* New Network/Systems Management Newsletter author talks management
While some readers may already be familiar with me, I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Denise Dubie, senior editor at Network World, and my primary beat encompasses all things management.
I’ve been working at Network World for just about 9 years now, having the privilege to depend upon the experts from Enterprise Management Associates to get a better handle on the industry. I fully intend to continue to tap those resources in my coverage so you haven’t heard the last from the likes of Dennis Drogseth, Mike Karp, Andi Mann and more. As I do for Network World print and online, for this newsletter I plan to poll analysts, network managers and vendors for the most relevant and recent trends, and break down the issues of the day for readers.
As you will see going forward, I hardly discriminate if the technology somehow involves improving IT performance, whether it is in the realm of data centers, storage, security, wireless, virtualization, SOA, VoIP, WAN or just the standard LAN infrastructure of routers, switches and firewalls. I also dabble in Network Optimization tools, which isn’t a stretch considering an optimized network is more likely easier to manage.
The goal of my coverage is to deliver to print, online and newsletter readers news, trends and actionable information on how to better manage their IT networks (aligned with business objectives), streamline operations and essentially cut costs, labor and time while also boosting performance. No short order, but a critical goal for network managers working today to ensure their infrastructure supports and delivers on business goals.
To put some perspective on my background, just shy of 7 years ago, I wrote an article dubbed “The Management Morass.” That headline spoke volumes about the perception — and in some cases — the reality of network and systems management products and the vendors providing the technology in the late 1990s and early 2000. These large frameworks (yes they were still officially called frameworks then) from BMC, CA, HP, IBM and the now defunct Aprisma Management Technologies faced the imminent threat from nimble start-ups such as Concord Communications, Micromuse and Mercury Interactive.
The score today?
The frameworks vendors taught those newbies who’s boss. CA bought Concord which had already acquired Aprisma after it was spun out of Cabletron and its IPO efforts landed it the target of an investment group buyout. IBM picked up Micromuse to put core network management capabilities into Big Blue’s IT service management offerings from the once quick and nimble start-up Tivoli, one of five software units within IBM today. HP — long criticized for neglecting software — put down $4.5 billion in 2006 to bring Mercury into the fold, which doubled the vendor’s software revenue and catapulted its position on the list of world’s largest software vendors to number six. BMC coined the latest craze Business Service Management, which included creating products to tackle configuration management and the now must-have CMDB, and in part introduced American IT professionals to the wonder of best practices frameworks such as ITIL.
So maybe the incumbent vendors didn’t have to worry about going out of business, but they were intimidated enough by network managers’ refusal to accept costly technology, long rollouts and poor performing products to change their ways. As odd as it sounds, it was news when CA announced it would standardize its own products with the same database, interface and core technology to enable faster integration among CA point tools.
Today management vendors preach the benefits of integration, open standards and working with their customers to incorporate business process management into their IT management suites. Aside from acquiring much of the low hanging fruit, market leaders are embracing SOA, virtualization, VoIP, wireless and other booming technologies and incorporating the means to manage them in their suites. They are taking the lead from customers, a marked change from when I started when IT managers felt they had little say or choice when buying management technology.
Sure, the big guys still move slower than newcomers, but the market is no longer stuck in the morass it had been when I came along. It’s yet to be seen if the marathon pace the large vendors set for themselves will pay off when start-ups sprint past with must-have innovative technologies. Either way, network managers benefit with stability from their large vendors, get to peruse bleeding-edge tools from newcomers — and if they like the start-up enough, it’s likely the incumbent will buy it for them if the price is right. Stay tuned.
