IDG QuickPulse * Network Management

Network Management Costs Overshoot User Needs Paying for unused, unneeded functionality creates a catch 22 by sapping resources that could support migration to greater efficiency.

Most organizations are paying for enterprise net-work management and monitoring features they neither need nor utilize. According to a June 2013 IDG Research Services survey, many companies would be happy to give up functions or capabili-ties to reduce their total cost of ownership (TCO). But scarce resources inhibit many from making a switch even though more efficient solutions would alleviate the pinch of network management expenses and staffing.

Enterprise IT network management tools today are difficult to use, expensive and do not address the realities of today’s real-world IT manage-ment challenges, according to the results of the IDG Research Services survey of more than 100 respondents involved in purchasing network man-agement and/or monitoring solutions. The survey was conducted across the readership of Network World and InfoWorld on behalf of SolarWinds, an IT management software vendor.

More than half (56 percent) of survey respon-dents said their organization’s current network management or monitoring solution includes ca-pabilities and/or features they do not need or use. One-third of respondents said the results or ROI on their current network management or monitor-ing solution is not enough to justify the TCO.

“All too often, network performance manage-

ment products are purchased based on needs and perceptions at a fixed point in time, only to find that the solutions do not keep pace with the changes in the managed environment and in the organizations they serve,” said leading industry analyst firm Enterprise Management Associ-ates in a June 2013 white paper.

The report, which presents four case studies of SolarWinds customers, says that while tra-ditional enterprise solutions are “highly exten-sible, scalable, and feature-rich, they can also be highly complex, requiring services to deploy/maintain/extend, special training to operate, and expensive annual maintenance contracts that must be kept current to receive all the latest patches and software updates.”

Buyer’s remorse is apparent, particularly among respondents using software from the traditional leading enterprise network solution vendors—CA, Cisco, HP and IBM. A solid two-thirds of those respondents said they are paying for features and capabilities they do not need or utilize. Furthermore, 55 percent of respondents using solutions from those four vendors said they would give up functionality they are not using to reduce their costs. Among customers of the Big 4 enterprise software vendors, 34 percent indi-cated that management and maintenance fees are a big inhibitor to maximizing ROI; almost as many cite the reliance on system integrators as a factor in not achieving ROI.

These responses raise the question of why these enterprises are not bailing out on their current suppliers in favor of a more cost-effective alternative that better meets their needs. Ironi-cally, one of the biggest barriers to making a switch to cut costs is the potential cost of doing so, according to more than half (54 percent) of survey respondents. In addition, just less than half (49 percent) cite lack of staff time and lack of staffing resources as major impediments.

According to the IDG Research Services sur-vey, just 7 percent of respondents would never consider making a switch; most would require a

SponSored by:

29%

28%

Source: IdG research Services, July 2013

Current network management solution includes capabilities not needed/not used

12% 44% 15% 21% 8%Percent Agree

Percent Disagree

Strongly agree Neither agree nor disagreeAgree Disagree Strongly disagree

56%

ROI on current network management or monitoring solution is not enough to justify the TCO

11% 21% 24% 29% 15%Percent Agree

Percent Disagree

Strongly agree Neither agree nor disagreeAgree Disagree Strongly disagree

32% 44%

firm savings target in order to do so. A plurality of survey respondents said that savings target would have to be in the range of 10 percent to 30 percent.

Demystifying Enterprise ComplexityMany organizations end up paying for software licenses that include features that are rarely—if ever—fully utilized. Often, the person who made the initial purchase decision is either not en-gaged in practical implementation or is long gone by the time anybody realizes that the solution overshoots the problem.

“It’s typical that enterprise software licensing is driven by the sales cycle of the vendor,” says Sanjay Castelino, vice president and market leader for SolarWinds’ networking business. “Often someone in management is convinced that the four or five things they saw in a demo are just what their organization needs. But often these are the rarely used features and even if you implement them, at the end of the day you may find they’re not what you really needed.”

Enterprise networking software tends to get more complex with each revision as vendors try to outdo each other by adding features designed to meet every possible customer scenario. So-larWinds, however, develops IT management and monitoring products that eliminate complexity and make enterprise software easier to deploy and manage.

“You shouldn’t have to buy the kitchen sink to solve your very specific problem,” Castelino

says. He says SolarWinds’ design philosophy is based on the goal of delivering “unexpected simplicity” by providing tools that solve IT profes-sionals’ specific problems but easily integrate on a common platform. The company’s software is downloadable, so enterprises can try it in their own environments before deciding to buy it.

That try-before-you-buy approach may relieve some of the anxiety of network decision-makers who are unhappy with their current situation but fearful of the potential switching and resource costs associated with going over to a new net-work management or monitoring solution. One survey respondent noted that “the time and effort to assess a new platform” is a daunting prospect.

IT services company Bulletproof Solutions tried a variety of network solutions to meet cus-tomer needs. It found one powerhouse vendor relying on an archaic UI, while other solutions lacked robustness or were too expensive for what it needed, says operations architect Joshua Biggley. The company opted to partner with SolarWinds instead. “We have specific services tied to SolarWinds and the functionality that it provides,” Biggley says. “It is easy enough for any of our customers to get started with, while being complex enough to meet advanced monitoring and reporting requirements.”

Capitalizing on SimplicityIT pros are often resigned to overcomplicated, overpriced enterprise management solutions, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The extra bells and whistles that enterprise solutions vendors typically incorporate to gain an advantage over each other result in added costs for features that are often left on the shelf. Once-essential func-tions may no longer be needed, yet their expense is inextricably locked into the licensing costs.

Focusing on purpose-built, value-driven prod-ucts and tools can help IT deliver networks that address today’s real-world management chal-lenges of doing more with less, while focusing on optimization and performance. ■

IDG QuickPulse * Network Management

Minimum amount of savings needed to consider switching to a different network

management solution provider

Source: IdG research Services, July 2013

0% - The decision would not be cost related

At least 10%

At least 20%

At least 30%

At least 40%

At least 50%

I would never consider switching

16%

5%

23%

12%

6%

8%

7%

Visit SolarWinds for more information on award-winning Network Performance Monitoring solution.