Schroders Reduces IBM Renewal Costs by £200,000 Through CVA Reporting 

Executive Summary

Schroders chose to move from IBM’s IASP program to CVA after determining that the new model offered greater reporting visibility and a centralized record of past submissions, while preserving the commercial advantages Schroders valued under IASP. Anglepoint supported the transition, prepared and published the required licensing reports, and helped Schroders maintain a clear, defensible view of its IBM position. That visibility enabled Schroders to reduce its IBM license footprint, strengthen its renewal position, and achieve £200,000 in annual savings.

The Challenge

Schroders manages software usage and compliance across a global technology estate. Its internal software asset management team is responsible for understanding what software is deployed, maintaining sufficient licensing, identifying optimization opportunities, and reducing the risk of publisher audits.

IBM represented an important area of focus. Schroders’ IBM environment was relatively straightforward, with approximately 99.5% of its IBM spend associated with IBM MQ. Therefore, even a relatively straightforward IBM estate carried meaningful financial implications at renewal.

Under IBM’s IASP program, Anglepoint prepared quarterly flat files or spreadsheets that Schroders submitted to IBM by email. While the program offered valuable benefits—including annual true-up and true-down flexibility and reduced audit risk—the reporting process lacked a centralized location for reviewing previous submissions. Historical reporting depended on individual files rather than a single, easily accessible record.

At the same time, IBM was beginning to transition clients away from IASP. Schroders had initially declined the opportunity to become an early adopter of CVA, preferring to understand how the program worked in practice before making a change. As IASP moved toward end of life, however, Schroders needed to determine the best path forward without giving up the benefits it valued under its existing arrangement.

That decision coincided with another important objective: Schroders wanted to reduce its IBM license footprint at its next renewal. Doing so confidently required clear evidence that its estate had decreased and that its licensing position remained clean.

Schroders was therefore facing two related questions: how best to evolve its IBM reporting approach as IASP was phased out, and how confidently it could reduce its IBM footprint at renewal. Both depended on having an accurate, defensible view of its license position.

Solution

Anglepoint helped Schroders assess the operational, commercial, and compliance implications of moving from IASP to CVA. The team presented the benefits of the program, helped Schroders evaluate potential concerns, and provided the licensing expertise needed to determine whether the move made sense for the organization.

Through that evaluation, Schroders determined that CVA offered greater reporting visibility and a centralized history of submissions while preserving the commercial advantages it valued under IASP.

Anglepoint then supported the transition into the program, working with Schroders and IBM to address process questions and help move the engagement forward. Once the CVA portal was established, Anglepoint’s IBM licensing experts prepared the required licensing documentation and published each report within the platform. Schroders reviewed the information, verified the submission, and approved it directly in the portal.

The new process replaced quarterly spreadsheet submissions by email with a centralized reporting history. Schroders can now review previous submissions, see what has been reported to IBM, and provide approved internal stakeholders with read access. The result is a consistent audit trail that is easier to access and manage.

Anglepoint also reduced the recurring workload for Schroders’ internal SAM team. Anglepoint’s IBM licensing experts manage the license analysis and reporting process, while Schroders reviews and approves each completed submission. The streamlined approach has made quarterly reporting and renewal preparation more efficient and easier to manage.

That visibility proved especially valuable at renewal. Because Schroders was already sharing its IBM data regularly, the organization could demonstrate that its estate had been reduced and that it remained in a clean licensing position. With evidence supporting the smaller footprint, Schroders was able to approach its renewal with greater confidence.

That visibility enabled Schroders to reduce its IBM license footprint, strengthen its renewal position, and achieve £200,000 in annual savings.

Beyond CVA, Schroders continues to engage Anglepoint when additional publisher or compliance expertise is needed. Anglepoint extends Schroders’ internal SAM capabilities with specialized expertise when complex or high-risk licensing issues arise.

Results

• £200,000 in annual savings: Schroders reduced its IBM license footprint and used a documented licensing position to support a more cost-effective renewal.
• Centralized IBM reporting history: Separate spreadsheet and email submissions were replaced by a single portal containing current and historical reporting.
• Reduced administrative burden: Anglepoint manages recurring license analysis and report preparation, allowing Schroders’ internal SAM team to focus on review and approval.
• Stronger renewal and compliance readiness: Regular reporting provides Schroders with clear evidence of its IBM estate and a defensible licensing position when renewal decisions arise.