Catapult Public Relations

NEW EMA RESEARCH POINTS TO CONTINUED GROWTH FOR IT SERVICE MANAGEMENT (ITSM) INITIATIVES IN 2009

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:12:27 +0000

CIOs will advance ITSM programs to better align IT with business drivers

BOULDER, Colo., Jan. 7, 2009 - Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), a leading IT management research and consulting firm, today announced the release of its latest research paper titled, "2009 Trends and Best Practices Advice for ITSM Technologies and Processes." For this report, the firm surveyed 143 IT professionals to uncover success factors and pitfalls of ITSM initiatives and recommended best practices based on real-world deployments. Despite the unsteady economy, the report reveals that 87 percent of IT professionals are planning strategic, enterprise-level ITSM programs with the support of senior management. EMA will host a free Webinar on January 8, 2009 at 1 p.m. EST to share highlights from this study (see link below).

"The coming year will certainly be a critical, pivotal year for IT executives," said Chris Matney, EMA consulting director and study leader. "Fiscal pragmatism will be weighed against the increasing challenges of IT, and IT leaders must carefully balance both. Successful CIOs will continue to advance ITSM maturity while closely watching business drivers and the corporate balance sheet."

According to the survey, mid-size companies showed the highest levels of ITSM adoption. Smaller companies typically rely on traditional service/help desk implementations, while the largest enterprises continue to work through the challenges of complexity and scalability. Most companies are in a transition phase with their ITSM maturity, between an "active" and a "proactive" approach. EMA believes that the most successful companies will push through the economic recession with IT advancements and investment, while unsuccessful organizations will adopt a more passive "business as usual" approach. Additional key findings from the survey include:

IT budgets are not in a total free-fall, but a growing number of IT organizations are cutting budgets by 10 to 25 percent.

Change management was the most important ITSM initiative for companies of all sizes, followed by the other ITIL service support disciplines.
Only three percent of respondents reported that all ITSM initiatives have been completed, and 80 percent said some have been finished
74 percent of respondents place primary responsibility for strategic ITSM planning on C-level executives, IT vice presidents and IT directors.
67 percent of respondents are not planning to replace their ITSM tools. For those that are, functionality limitations are the primary drivers for mid-sized companies and lack of scalability is the motivation for enterprise organizations.
ITIL is the biggest area of investment for advancing the adoption of ITSM best practices, with 62 percent of companies expecting to undertake training in 2009.

As far as a timeline, EMA believes short-term projects will gain favor in 2009 due to long-term budget uncertainties. Most ROI break-even expectations for ITSM projects are between six and 18 months. Suggested best practices recommended from survey respondents included creating an incremental ITSM plan and securing executive and business support early in the process.

Follow the link to sign up for the free Webinar on January 8 titled, "Make the Most of ITSM in 2009: Best-Practice Advice from Your Peers." http://www.enterprisemanagement.com/research/asset.php?id=1017

To purchase a copy of this research report, please go to: http://www.enterprisemanagement.com/research/asset.php?id=1092

NOTE TO EDITORS

For more information, or to arrange an interview with Chris Matney please contact Guy Murrel at gmurrel@catapultpr-ir.com at 303-581-7760 x17

About Enterprise Management Associates
Founded in 1996, Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) is a leading industry analyst and consulting firm dedicated to the IT management market. The firm provides IT vendors and enterprise IT professionals with objective insight into the real-world business value of long-established and emerging technologies, ranging from security, storage and IT Service Management (ITSM) to the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), virtualization and service-oriented architecture (SOA). Even with its rapid growth, EMA has never lost sight of the client, and continues to offer personalized support and convenient access to its analysts. For more information on the firm's extensive library of IT management research, free online IT Management Solutions Center and IT consulting offerings, visit www.enterprisemanagement.com.

EMA ANNOUNCES IT MANAGEMENT WEBINARS FOR JANUARY

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:10:24 +0000

Topics include ITSM best practices, reducing network management expenses and using service catalog to align IT and the business

BOULDER, Colo., Jan. 6, 2009 - Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) (www.enterprisemanagement.com), a leading IT management research and consulting firm, today announced it will host a number of free Webinars focused on IT management during the month of January 2009.

