Making Sense of Network and Systems Management DataMaking Sense of Network and Systems Management Data

Small and medium businesses now have a wide variety of tools to collect network and systems management information. The challenge has become sifting through all of that data to pinpoint the source of any bottlenecks. One vendor has tried to address that problem.ManageEngine annnounced ManageEngine IT360, an integrated Business Service Management (BSM) solution, which tries to align IT infrastructure performance with business objectives. The product is deigned to help technicians understand what is happening with their IT equipment, so they can made sound decisions, for instance adding bandwidth to a saturated ecommerce application. The product builds on ManageEngines suite of network and systems management tools: it is based on the companys ITIL Ready Service Desk, which features automated trouble ticketing, incident management, problem management, change management, and a knowledge base.

ManageEngine is one in a growing number of vendors that has been trying to develop management tools for small and medium companies. Products from traditional vendors, such as CA, HP, and IBM, have often been too complicated and too expensive for these businesses. Recently, competitors have taken various approaches, such as relying on open source systems and even basing their revenue on advertising based models, to deliver such products.

ManageEngine, which has been in business since 1996, has quietly built a portfolio of management tools featuring Network Management, HelpDesk and ITIL, Bandwidth Monitoring, Application Management, Desktop Management, Security Management, Password Management, and Active Directory reporting. The company is not very well known but claims to have enticed 32,000 small and medium businesses to purchase its products. In February, ManageEngine went the SaaS route with its OpManager management tools and plans to expand its SaaS portfolio in the coming months. Consequently, small and medium businesses may want to put the vendor on their RFP lists when it is time to look for new management tools.