Tivoli takes management tools to mid-market

By Rebecca Sykes
IDG News Service, 4/22/98

Tivoli Systems, Inc. this week announced its first foray into the small and midsize business market with Tivoli IT Director.

Tivoli IT Director, which is based on Microsoft Corp.'s Windows NT operating system, is designed to manage applications, systems and networks used by companies with several hundreds of employees and as many as six regional offices, according to Martin Neath, senior vice president of Tivoli's product group.

"This product's been designed for small, independent, Intel-centric businesses who typically get their IT solutions from a reseller," Neath said.

In another first for the company, Tivoli IT Director will be sold through distributors and resellers, which Neath said is the first time Tivoli, an IBM subsidiary, has adopted a two-tier distribution channel strategy and included resellers in its sales plans.

Tivoli IT Director is designed to manage Windows, Windows NT, Windows 95, Novell, Inc. NetWare or IBM OS/2 operating systems and includes the following features:

Applications management. Tivoli IT Director aims to let managers monitor application resources, automate routine tasks, plan software distribution and manage Web server applications including Microsoft MCIS (Microsoft Commercial Internet System) and Netscape Communications Corp.'s SuiteSpot. For managing other business applications, Tivoli Manager for Notes, Exchange and SQL Server are separately available.

HyperAutomation. This new Tivoli technology is designed to let managers monitor computing resources and respond to user-defined thresholds before a disruption occurs. For example, with this feature Tivoli IT Director can restart a server, initiate a software utility program or rotate application log files.

Internet-enabled Management. This feature lets managers give employees access to relevant IT information, such as which software is available for their use or which printers are having trouble.

Software Distribution. Managers can use this feature to distribute in-house or shrink-wrapped applications to hundreds of users at one time.

Inventory Management. Tivoli IT Director is designed to let managers manage hardware, software and network devices automatically. For example, when a new system connects to the network, its hardware and software information is automatically discovered and added to the inventory database.

Network Management. Tivoli IT Director's SNMP network management features let managers monitor network devices, including printers, hubs, routers and switches.

Snap-in Integration. This feature is designed to let managers integrate existing management products into Tivoli IT Director, including antivirus software, LAN suites and help desk functions.

According to Neath, Tivoli IT Director Management Server can be installed in five minutes, and for a company with several hundred devices to be managed, the management agents can be installed in one or two days.

Tivoli IT Director Management Server is priced at $8,995 and includes a license to manage 20 nodes, the statement said. Tivoli IT Director Managed Node is priced at $2,295, and the 100-node pack costs $9,995.