Computer Associates has unveiled a strategy and products
to help IT directors manage their technology infrastructure like a
business.
Speaking at the company's annual conference in Las Vegas last week,
CA interim chief executive Ken Cron told delegates that management
applications represented the "fourth age of software", following
the mainframe, client-server and internet ages.
CA outlined a plan called Enterprise Infrastructure Management
(EIM), that it said would enable CIOs to run IT like a business. It
also launched Unicenter Service Management software to help IT
directors address service support, service delivery and financial
administration.
CA said Unicenter Service Management would enable users to
prioritise investments in IT based on documented business demands
and track the cost of delivering IT services.
Under EIM, CA plans to deliver an integrated, open family of
products for operations, security, storage and service management
using a common set of services and single database
environment.
CA said EIM will integrate core processes at user, business process
and data levels and provide an integrated technology stack which
third-party suppliers can use to develop cross-platform products
and services.
The company also introduced a tool to provide integrated management
for Microsoft Exchange. Traditionally businesses have used tools
from multiple suppliers to manage their Exchange environment. Such
a management architecture had high ownership costs and was
complicated to upgrade and deploy, CA said.
CA's Exchange management bundle
- Software monitors all Exchange infrastructure events
- Problem identification and resolution tools prevent problems
before they can have an impact on service levels
- Intelligent traffic screening blocks inappropriate e-mail
content and unauthorised distribution of confidential
information
- "Single instance" storage technology can reduce storage costs
by supporting all storage media and Exchange formats.