NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: AUDREY RASMUSSEN ON NETWORK/SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT 08/18/04 Today's focus: Consider your IT processes when selecting new mgmt. tools
Dear [EMAIL PROTECTED], In this issue: * The challenges of selecting mgmt. tools that fit in with your ��IT processes * Links related to Network/Systems Management * Featured reader resource _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by SBC Gimme Shelter! Converged Services Spell Relief For Beleaguered Network Managers Switched IP networks are rapidly becoming the corporate communications architecture of choice. By converging voice, data and video onto IP telephony platforms and Virtual Private Networks, enterprises can supply bandwidth when and where end users need it, while significantly lowering administrative and equipment costs. Click here to download this Whitepaper now http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=72620 _______________________________________________________________ CHECK OUT NW FUSION'S NEW WHITE PAPER LIBRARY Just launched: NW Fusion's White Paper Library with new features and improved capabilities! Sort NW Fusion's library of white papers by Date and Vendor, view white papers by TECHNICAL CATEGORY, mouse over white paper descriptions and take advantage of our IMPROVED white paper search engine. CLICK HERE: http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=72544 _______________________________________________________________ Today's focus: Consider your IT processes when selecting new mgmt. tools By Audrey Rasmussen As many of you already know, developing IT best-practice processes are important in helping to ensure IT's efficiency and effectiveness. If you already have good processes in place, you're lucky. If you don't, you've got a challenge ahead of you that is worth the effort in the long run. The silo structure of most IT organizations creates challenges to setting up effective processes that cross these borders. But crossing these borders is essential to setting up effective processes that support the business, and that requires collaboration from IT staffs across the various silos. This is one thing to keep in mind as you select new management tools. Do they fit in with your IT processes? If they do and your IT processes are already effective, then acquiring those tools makes sense. If they don't and you don't have adequate IT processes in place, then you'll have to determine whether the tools will eventually fit in with the IT processes that you will be setting up in the future. But if the tools don't fit in with your IT processes, and your processes are already effective, it could be worth looking for alternative tools unless you want to make the necessary changes to your processes. When considering new point products to manage your infrastructure, these process considerations must be looked at closely. This is particularly true of point products because they are typically designed to solve specific problems rather than fitting in as a part of a logical process flow. But that isn't to say that such products can't fit into IT processes - they can. You just need to make sure that the selected products are complementary to, or fulfill a necessary part of the overall processes. With regards to product suites, the same is true here too. It may be natural to assume that product suites already have built-in processes. Although some product suites have been integrated and facilitate IT processes, others may not. Some product suites may be a set of integrated products, but the IT processes that are required have not been considered in the development of the product suite. Don't assume that because it is a product suite it facilitates IT processes. The other issue that could arise is that the IT processes of the product suite may not be a good fit with your own and that you would have to change those. The deciding factor is whether the product suite processes are squarely in line with the direction that your IT organization wants to adopt. A major change in processes is a much more difficult pill to swallow if you've already streamlined them. Be aware that some vendors develop their products mainly for feature, function or technology, rather than also considering the important human element of processes, and facilitating those. So as you approach the procurement of more management tools, your checklist should also consider its effect, if any, on your IT processes. Will it have a positive effect or a negative one? Is the effect on process a welcome change or not? Does your organization need to make changes to or establish better IT processes? How does this product affect the processes for your peers in other areas of IT that may be contiguous to yours? Even though you may be focused on finding a tool to solve your problem, be aware that it may cause issues for your peers or it may even help your peers. In any case, taking a broader view when selecting management tools is a good thing. And the importance of process is worth considering. RELATED EDITORIAL LINKS McAfee upgrades security management software Network World, 08/16/04 http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/081604epo.html _______________________________________________________________ To contact: Audrey Rasmussen Audrey Rasmussen is a vice president with Enterprise Management Associates <http://www.enterprisemanagement.com/> in Boulder, Colorado, a leading industry analyst firm focusing exclusively on all aspects of the management of information technology. Audrey has more than 25 years of experience working with distributed systems, applications and networks. Her current focus at EMA is system management, application management and enterprise management technologies. Reach her at <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by SBC Gimme Shelter! Converged Services Spell Relief For Beleaguered Network Managers Switched IP networks are rapidly becoming the corporate communications architecture of choice. By converging voice, data and video onto IP telephony platforms and Virtual Private Networks, enterprises can supply bandwidth when and where end users need it, while significantly lowering administrative and equipment costs. Click here to download this Whitepaper now http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=72619 _______________________________________________________________ ARCHIVE LINKS Archive of the Network/Systems Management newsletter: http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/nsm/index.html _______________________________________________________________ FEATURED READER RESOURCE WONDERING IF YOUR PAY IS UP TO SNUFF? Check out Network World's 2004 Salary Calculator to see if you're getting paid what you're worth. Using data collected in the 2004 Network World Salary Survey, we've programmed this calculator with several categories that could affect your pay. Answer the questions and find out what the average salary is for your job category. Click here: <http://www.nwfusion.com/salary/2004/calculator.html> _______________________________________________________________ May We Send You a Free Print Subscription? You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered at your fingertips each day. 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