The EMA^TM Webinars set for January include:

Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. EST
Make the Most of ITSM in 2009: Best-Practice Advice from Your Peers
http://www.enterprisemanagement.com/research/asset.php?id=1017
In late 2008, EMA investigated the big picture shaping current IT landscapes and 2009 IT Service Management (ITSM) strategic plans. During this one-hour Webinar, ITSM expert Chris Matney will share survey highlights; discuss best practices advice and real-world data on the ITSM landscape (including incident and problem management; the service desk; change, configuration and release management; the CMDB; service catalogs; and asset management); and explore the latest advancements in ITSM technology, process and cultural issues.
Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. EST
How to Reduce Network Management Expenses in 2009
http://www.enterprisemanagement.com/research/asset.php?id=1015
According to a recent EMA survey, operational savings is the most critical business investment in network management. At the same time efficiencies are needed, new initiatives such as virtualization, data center consolidation, security and VOIP are pushing networks to the limit. In this one-hour Webinar, EMA vice president Dennis Drogseth and HP software and solutions product marketing manager Joe Fox will explore key questions such as:

How do the megatrends in network management impact you?
What are the best organizational and technical strategies for responding to these trends?
How can an integrated lifecycle approach to network management help?
What is the role of automation in reducing costs?

Tuesday Jan. 27, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. EST
Service Catalog: Dramatically Improving the IT / Business Relationship
http://www.enterprisemanagement.com/research/asset.php?id=1055
During 2009, EMA expects more IT organizations than ever to implement a service catalog. The major benefit of this tool is that it provides answers to many of the issues and challenges befuddling the business/IT relationship. During this one-hour Webinar, EMA senior analyst Paul Burns and Numara Software director of product management Michele McFadden will review the top service catalog benefits as indicated by real-world adopters; highlight the most important elements of a successful service catalog; and discuss the IT management processes and tools most often integrated with the service catalog.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

For more information, contact Christin Jeffers at cjeffers@catapultpr-ir.com
or 303-581-7760 x 14.

About Enterprise Management Associates

Founded in 1996, Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) is a leading industry analyst and consulting firm dedicated to the IT management market. The firm provides IT vendors and enterprise IT professionals with objective insight into the real-world business value of long-established and emerging technologies, ranging from security, storage and IT Service Management (ITSM) to the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), virtualization and service-oriented architecture (SOA). Even with its rapid growth, EMA has never lost sight of the client, and continues to offer personalized support and convenient access to its analysts. For more information on the firm's extensive library of IT management research, free online IT Management Solutions Center and IT consulting offerings, visit www.enterprisemanagement.com.

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EMA RESEARCH REVEALS CONTINUED GROWTH AND ADOPTION OF QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE (QOE) INITIATIVES

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:36:09 +0000

New EMA study examines importance of the user experience
as measure of successful IT service delivery

BOULDER, Colo. Dec. 11, 2008 - Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), (www.enterprisemanagement.com), a leading IT management research and consulting firm, announced the release of its latest research report titled, "Quality of Experience - the Ultimate Collaboration: How Real Deployments are Succeeding and Why." This survey-based report reveals that 79 percent of respondents feel that QoE - defined by EMA as the human experience of the user consuming IT services - is becoming more important to their organizations. The study also provides insight into real-world QoE initiatives, best-practices guidance on how and where QoE projects are succeeding and data on the future outlook for QoE deployments. To complement the new research report, EMA has created a QoE Solutions Center that compares 15 leading QoE products and the firm will share high-level findings from the research during a free Webinar on Dec.16.

"Nothing is more important for aligning IT with business goals than effective Quality of Experience initiatives. QoE is a collaboration of disciplines as it requires effective dialog between a variety of IT professionals and the business community," said Dennis Drogseth, study leader and vice president at EMA. "QoE continues to mature as an IT business practice that drives improvements in productivity, employee morale and, increasingly, bottom-line benefits."

For this study, EMA surveyed 207 business and IT professionals and conducted nine focal interviews to provide a narrative context as a supplement to the survey data. An overwhelming majority - 71 percent - view QoE as an important business and technology concern. Additional findings from the survey include:

47 percent of respondents already claim to have integrated teams between business constituencies and IT.
45 percent of business respondents with clearly non-IT roles were involved in dialog with IT to be "aware of instrumentation and unique technical environments."
77 percent of those surveyed said that "triage," or the ability for a QoE solution to help solve user experience issues by identifying where to focus for different diagnostic efforts, was either "very" or "extremely" important.

43 percent of organizations with QoE deployments said they wished they'd started their QoE initiative sooner, further emphasizing the importance of QoE.

In Enterprise Management Associates' opinion, QoE is arguably one of the most efficient investments that IT and business planners can make. The results of this study indicate a growth spurt for QoE initiatives - one that will likely hold up despite tough economic times. In addition, EMA believes that QoE is a highly scalable means to enhanced productivity and, in many cases, revenue generation and brand loyalty.

