Dashbriefs: Symantec; BEA SystemsDashbriefs: Symantec; BEA Systems

Symantec Takes On The Data Center

Symantec continues to beef up its data center management software for running storage, networks, servers, and virtual machines. The company recently rolled out Patch Manager and Application Director. Patch Manager automates the deployment of patches across a large, diverse IT infrastructure. Application Director can be deployed on thousands of nodes, and controls when and where applications run across real and virtual machines. The software can increase server utilization and administrator efficiency, up to a possible 2,000 servers per admin ratio.

Bea Systems Debuts Java Application Virtualization

You've heard of server virtualization, storage virtualization and other variations on that theme. In a new take, BEA is offering virtualization for Java applications. "Most companies are switching from physical sprawl in their data centers to virtual sprawl," notes VP Guy Churchward. BEA's virtualization offering is intended to reduce sprawl and increase efficiency. Its WLS Server and WebLogic 10.0 run on hypervisors, programs that manage and allocate a system's processor, memory and other resources, eliminating the need for an operating system.

Fast Lane: SOA And BI Growing Together

Revealing aggressive plans for SOA-based BI, more than half of 488 firms recently surveyed by Ventana Research were planning to implement front-end query and reporting services and back-end data services in 2007. These respondents cited customer operations (43%) and finance (32%) as top drivers.