CA, Siemens strike a deal

Computer Associates has struck a deal with European giant Siemens AG to purchase its network management software tools while gaining marketing and support for its own products from the systems firm.

The pact extends CA's ambitions to add a far-reaching services component to its business through both partnership and acquisition.

CA will gain Siemens' TransView network management tools, which will then be integrated into CA's own administration system for information technology professionals, Unicenter TNG. Siemens will offer marketing and services support for TNG and will bundle a stripped down TNG Framework with its own Unix and Microsoft Windows NT-based server hardware.

Terms were not disclosed.

CA executives said Siemens feeds into the company's plans to have 50 percent of its sales go through third-party channels by the year 2000. Sanjay Kumar, CA's president and chief operating officer, said the two companies would offer a transition program for Siemens customers who move to TNG free of charge.

For Siemens, the deal fulfills an intention to target the North American market. "It was clear to us we had to move beyond our European stronghold," said Robert Hoog, executive vice president of open enterprise computing for the company.

All TransView employees will become part of CA. Siemens will retain its TransView for SAP R/3 business application administration business, including its executives. It will be offered as an option on top of the TNG Framework.

CA has formed alliances with a variety of systems companies to offer a version of the TNG Framework with their systems. A Web-based interface created by CA will also be included in the next version of NT.

CA's alliance with Siemens follows the August acquisition of Realogic, a consulting firm with expertise in corporate networking, software development, and systems integration.