Computer Associates is cooking up a strategic jambalaya for its flagship Unicenter TNG enterprise management software system next week at CA World 97 in New Orleans.
Company sources disclosed that CA plans to break out the base platform for Unicenter TNG so that developers can write applications on top of a basic set of services. Analyst sources confirmed that the base TNG platform will be offered as a bundling option with several third-party server systems, including Hewlett-Packard.
Much like IBM subsidiary Tivoli Systems' approach to the market, CA will use this base platform as a means to open up Unicenter TNG to a broader audience of developers and users.
CA and Tivoli are currently locked in a heated battle for supremacy in the distributed enterprise network management space. Tivoli gained momentum when it was acquired by IBM; CA is reaping the benefits of a large installed base and a new version of its software.
Previously, CA's approach was to offer a monolithic view of a management platform, choosing to provide applications such as software distribution internally. The new approach is more closely aligned with Tivoli's philosophy: offering a base set of services and allowing third parties to build applications on top that meet their needs.
But CA can also make money by offering the framework with third-party hardware, as many users may choose to buy CA's internally developed applications to run on top of the base software. And the fully developed version of TNG, with all of its applications, will still be available as well.
CA will include object repository, auto discovery, event management, scheduling, reporting, and virus detection functions within the base Unicenter TNG Framework, according to sources. Also included will be TNG's now famous three-dimensional interface, they said.
CA also plans to announce partnerships with HP and Sun Microsystems. An unveiling of the company's long-awaited Jasmine multimedia database technology is also expected.
CA World 97 opens Sunday evening with a keynote address from CA chairman and CEO Charles Wang and continues through next week. A Tuesday night address will feature Scott McNealy, chairman and CEO of Sun.