Will You Be Affected by IBM's End of Support for TM1 V2.0.9 ?
IBM have recently announced some significant upgrades and changes to IBM Planning Analytics\TM1. Version 2.0.9 will no longer be supported and the new Long Term Support version will become version 2.1.0. The main components of IBM Planning Analytics remain unchanged, but IBM will no longer support some of the legacy tools and interfaces. This may have a significant impact on some existing customers.
The impact will be different depending on whether you are on-premise customer using Planning Analytics Local\Express software or an IBM Cloud SaaS customer. It will also depend on which user interfaces and how you are currently using IBM Planning Analytics. For SaaS customers and newer on-premise customers, the changes may be minimal. Check out the changes in the summary below:
- Which TM1 On-Premise Customers will be affected?
- Significant Date for End of Support for Version 2.0.9
- About the Current Version and Your Upgrade Process
- Legacy Interfaces No Longer Supported
- Important Next Steps for On-Premise Customers
- Which IBM Cloud SaaS Customers will be affected?
- Software Versions and Upgrade Availability
- Legacy Interfaces and Features to be Withdrawn
- Important Next Steps for IBM Cloud SaaS Customers
On-Premise Licence Customers
If you are an On-Premise customer, the following applies:
Which TM1 On-Premise Customers will be Affected?
This will affect customers with IBM Planning Analytics Local and IBM Planning Analytics Express software licenses. It will apply whether the software has been installed on the customer's own servers or on a public or private cloud such as AWS or Microsoft Azure.
Significant Date for End of Support for Version 2.0.9
The current Long Term Support version of IBM Planning Analytics is 2.0.9 (first released in Dec 2019). IBM have announced that support for this version will end on 30 April 2025. You can carry on using version 2.0.9 after that date, but it will not be supported and there may be compatibility issues if you upgrade your operating system or Excel version.
About the Current Version and Your Upgrade Process
The current version of IBM Planning Analytics is 2.1.0 which can be downloaded by customers with an up-to-date support contract. Version 2.1.0 is functionally very similar to 2.0.9 but a summary of changes can be found on the IBM web site.
Provided you already have a Planning Analytics Workspace (PAW) server installed the upgrade is very straightforward; if not, a PAW server will need to be installed and configured as part of the upgrade.
Legacy Interfaces No Longer Supported
The following legacy interfaces currently supported in version 2.0.9 will no longer be supported in version 2.1.0 :
A full list of deprecated features can be found on the IBM website.
Important Next Steps for On-Premise Customers
We strongly recommend you carry out the following steps as soon as possible:
- Review your current Planning Analytics installation and how it is being used.
- Are you using any of the legacy clients which will no longer be supported by 2.1.0 e.g. TM1 Perspectives etc (see above)? If so, you need to plan how to migrate to them.
- As part of the migration, you need to consider migrating your users from Perspectives to Planning Analytics for Excel; training, converting existing reports, etc. From previous experience, this is generally not onerous.
- Plan for upgrading your IBM Planning Analytics software and moving to the new clients by April 2025.
- You can remain on Version 2.0.9 if you wish, but it will not be supported; this may be acceptable in the short term, but we do not recommend this as a medium or long term solution.
InfoCat is happy to help customers with a support contract to carry out the review and draw up any recommended actions. We will be contacting all our supported customers over the next 2-3 weeks to discuss these changes
Get more help. Join our webinars on either 18 or 24 September where we will:
* Provide details of the changes
* Explain how they will impact you as customers
* Discuss the upgrade options available
* Set out the steps you need to investigate and plan your upgrade
IBM Cloud SaaS Customers
If you are an IBM Cloud SaaS customer, the following applies:
Which IBM Cloud SaaS Customers will be affected?
This will affect customers running IBM's Planning Analytics SaaS service on IBM cloud. SaaS customers will be less affected by the changes as non-administrator users are already using Planning Analytics for Excel and Planning Analytics Web as their interface. We expect only customers using IBM TM1 applications and administrators to be affected.
Software Versions and Upgrade Availability
The IBM Planning Analytics version used in the SaaS is controlled by IBM. This is currently Version 2.0.9 and will be upgraded to Version 2.1.0 at a date to be announced. The upgrade is carried out by IBM and no action is required by the customer.
Legacy Interfaces and Features to be Withdrawn
The following features legacy interfaces currently provided in IBM Planning Analytics SaaS will be withdrawn with effect from 30 Sep 2024 :
Important Next Steps for IBM Cloud SaaS Customers
We recommend you carry out the following steps as soon as possible :
- Review your use of the legacy clients and features which will be withdrawn from end September 2024.
- Ensure you are familiar with the replacement tools, e.g. Modeller Workbench in Planning Analytics Web.
- Arrange any necessary training if required.
InfoCat is happy to help our SaaS customers carry out the review and we will be contacting them over the next 2-3 weeks to discuss these changes.
Get more help. Join our webinars on either 18 or 24 September where we will:
* Provide details of the changes
* Explain how they will impact you as customers
* Discuss the upgrade options available
* Set out the steps you need to investigate and plan your upgrade
Need help with IBM Planning Analytics but not an InfoCat customer? Reach out to our team and find out how we can help.
