CA tops ranking of smart IT infrastructure management tools

Computer Associates’ Unicenter is the number one IT network management range, followed by IBM Tivoli and then Hewlett-Packard’s OpenView, according to a detailed report by analyst the Butler Group. Managed Objects and SMARTS also score high with business-focused approaches. Butler makes the point that considerable and increasing complexity is an inescapable reality in IT infrastructures across the industry sectors. What we need are better intelligent network management tools not only to make handling it easier, but to help turn that investment – and prospective add-ons – to our advantage. Butler’s ‘Technology Evaluation and Comparison Report on Infrastructure Management’ spells out the difficulties and then ranks network management software vendors and their tools against the perceived requirements. Senior researcher John Holden notes that the issue is invariably the contradiction of needing to improve service levels while also handling additional loading from newer applications, like portals, and new technologies, and facing all that with budget restrictions and skills shortages. “The complexity of the situation will get much worse unless intelligent tools are provided which aid the management of the increased volumes of components in the infrastructure,” he says. The report, which profiles more than 20 vendors and scores 12 of the leading products, is intended to be an aid to all this. Computer Associates’ Unicenter, which has been re-architected into a modular family with very large breadth and functional depth, comes first, although the report concludes “it is a disappointment that the company has failed to adopt a business-focused strategy for Unicenter”. IBM’s Tivoli, recently rationalised, comes second, although here the criticism is no clear market strategy. Hewlett-Packard is rated third with recharged OpenView, the only concern being the potential for confusion in light of the Compaq acquisition. Fourth is SMARTS’ InCharge which now offers service assurance management in the top layers although leaving gaps at the lower levels. Then fifth is Candle with Omegamon, featuring wide platform support and “a strong emphasis on deployment”. Sixth is Managed Objects’ Formula which features “pioneering high-level business service management that leverages and extends the functionality of underlying lower-level tools”. Seventh is Compuware’s Vantage with a “broad range of functionality with particular strength in application prediction tools”. Then eighth is Micromuse with its Netcool Suite, now broadened from its network management base. Ninth is Aprisma with Spectrum, not least for its integration tools and integration with its Security Manager software. Copies of the report, priced £1,250, are available on 01482 608 354 or email jane.king@butlergroup.com