CA adds utility-like mainframe pricing
Computer Associates introduces usage-based pricing model for mainframe software.
Martin LaMonica Former Staff writer, CNET News
Martin LaMonica is a senior writer covering green tech and cutting-edge technologies. He joined CNET in 2002 to cover enterprise IT and Web development and was previously executive editor of IT publication InfoWorld.
Computer Associates International revamped its mainframe software licensing to introduce a usage-based model, bringing it closer in line with an industry move toward utility computing.
The management software company on Thursday detailed its Measured Workload Pricing plan, a way to charge customers based on the amount of mainframe processing used, rather than the machine's total capacity. The licensing mechanism draws on a reporting tool from IBM's zSeries mainframes, which measures processor utilization. Customers pay a base amount and then are charged on a pre-determined scale as processor usage rises. CA is offering the pricing system to existing customers across 20 product areas.