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Guys, I have to get on my soapbox about this. This is a close as I'll come to a sales pitch, so if you don't wnat to hear it, you can feel free to stop reading now. But IBM didn't acquire Micromuse just to force you to spend more money. Here's my view from the other side of the wall.
Yes, Netcool Precison IP is expensive, but when you consider that it contains Omnibus too, it's really much more than an a new version of NetView. It's an integrated replacement for NetView, TEC, and Switch Analyzer. It already has SNMPv3 capability built-in, so there's no SNMP Research product to buy if you need that functionality. And the more flexible architecture of Precision IP allows for much tighter integration and rapid adoption of new technology. All the things people talk about as wishing they had in NetView are either already in Precision or on their way, such as support for NAT'd devices, monitoring wireless networks, and all sorts of other new technology devices. Can you imagine us trying to re-write netmon to do that? No? Well, we couldn't either.
Some time ago the IBM architects were asked what they would build as a network management platform if they could start over with a clean sheet of paper, and the result was a hypothetical product that looked a lot like Netcool Precision IP. It was modular, flexible, capable, and almost infinitely scalable. But when it was realized just how long it would take to develop this hypothetical product and what it would cost, acquiring Micromuse, who already had such a product as a base, was the logical thing to do. We're going from behind behind the curve to getting out in front of it.
IBM does understand that a full-blown Precision implementation is not suitable for some current customers and it is working hard to address that. There may be smaller, lighter, versions offered in the future, I think, though right now that's just my opinion. But when it comes to comparing NetView to Precision, cost shouldn't be the only factor. That's like comparing a 1988 Cavalier to a new Toyota Prius. Same idea, but much better technology. In the long run, you'll like the new model much better, I think.
James Shanks
Level 3 Support for Tivoli NetView for UNIX and Windows
Network Availability Management
Network Management - Development
Tivoli Software, IBM Corp _______________________________________________
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