Making the most of post-merger savings opportunities

Although the vast majority of IT managers and CIOs don't believe that companies can reap significant software savings following a merger, it's easier than you might think. That's the conclusion of IT experts at a roundtable held by Computacenter, a European provider of IT infrastructure services. The hardest part is identifying where IT savings can be made, but once that is done, carrying them out is relatively simple. First, find out what software is owned and used by both companies. Then decide what software is unnecessary and make sure that what is retained is used to its full potential. Also, negotiate better deals for software licensing. But speak to software suppliers before a merger to ensure, for example, that they don't illegally and unknowingly use software that hasn't been paid for. And clarify the responsibilities of IT and procurement before the merger takes place so that savings can be properly credited.

Learn more about savings during mergers:
- read the article at SupplyManagement.com

ALSO:
- read this on being wary of software consolidation
- and this on CIOs taking center stage during mergers and takeovers