but there is nothing to drink when you get there but sand. “Free” in enterprise software is a mirage because some products consume more CPU than others (ironically not a problem if you sell CPU for a living). It also isn’t truly free because sub-optimized products also consume more of two other valuable customer resources—time and people (both critical in the new digital economy). Today’s customers are looking for automation everywhere to save their valuable IT resources for the hard and strategic tasks, not to come up with workarounds for the “free stuff.”
3. “Free stuff” from a vendor can deter a company from selecting solutions based on value versus a simplistic view of price alone. Unfortunately, enterprise software is often considered a commodity. And, just like puppies, not all software solutions are well-behaved house guests. There was a time when important decisions impacting IT solutions weren’t made without the input of the “smart guys,” the IT professionals in the organization who actually use solutions every day to ensure SLAs are met and customers are happy. It has been exciting to see those days return, as customers seek alternatives to bad vendor behavior; for instance, trying to exploit and leverage customers with business disruptive price increases when they try to renew.

Yes, puppies are cute, and who doesn’t love free? But when it comes to software, free comes with consequences that can harm your business. When evaluating your choices to migrate away from Broadcom CA, we suggest you focus on solutions that “do no harm” or don’t take your business backward. Solutions that enable change and business acceleration should not compromise business objectives. BMC has helped hundreds of customers break Broadcom CA’s hold on their business with a “do no harm” approach. As a result, we have helped ensure a smooth transition with zero business disruption throughout the entire migration and operationalization process.

That’s why customers sometimes say, “Actually, as it turns out, we can’t afford the other vendor’s free stuff.” Let BMC help you move away from Broadcom CA and toward your business objectives, with upfront and transparent pricing, the power of choice—and no destructive behaviors you weren’t anticipating.

BMC has helped many businesses break Broadcom/CA’s hold on their business. In fact, here at BMC we did it, and are enjoying the benefits of being “BC Free” by replacing all Broadcom/CA products. We have identified the top four questions and concerns we hear most from companies who are being faced with a Broadcom/CA renewal.

Before we get to the list, it is important to note that all Broadcom/CA products can and probably now should be replaced. Your business should not be at the mercy of any single vendor committed to a financial leverage strategy thru “all or nothing” bundled contracts.  This is one of those “Dent in the Universe” moments that needs to be corrected in the marketplace.  The list below goes through the questions we commonly hear regarding BC free projects and how BMC can address those questions or concerns.

1. Our business uses many products from Broadcom/CA, can BMC really replace them all?

No … that is not what we are saying.  Many times, the solution to becoming “Broadcom Free” is created by simply doing a bit more business with BMC and IBM for example, being careful along the way to make choices based on which one is best for your needs today and in the future.  In addition, sometimes we find gaps where neither BMC or IBM have the best BC/ca replacement solution and that is where the Broadcom Free federation comes into play.  This combination of “Best of Breed products” when with BMC professional migration services is what drives our belief that … “All Broadcom/CA products can and probably now should be replaced.”

2. My business is looking at a substantial price increase to renew with Broadcom/CA, will switching to BMC reduce my costs?

The short answer is “yes.”  Broadcom Free projects typically produce significant cost optimization. How?  First, by breaking a vendor’s bundle contract leverage, customers gain the benefit of being once again in a competitive marketplace where companies work hard to earn your business based on delivering value … net/net lower costs.  In addition, there are significant savings/benefits with freedom to choose products that are optimized to meet your needs for today (i.e. modernize; become more agile; reduce resource consumption such as HW; people; time etc…)

3. The complexity of breaking free from Broadcom/CA seems overwhelming, can BMC help with the migration?

Absolutely! We pride ourselves on our migration process ensuring you experience zero business disruption. Our professional services team will work with your team to ensure you have complete project success, frictionless migration, and staff training designed for your long-term success. We dive much deeper into this question in this blog.

4. I am looking to start a migration away from Broadcom/CA in 12-24 months, when should I start working with BMC?

The sooner the better. BMC is here to be a partner, the longer lead-time we have to understand your business objectives and mission-critical architecture, the better we can develop a comprehensive migration plan to ensure a successful migration outcome.

The choice is in your hands

All Broadcom/CA products can and probably now should be replaced, and when you are faced with a shocking increase in costs during renewals, there is no better time to make the switch than now. BMC has helped many companies break free from Broadcom/CA and we are here to help you make the switch. Take a deeper dive into the frictionless migration process that BMC can provide by reading the Broadcom/CA Migration Guide.

As many Broadcom/CA customers grasp what the acquisition by Broadcom means to their business, a few things are clear* during the renewal process:

1. The increase in renewal rate is surprising
2. There is a lack of a defined roadmap for future product development for those already utilizing their platform and products
3. Customer support is starting to show cracks, and impacting on-going support

So where do you go from here? Back to the drawing board? Well, any transition away from Broadcom/CA can seem like a daunting and arduous task to take-on, especially when IT teams are already working on strategic initiatives like digital transformation, remote worker support, and just keeping things running in these unprecedented times.

Businesses are often fearful of the perceived complexity of migrating to become Broadcom/CA free, but also may not fully understand that seamless migration can be achieved with zero business disruption. To achieve such a seamless migration, businesses and IT teams need to identify and understand that with the right vendor or software partner migration can be painless and experience savings versus renewing a solution that has increasing costs. The financial impact to the business of just renewing for fear of complexity, may be costlier than migrating to a better solution. It’s time that your business breaks free from Broadcom.

Mainframe Management is Mission-Critical

For business-critical applications that enable mainframe management, migrating to a solution that meets your business objectives, with the help of personalized support is key to future-ready success. BMC provides a full suite solution for those looking to make the switch from Broadcom/CA. BMC makes the migration frictionless, helping identify what products need replaced and how BMC can replace them for you with painless phased migration and implementation paths. BMC can assist in this migration burden through our Managed Services, operating as an extension of your business’ IT team, ensuring you are positioned for long-term success after you have broken free of Broadcom.

You are not alone in your exploration to break free from Broadcom. BMC has been helping 2+ enterprises each week migrate to BMC since 2018, helping businesses unleash productivity, efficiency, and realizing a prosperous future.

Explore how breaking free from Broadcom may be smoother and less complex than you ever imagined.

*Based on surveys conducted by BMC to Broadcom/CA customers.