HP launches OpenView Automation Manager

As a part of the HP Software Universe event being held in Madrid currently, HP launched the HP OpenView Automation Manager to automate the link between business processes and IT. The Service Desk 5.0 version was unveiled and the partnership with Cisco for reselling HP management software products was made.

The new product allows IT resources to be delivered automatically to meet shifting business priorities. 

The latest version enables enterprises and service providers to better manage crucial support and service processes to address IT management challenges. A new feature of 5.0 is a 'Webstart' tool that makes deployment faster resulting in quicker time to value and lower cost of ownership. Other features include a Graphical SLA designer, compliance calculation engine, SLA compliance dashboard and reporting. 

OpenView Automation Manager is the result of combining the technologies from Novadigm and Concera, companies that HP acquired earlier in the year in addition to the work done at HP Labs. “The introduction of Automation Manager demonstrates progress in the integration of acquired technologies. In a relatively short period of time,” said IDC Senior Analyst, Stephen Elliot. 

To put it in perspective, HP will refocus management software from the process of collecting management information to the process of converting real time management data into insight that enterprises can act on to better serve changing business needs. The software achieves this through model-based or business triggered automation. “Customers have basic management capabilities in place. The next challenge is to make the information useful for business insight,” said HP Software Global Business Unit VP, Todd
DeLaughter.

HP also announced that Cisco would resell HP OpenView solutions from the next quarter onwards. HP and Cisco will now provide joint solutions for enabling the development of adaptive and intelligent IT infrastructure. Cisco's leadership in networking infrastructure and HP's position in servers and network management is likely to make a powerful combination from a go-to-market standpoint. Cisco will provide a series of HP OpenView products planned from the first quarter of 2005 including Network Node Manager, Smart Plug-in for IP multicast and
TeMIP. 

HP Adaptive Enterprise Senior VP, Nora Denzel mentioned that HP's software business is expecting large revenue growth from Brazil, China, India and Russia. 

E ABRAHAM MATHEW

MADRID

(The author was hosted in Madrid by HP)