The ITAM Roundup: 3/11/24
Licenseware Partners with ITAM Worx
Licenseware has announced a strategic partnership with ITAM Worx - combining their advanced technology with ITAM Worx's industry experience to offer comprehensive ITAM solutions, assisting businesses in managing assets, reducing costs, and optimizing spending effectively. This partnership aims to democratize IT asset management tools, providing tailored projects and competitively priced services to meet the specific needs of customers and accelerate time to delivery in the ITAM landscape.
Licenseware
CHIPS Act funding still waiting for progress as Biden's State of Union Address promises little
In his 2024 State of the Union Address, President Biden highlighted America's progress in reducing the trade deficit with China but offered little clarity on the status of CHIPS Act funding. The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) urges the government to make progress on the CHIPS Act, emphasizing the importance of semiconductor manufacturing incentives. Meanwhile, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo prioritizes future semiconductor projects based on their potential operational status by 2030, aiming to position the US to produce 20% of the world's leading-edge logic chips by the end of the decade.
Microsoft admits Russian state hack still not contained
Microsoft acknowledges that it is still grappling with elite Russian government hackers who infiltrated senior executives' email accounts in November and have since attempted to breach customer networks using stolen access data. The ongoing attack, attributed to Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service, poses significant national security risks and exposes vulnerabilities in Microsoft's software monoculture, leading to concerns about supply chain attacks against its customers. Security professionals criticize Microsoft's secretive approach to vulnerabilities and handling of hacks, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in addressing cybersecurity threats.
Accenture to acquire Udacity to build a learning platform focused on AI
Accenture has announced the acquisition of Udacity to develop a specialized learning platform focusing on AI, alongside a $1 billion investment in a new technology learning platform called LearnVantage. The move reflects Accenture's interest in providing training to help workers adapt to AI advancements, with Udacity expressing optimism about reaching more individuals under Accenture's umbrella. Despite Udacity's earlier discussions with Upgrad for a potential $80 million deal, Accenture ultimately acquired them, signaling a notable valuation decrease from its previous valuation of $1 billion in 2015.
Ron Miller
IBM lifts lid on latest bid to halt mainframe skill slips
IBM has introduced the Mainframe Skills Council and the IBM Z Mainframe Skills Depot to address the shortage of engineers with mainframe expertise, aiming to sustain a skilled workforce. The Mainframe Skills Council, composed of various organizations, will focus on career awareness, competency frameworks, and professional development, while the Skills Depot offers online training resources. Despite efforts, attracting younger talent to the mainframe workforce remains a challenge due to the aging workforce and the perception of mainframes as outdated compared to newer technologies like cloud and AI.
Dan Robinson
A Basic Introduction to Java’s Per Employee Metric
Oracle transitioned from traditional licensing metrics to a per employee model for Java SE products, potentially increasing costs for most companies but simplifying licensing. This change encompasses both direct and support workers associated with the company, prompting a renewed focus on audits by Oracle License Management Services. To prepare, companies should review existing Java license agreements, consider alternatives like OpenJDK, and ensure compliance to avoid hefty fees.
Stefan Singh
Tenant Consolidation and Turning Off the Lights
M365 tenant consolidation involves both preparing assets for migration and shutting down services in the source tenant, requiring careful planning and documentation to ensure a smooth transition. Essential steps include creating a Break Glass account for administrative access, documenting configuration settings and dependencies, and consolidating domain usage views to prepare for domain removal. Lastly, turning off the lights involves removing licenses, billing information, and data from the original tenant, ensuring proper stakeholder sign-off and adherence to regulatory guidelines.
Damian Scoles
The Oracle License Review: Because Licensing Is Complicated
Oracle's software licensing rules are highly complex and subject to frequent changes, making periodic Oracle license reviews essential for compliance. With various license types and fee metrics like per core, per employee, and per named user, understanding Oracle's licensing structure requires expertise. Miro Consulting offers Oracle license review services to ensure companies comply with Oracle's stringent licensing requirements and avoid potential audits.
Stefan SinghUnitedHealth brings some Change Healthcare pharmacy services back online
Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group's Optum Solutions, is gradually restoring its systems following a ransomware attack by ALPHV/BlackCat on February 21, which disrupted electronic prescription and payment transmission services. UnitedHealth Group announced that electronic prescribing is now fully functional as of March 7, with plans for the electronic payments platform to return to normal by March 15 and medical claims testing to begin on March 18. Despite concerns over the ransom payment and potential data extortion, the company is advising stakeholders to implement available workarounds until full system restoration and to maintain redundancy post-restoration.
VMware sandbox escape bugs are so critical, patches are released for end-of-life products
Critical VMware sandbox escape bugs prompt the release of patches even for end-of-life products like ESXi, Workstation, Fusion, and Cloud Foundation. The vulnerabilities, with severity ratings of up to 9.3 out of 10, compromise the virtual machine's isolation from the host system, prompting VMware to issue emergency patches under ITIL protocols. Three of the vulnerabilities affect the USB controllers, allowing local privilege escalation and information disclosure, while Broadcom advises customers to apply patches immediately or remove USB controllers as a temporary workaround.
Dan Goodin
