In this respect, CA's proposal reflected hard lessons learned in the
company's past efforts to sell its UniCenter enterprise-management solutions and
a real understanding of business-technology nexus.
Bottom line: Computer Associates didn't view storage management technology
deficits as the root cause of Minuteman's problem, but rather the lack of a
management strategy. Although the customer might opt for a quick fix or a
technology silver bullet, Computer Associates was willing to risk losing the bid
with the proposition that the problem would not be truly resolved until IT was
harnessed to the business process via policies based on business reality. We
could find no flaw in that assertion. Storage management software is at best an
application tool kit that must be custom-built for each implementation.
3. The final vote for Computer Associates came down to integration.
Components of the BrightStor suite are more tightly integrated than are the
components of the Fujitsu Softek offering. CA has a knowledge base of best
practices that reflects its long tenure in enterprise management and a common
services layer that provides a kind of glue between its BrightStor components
and their management targets. Moreover, storage management via BrightStor could
well become a stepping stone for Minuteman into the bigger world of enterprise
management--evolving from a utility storage solution to a utility computing
solution.
In our view, Computer Associates wins this round, with both Storability and
Fujitsu Softek close. In the real world, the decision might come out another
way. Corporate culture might cast the deciding vote. Fujitsu Softek offers a
tactical and effective fix to an immediate problem with minimal disruption to
normal operating procedures. Some might see it as the path of least resistance.
However, in organizations willing to invest in a long-term solution, Computer
Associates would probably have the greater appeal.
Jon William Toigo is CEO of storage consultancy Toigo Partners International,
founder and chairman of the Data Management Institute, and author of 13 books,
including Disaster Recovery Planning: Preparing for the Unthinkable (Pearson
Education, 2002) and The Holy Grail of Network Storage Management (Prentice Hall
PTR, 2003). Write to him at [email protected].
BrightStor Storage Management Solution, as configured for this test:
BrightStor SAN Manager, BrightStor Storage Resource Manager, BrightStor SAN
Designer, BrightStor Enterprise Backup and BrightStor. Computer Associates
International Inc., (631) 342-6000, (800) 225-5224. www.ca.com
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