January 22, 2008

SRM Needs Services To Succeed

IBM Shows It Gets This By Acquiring Storage Service Provider NovusCG

by Andrew Reichman

with Stephanie Balaouras, Rachel A. Dines

Executive Summary (This is a document excerpt)

The storage resource management (SRM) market has been stagnant for years, despite significant needs on the part of storage end users. A big part of this low adoption rate is the combination of complex tools on the market and limited bandwidth for implementation in environments considering purchase. It has become something of a paradox, with firms desperate for improvement in storage environment management, but unable to fix the problem because they are too busy fighting fires in their chaotic environments. The solution could well lie in professional services if product vendors can field experts who can help buyers get SRM tools up and running and adding value without smothering productivity. SRM vendors also can get invaluable feedback on their products through the professional services teams that use tools in real world situations. IBM appears to realize this, and with the acquisition of Novus Consulting Group (NovusCG) has the potential to take a big step forward in SRM product and delivery capabilities. Customers should give serious consideration to the hybrid product/service offerings IBM is likely to offer as a result of this deal.

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