To purchase a copy of the 33-page report, "Quality of Experience - the Ultimate Collaboration: How Real Deployments Are Succeeding and Why," visit: http://www.enterprisemanagement.com/research/asset.php?id=1012

To sign up for free access to the new EMA QoE Solutions Center, which profiles 15 top QoE products, go to: http://www.enterprisemanagement.com/research/asset.php?id=1008

To register for the free one-hour Webinar, Why Quality of Experience is on the Rise: Business and IT Priorities, which will share highlights from the study on December 16, go to: http://www.enterprisemanagement.com/research/asset.php?id=974

NOTE TO EDITORS:

For more information on this topic or to arrange an interview with Dennis Drogseth, please contact Guy Murrel at gmurrel@catapultpr-ir.com or 303-581-7760 x17

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EMA WEBINAR LOOKS AT HOW SERVICE CATALOG AND REQUEST MANAGEMENT CAN IMPROVE IT BACK OFFICE EXECUTION

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:53:02 +0000

EMA, Biomni and Symantec to share insights on the latest trends and best practices for IT service catalog deployments

BOULDER, Colo., Nov. 6, 2008 - Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) (www.enterprisemanagement.com), a leading IT management research and consulting firm, today announced it will host a free Webinar focused on improving the effectiveness IT service catalog programs.

What: How Service Catalog and Request Management Improve IT Back Office Execution
http://www.enterprisemanagement.com/research/asset.php?id=939

When: Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008 - 11 a.m. EST

What: Recent EMA research shows that while a majority of IT organizations have begun the journey to IT service management, most are still relying on back office technologies - such as asset and inventory management systems, configuration management databases (CMDBs) and software provisioning tools - to meet the demands of their businesses. The results often include low service quality, high service delivery costs and lack of support from the business. EMA senior analyst Paul Burns, Biomni chief operating officer Adrian Sakashita and Symantec VP of product management and strategy Steve Morton, will discuss how to overcome the challenges that arise from adopting IT service management. They will outline how establishing a dedicated front office platform, built around a service catalog and automated request management, can help eliminate core IT management problems and improve overall back office processes.

For more information, contact Guy Murrel at gmurrel@catapultpr-ir.com or 303-581-7760 x 17.

About Enterprise Management Associates

Founded in 1996, Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) is a leading industry analyst and consulting firm dedicated to the IT management market. The firm provides IT vendors and enterprise IT professionals with objective insight into the real-world business value of long-established and emerging technologies, ranging from security, storage and IT Service Management (ITSM) to the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), virtualization and service-oriented architecture (SOA). Even with its rapid growth, EMA has never lost sight of the client, and continues to offer personalized support and convenient access to its analysts. For more information on the firm's extensive library of IT management research, free online IT Management Solutions Center and IT consulting offerings, visit www.enterprisemanagement.com.

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ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES ANNOUNCES IT MANAGEMENT WEBINARS FOR OCTOBER

EMA analysts will share insight on Green IT, service catalog trends, ITIL in security and risk management, network management and ITIL v3

BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 30, 2008 - Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) (www.enterprisemanagement.com), a leading IT management research and consulting firm, today announced it will host a number of free Webinars focused on IT management during the month of October 2008.

The EMAWebinars set for October include:

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008 - 2 p.m. EDT
The True Value of Green IT: Quantifying the ROI of Energy Efficiency
http://www.emausa.com/ema_lead.php?ls=greenitwebpr1008&bs=greenitweb1008

Steve Brasen, EMA analyst, will share highlights from EMA primary research on power management practices in the data center and on the desktop. Topics will include: determining actual energy costs associated with traditional computing models, evaluating cost savings that can be achieved by reducing power consumption, identifying the most popular green IT implementations and exploring the primary business concerns inhibiting green IT deployments.

Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008 - 2 p.m. EDT
Service Catalog 2008: Trends and Tips
http://www.emausa.com/ema_lead.php?ls=scconstwebpr1008&bs=scconstws1008

This Webinar, led by EMA senior consultant Stewart Cole, will explore findings from a recent EMA study on service catalog best practices in the enterprise. Key issues he will discuss include reasons to implement a service catalog, real-world benefits from service catalog implementations and how to measure the success of your service catalog.

Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008 - 2 p.m. EDT
How to Apply ITIL to Security and Risk Management
http://www.emausa.com/ema_lead.php?ls=bomgaroctwebpr1008&bs=bomgaroctweb1008

EMA research director Scott Crawford, Bomgar co-founder and vice president of product strategy Nathan McNeill, and BMC solutions architect Doug Bagley will explain how to apply ITIL to security and risk management initiatives. They will cover the gaps in IT management disciplines that plague security, what ITIL is and why so many are adopting it and how ITIL best practices improve security.

Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008 - 2 p.m. EDT
Network Management 2008: Megatrends in Technology, Process and Organization
http://www.emausa.com/ema_lead.php?ls=nmwebpr1008&bs=nmweb1008

EMA vice president Dennis Drogseth and EMA senior analyst Jim Frey will share key results from the latest EMA research study on network management. Drogseth and Frey will explore how networking organizations are changing to support systems management and the management of remote locations. They also will provide answers to popular questions, including what are the top issues with network management today, where should companies look for help, what are top priorities in network management, and what types of organizational, cultural and process changes are occurring in parallel with changes in technology.

Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008 - 11 a.m. EDT
ITIL V3: Making Business Services Serve the Business
http://www.emausa.com/ema_lead.php?ls=asgitilwebpr1008&bs=asgitilweb1008

ITIL version 3, the latest version of the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), represents a significant advancement for the practice of business service management (BSM). During this Webinar, EMA senior analyst Paul Burns and ASG senior vice president of marketing and product management Brent Brightwell, will highlight ITIL v3 changes relevant to BSM, explore how BSM and CMDB technology can be used to help transition from ITIL v2 to ITIL v3, and review how ASG BSM products, including its metaCMDB, support the move to ITIL v3.

For more information, contact Guy Murrel at gmurrel@catapultpr-ir.com or 303-581-7760 x 18.

About Enterprise Management Associates

Founded in 1996, Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) is a leading industry analyst and consulting firm dedicated to the IT management market. The firm provides IT vendors and enterprise IT professionals with objective insight into the real-world business value of long-established and emerging technologies, ranging from security, storage and IT Service Management (ITSM) to the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), virtualization and service-oriented architecture (SOA). Even with its rapid growth, EMA has never lost sight of the client, and continues to offer personalized support and convenient access to its analysts. For more information on the firm's extensive library of IT management research, free online IT Management Solutions Center and IT consulting offerings, visit www.enterprisemanagement.com.

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ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES ADDS JIM FREY AS SENIOR ANALYST COVERING IT NETWORK MANAGEMENT

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:39:09 +0000

Addition of industry veteran strengthens research and analysis offerings in
evolving network management market

BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 8, 2008 - Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), a leading IT management research and consulting firm, today announced that Jim Frey has joined the firm as a senior analyst focused on identifying and interpreting the latest trends and best practices associated with IT network management and related technologies, like network virtualization, unified communications and network traffic optimization.

"EMA is very pleased to have Jim Frey join our analyst team as we bolster our research and analysis capabilities around the fast-paced and vital area of IT network management," said Rick Sturm, founder and CEO of EMA. "Jim's substantial network management experience and deep knowledge of this space will provide immediate value to our clients that require insight and strategy around this integral part of the IT infrastructure."

Frey has 22 years of experience developing, deploying and marketing software and hardware products, the last 16 spent in network management within the enterprise and service provider sectors. Prior to joining EMA, he served as vice president of marketing at NetScout Systems, where he was responsible for global product marketing, solution marketing, sales training, marketing communications, channel marketing and competitive analysis. Frey was also involved in planning and executing joint-marketing projects with NetScout's major alliance partners, including HP, Mercury, Riverbed and OPNET. In addition, he played a key role in the company's 2007 acquisition of Network General and the Sniffer line of products.

Before NetScout, Frey was vice president, strategic marketing at Micromuse, where he was responsible for product and solutions marketing, technology and product alliances, competitive analysis and analyst relations. Prior experience includes product marketing roles with Objective Systems Integrators, Agilent Technologies and Cabletron Systems, where he played a central role in Cabletron's first foray into telecommunications management solutions. Frey is a regular speaker at industry events around the globe and has been published in numerous journals, proceedings, magazines and textbooks.

"Having spent the bulk of my career in the network management industry, I have always respected the in-depth knowledge and practical advice that EMA offers to both IT vendors and enterprise IT leaders," said Frey. "I am very pleased to join the firm and to share my insights and experiences with my network management colleagues and the overall IT management industry."

PR Contact:
Guy Murrel
Catapult PR-IR
303.581.7760, ext. 17
gmurrel@catapultpr-ir.com