Lotus & IBM Introduce Passport Advantage Licensing Program for Lotus and IBM Software Customers
Provides Customers a Single Contract to Purchase Licenses, Software Subscription and Support for all Lotus and IBM Workstation Software
ORLANDO, Fla (January 26, 1998) – IBM and Lotus Development Corp. today announced the Passport Advantage volume licensing program which provides their customers a single contract under which they can purchase licenses, software subscription and support from both Lotus and IBM.
The Passport Advantage program, which is scheduled to be launched in April, supersedes the IBM Software Advantage for Workstations and the Lotus Passport licensing programs, and will be available worldwide covering all Lotus and IBM workstation software. Under the existing programs, Lotus and IBM already manage licensing agreements with more than 25,000 customers in more than 80 countries.
Under the new program, customers can choose from three options designed to fit the way they purchase and manage software. These options are designed to accommodate a broad range of customer needs from a small business or pilot implementation to a multinational enterprise-wide deployment. Under the Passport Advantage program, purchases can be made anywhere in the world under a single agreement, allowing customers to accumulate discounts worldwide while buying through their preferred local Business Partner.
Included under the Passport Advantage program is Software Subscription, an annual payment allowing customers to install the latest versions of software and move between operating systems, lowering the costs of migration and protecting customer investments in Lotus and IBM technology. New Support options have also been included that allow the customer to purchase both Lotus and IBM technical support under the same contract as their licenses, thus ensuring that it is included in the initial agreement and lowering administrative costs.
“The announcement of Passport Advantage demonstrates the importance we place on our ongoing customer satisfaction,” said James Fieger, Lotus Executive Vice President of Worldwide Field Operations. “Passport Advantage provides us a competitive edge in not just what customers buy, but how they buy it.”
“Nobody in the industry can match the depth and breadth of workstation software offered by Lotus and IBM,” said Mark Elliott, IBM Software Group Vice President of Sales. “And Passport Advantage now gives our customers the ability to leverage their total investment with us, including the support and ongoing services that make deployment more successful.”
“Customers have been demanding one-stop shopping from IBM and Lotus for some time,” said Mark Pearson, Vice President, Vendor Relations of Norwood, Mass.-based Corporate Software & Technology, Inc. “With this new licensing Program, Lotus and IBM have balanced simplicity with flexibility to help us better service our customers.”
Source: IBM