CA supports SAP`s Enterprise Services Architecture with integrated management security

Computer Associates International, Inc has announced the expansion of its strategic partnership with SAP in support of SAP`s Enterprise Services Architecture (ESA).

CA will deliver a wide range of "Enterprise Services Ready" solutions that will enhance the ability of enterprises adopting ESA to ensure the security and management of their business computing environments while reducing technology ownership costs.

CA will leverage its industry-leading Enterprise IT Management (EIM) technology portfolio to support ESA in three primary ways, extending CA`s position as the leading provider of value-added management software solutions to SAP customers.

* CA will develop "xApps" - composite applications built using SAP NetWeaver and leveraging components of CA and SAP software solutions - to provide customers with enterprise-class business processes, control and information solutions.

* CA will enhance the ESA architecture by providing SAP with core technologies and domain expertise in IT services management, security management and systems management.

* CA and SAP will collaborate to develop SAP-specific versions of CA`s management software solutions that enable customers to exploit functional synergies between ESA and EIM.

CA`s EIM solutions manage and secure organisations` complex computing environments to build business-driven IT, helping customers reduce costs and complexity, manage risk, improve compliance and maximise IT availability.

Enterprise Services Ready offerings, such as CA EIM, are built to fit into the ESA blueprint and leverage enterprise services as a common denominator to make the entire technology stack "business process aware". This awareness allows customers to adopt an ESA blueprint and to deploy innovative business processes more quickly, at lower cost and with reduced risk.

"As SAP customers take advantage of ESA to optimise the performance and availability of their business processes, they will also address a new set of service and security management challenges," said Shai Agassi, president of the product and technology group at SAP and member of the executive board. "CA`s best in class IT management technology and expertise will be indispensable in ensuring that our customers successfully meet these challenges and reap maximum returns on their IT investments."

In addition to being a SAP technology partner, CA is deploying SAP`s mySAP enterprise resource planning (ERP) software in conjunction with EIM in its global enterprise resource planning transformation. This gives CA unique insight into the challenges and benefits associated with a successful SAP implementation deployed on a secure and managed business platform.

"Just as SAP`s ESA simplifies the complexity associated with the development and ongoing modification of increasingly intricate process workflows and data dependencies, CA`s EIM simplifies the complexity associated with management of increasingly intricate service environments and their underlying IT infrastructure," said Rob Levy, senior vice-president and chief technology strategist at CA.

"Together, ESA and EIM uniquely enable customers to aggressively evolve their enterprise systems in pursuit of competitive advantage - while giving them full control over performance, security and operational costs."

CA made the announcement at SAP`s annual SAPPHIRE conference in Boston. More information on CA`s SAP management solutions is available at http://ca.com/partners/sap.