The Right Fit

On the topic of the right fit/solution to the problem, solutions that fit within the magic quadrant are hardly the solution when it comes to relatively small markets (population and segment), smaller providers and ever shrinking budgets. Although I have been responsible for assessing and recommending magic quadrant ITSM COTS solutions, one niche player that I have watched with interest, over the past 3+ years, has been AdventNet.

Even for a fast growing MSP that competes in the smaller markets, the tipping point for ITSM automation related transformation is an elusive one. Most home grown and open source based solutions have amazing levels of elasticity :o) Therefore that transformation business case is certainly is a tough one to step up to a commercial-off-the-shelf, magic quadrant, ITSM solution-set, even if it was based on a phased out approach, aligned to a roadmap. Such transformations are made even harder by ITSM software vendors who do not appreciate the smaller market dynamics and the associated cost models. The North American and European pricing models are not ones that easily fit into the round hole. This is not necessarily limited to ITSM software solutions but also make the carrier service provider space a hard one within those smaller markets. Network Management solutions for instance if not priced as a reasonable % of the per port/customer/service/unit infrastructure cost, becomes a significant burden to business case. These typically come along with a big central price tag plus the unit cost which makes the initial deployment or investment a difficult one.

Back to AdventNet, they seem to have the ideal breadth of capability from a smaller communications service provider or the typical managed services provider perspective, with a ITSM solution set that spans the breadth of capability as well as the lower layers of infrastructure management. A solution set that consists of a Service Desk, server & layer-2/3 network infrastructure management, application availability and performance management, network route analytics, dashboarding/visualisation, auto-discovery, traffic profiling and analysis and more. Their capability sits close to the right fit, somewhere between the magic quadrant heavies and open source. Open source of course brings along its own complexities. The invariable customisations and the service provider then taking on maintaining the intellectual capacity to continually evolve/develop, which perhaps should not be within its core competencies.

AdventNet, at that close to the right fit position, seems ripe for the picking at a time where acquisition seems to be the trend.

Finally, yet another player worthy of mention within the context of the "right fit" is Zenoss. A breadth of capability, a single solution-set and what seems to be a flexible pricing model.