This Ptak, Noel and Associates white paper explores why asset management is of rising interesting in times of economic turbulence and uncertainty as enterprises have to make critical decisions about where to focus their efforts. Advances in technology and understanding have resulted in a greater variety of asset management solutions that yield more actionable information that leads to significant savings and enhanced control of assets. This papers presents customer experiences with IBM solutions for integrated management of IT and general assets.

The IBM Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database (CCMDB) is one of the key components of the IBM Service Management (ISM) strategy. It is the foundation for automating and supporting change and Configuration Management processes as described by the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). This IBM Redbooks publication provides information valuable to those who want to plan for, customize, and use the IBM Tivoli CCMDB product to automate and manage change and configuration processes in their environments. It includes three parts: - Understanding and documenting requirements - Using and customizing the CCMDB data model - CCMDB Process Engine and PMPs

White paper. Netcool + Tivoli: delivering service management innovation.

Analyst report by Datamonitor. IT systems management is a broad area that includes many related products. This Datamonitor report reviews the vendors it believes to have the widest technological coverage and are those to have the most influence in the market over the next two to three years.

IBM’s Tivoli Foundations Deliver Versatile Service Management Solutions Optimized for Mid-Tier Environments. Analyst report from Enterprise Management Associates (EMA).

Kelly Beavers, of IBM, speaks about server virtualization and the profound impact it has on the storage environment. Virtualization is essential to the building out of a dynamic infrastructure. IT departments seek storage management and storage virtualization solutions in order to realize the true benefits that a virtualized data center environment can deliver.

Analyst report. ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES® (EMA™) analysts believe that IBM is the first in the industry to identify, articulate and act on the macro trend of managing services that rely on converged infrastructures. This EMA Impact Brief discusses how IBM’s approach to service management goes beyond traditional IT service management and delivers industry specific solutions for major industries including banking, chemicals and petroleum, communications service providers, electronics, retail, utilities and manufacturing.

The IBM Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database (CCMDB) is one of the key components of the IBM Service Management (ISM) strategy. It is the foundation for automating and supporting Change and Configuration Management processes as described by the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). This IBM Redbooks publication provides information that can be used by clients, Business Partners, or IBM field personnel who are looking to engage in an effort to implement Change and Configuration Management processes in an enterprise environment utilizing the IBM Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database product. This book is divided into four parts: - Concepts - Components - Planning and Installation - Getting Started

Milan Patel, of IBM, speaks about storage management within the cloud environment. Cloud computing is exciting for companies, as it allows them to focus on end-user experience without worrying about the individual pieces comprising the IT infrastructure.

The IBM® Midmarket Software Buying and Selling Guide is tailored specifically to help the management and IT staff of small and midsized businesses evaluate how the IBM midmarket portfolio can provide simple and cost-effective solutions to common business problems. The Tivoli midmarket portfolio of storage, security, and availability IT management solutions help ensure a quick return on investment and help meet the most critical business needs of small and midsized businesses. This Guide covers Tivoli, Websphere, Lotus, Information Management, and Rational products. PDF 5MB

Anaylst report. The IBM Tivoli Service Management Center for System z (SMCz) turns the mainframe into an enterprise-wide service management hub, centrally managing business and IT services over the whole enterprise IT infrastructure (mainframe and distributed) whilst leveraging unique System z Quality of Service (QoS) strengths. SMCz uses open industry standard Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)-based best practice processes for automation, themselves based on the rigorous processes first refined in mainframe environments over many earlier years of hard-won experience. In this in-depth White Paper, specialist mainframe analysts Software Strategies fully assess SMCz and what it means for enterprise IT users. (Software Strategies)

As organizations are increasingly utilizing IBM System z™ as a strategic platform for the delivery of business services, learn how to implement Service Management on this highly scalable, secure platform. Buyers Guide for Service Management on System z.

The technologies that support and deliver business services – servers, networks, databases, storage and operating systems – are now expected to do more in supporting a business’s overall performance goals and helping organizations comply with regulations like Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, Gramm-Leach-Bliley, Basel II and the Patriot Act. These mandates, which hold businesses directly accountable for protecting the rights and privacy of the public, place a heavy burden on CIOs (and the IT infrastructure) to continually monitor and refine services, maintain expected service levels, and demonstrate fiscal stewardship.

Info Tech analyst report. This paper examines the impact and adoption rates of 11 Green IT initiatives in mid-size organizations around the world: server virtualization and consolidation, storage consolidation, desktop virtualization, existing server room upgrades, new server room builds, IT energy measurement, PC power management, printer consolidation, remote conferencing, telecommuting and IT equipment recycling. The most popular initiatives being adopted today are storage consolidation, remote conferencing and telecommuting projects, all of which yield immediate cost reduction benefits along with a reduced environmental footprint.

Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) has noted a growing trend amongst enterprise customers who are implementing advanced IT initiatives such as SOA applications and CMDB projects, and focusing heavily on implementing IT processes to enable IT to operate more like a business.

Until recently, internal IT departments have been relatively insulated from the corporate concerns of staying ahead of the competition. Today, IT operations are increasingly expected to operate as a business unit, and with this expectation comes a slew of new challenges: improving performance, reducing operational costs, driving effective organizational change (via new processes and technology) to support IT’s bid to succeed in this new role and demonstrating the business impact of the department. This paper discusses how IT can function more effectively as a business unit, by using asset and service management solutions to implement and support IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)-based processes.

Analyst report. Market Review.

Why smart,innovative businesses are turning to cloud computing

EMA Analyst report. On December 8, 2009, IBM announced the availability of their initial set of Tivoli Live Managed Service (TLMS) offerings, which will bring the breadth and power of the Tivoli infrastructure management software products to IT users via a remotely hosted Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) delivery model – one of the three most common forms of “Cloud” services.

Enterprise Strategy Group. Effective software asset management in today’s dynamic computing environments requires significant levels of automation and integration in order to keep up with the fluid nature of emerging software environments. PDF