IBM z Systems® Early Programs

The IBM Z® ISV Early Programs consist of several programs that helps an ISV to support their customers on new IBM operating system releases, other IBM software products, and new hardware products. ISVs participating in the programs can receive access to IBM pre-Generally Available (GA) product information as early as two years in advance of the products becoming GA.

Benefits

  • Leverage subject matter experts, hardware and software platforms for development, tests, education, and demos
  • Enhance your offerings and stay on top of industry trends
  • Gain more visibility with customers

In this offering you will be able to participate in our:

Early Test Programs

Provides pre-GA hardware and software testing opportunities including:

Hardware Early Test Program

Operating System (z/OS®) Early Test Program

ISV Disclosures

The ISV Disclosures provide technical information updates on a wide variety of topics, where new information is shared providing a constant flow of updated technical information with the latest changes.

Marketing Opportunities

All ISVs with products supporting the IBM zSystems™ platform are provided with an opportunity to have their products listed as supporting specific z/OS releases on an IBM ISVs and service providers website .

In order to participate in these programs an ISV must:

  • Be an active member of the IBM Partner Plus Program.
  • Have a signed IBM zSystems ISV Early Programs Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA) in place with IBM.
  • Maintain up-to-date all documentation related to the offerings that run on the IBM zSystems Platform (e.g. , website, documents, blogs and articles)
  • Have a partner profile created in the ISV Ecosystem User Group

Join the IBM zSystems ISV Ecosystem User Group

Join the IBM Partner Plus Program

Requirements to request a CDA

  • Be an active ISV member of the IBM Partner Plus Program who is developing and selling, or interested in developing and selling, products that run on the IBM zSystems platform
  • Be able to demonstrate a strong commitment to the IBM zSystems Ecosystem (e.g. , advocacy efforts, vitality initiatives, and promotion and implementation of platform modernization)

Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA)

Benefits

- Get early introductions to new capabilities and user tools

- Leverage :

  • IBM z Integrated Information Processor (zIIP)
  • Sub-Capacity Reporting Tool (SCRT)

Renewals

- Maintain active participation in the IBM zSystems ISV Programs

- On an annual basis IBM zSystems will perform an assessment based on the CDA requirements to determine whether an existing CDA will be renewed

IBM z Integrated Information Processor (zIIP)

What it is:

z/OS is capable of causing certain types of work to execute in part on zIIPs. The type of work eligible for z/OS redirection to zIIPs can be characterized as non-task, service request block ("SRB") mode work that is joined in an enclave of Workload Manager for z/OS ("WLM").

How to qualify:

Provide documentation that describes the IBM proprietary software interfaces being used by an ISV for eligible work. The request should include that the offering runs on z/OS causing such work to be executed in part on zIIPs, which is now available subject to certain terms and conditions.

Execution of a licensing agreement with IBM.

Sub-Capacity Reporting Tool (SCRT)

What it is:

SCRT is a no-charge tool that reports required license capacity for sub-capacity eligible products that run on z/OS, or z/TPF. SCRT analyzes a month of data for IBM zSystems environments and produces a sub-capacity report. The report indicates the required license capacity (in MSUs) of each IBM sub-capacity eligible product running on z/OS or z/TPF systems.

How to qualify:

Execution of a licensing agreement with IBM.

Terms and Conditions

Relationship Fitness

Program participants will collaborate to drive success of the platform. Companies participating in negative marketing toward the mainframe, discouraging mainframe solutions in customer sales situations, working to negatively impact mainframe workload and environments, or actively promoting the migration of workloads off the mainframe, are not eligible to participate or continue in the program.

IBM Right to limit participation

IBM reserves the right to limit participation at its sole discretion and may revise the program terms at any time without notice.

ISV Disclosures

Getting Started

If you are interested in applying and meet all the prerequisites above, send the following information to ztech@us.ibm.com.

Please allow 5 business days to process this form. Once your request has been reviewed by IBM, you will be contacted about participating in the program.

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