CA to unleash IT management solution

Johannesburg, 10 Dec 2004

Solution vendor Computer Associates (CA) is beta testing its new generation Network and Systems management technologies, which it says will give companies a new approach to data management.

Although the product is only scheduled to hit the market in April, CA says the data management strategy will be consistent and standardised for all the key Computer Associates products areas of Operations, Security, Storage, Life cycle and Service management.

Wilhelm Hamman, CA business technologist, is confident the product will go a long way towards helping companies reduce operational costs and address critical needs for consolidating management technologies.

"One of the biggest problems that companies have nowadays is that they have numerous management tools in their operations. The solution will enable IT management data to be centrally stored into one data scheme ready to be used at all levels of the organisation i.e. Strategic planning, compliance and internal IT processes," he says.

The solution consolidates data at the user interface, process and data levels.

""One of the biggest problems companies face nowadays is that they have numerous management tools in their operations, each with its own data store. This results in IT resource data that is distributed, inaccurate and not available for decision making and planning in a consistent, real-time and reliable manner. Data availability and integrity is one of the key requirements for risk managers and IT decision makers today," notes Hamman.

He adds that automated asset management will give corporates one version of the truth, which is standardised and auditable.

"I am confident this strategy will have a significant effect on reducing IT operational costs, improving risk management and compliance and helping IT to be a relevant and valuable contributor to business."

CA is working on a replacement plan for existing data management technologies. For companies not willing to replace certain vendor technologies the company is working on an integration strategy, which will enable customers to still benefit from the centralised data management strategy.

"This product is also enabling us to bring a whole new [process level] consulting services offering to the company."

Hamman says the initial targets for the solution will be high-end corporates: banks, telcos and utilities. A local bank and a large telco are already testing the beta version, he adds.