Page 393 - Handbook of Modern Telecommunications

3-184 CRC Handbook of Modern Telecommunications, Second Edition

IBM Service Management
Best Practices and Services
Process Management
Service Management Platform
Software Service Delivery
Delivery and Support
Development Operational
Efficiency Management
Optimized Infrastructure

FIGu RE 3.7.4 IBM service management architecture.
adoption of voice over IP (VoIP), audio, and video services delivered over the Internet. The combination
of Micromuse’s software and IBM’s IT service management technology is expected to provide custom-
ers with a comprehensive approach to reducing the complexity of their IT environments, lowering their
operational costs, and addressing compliance mandates.
Vallent used to be a leading supplier of network performance monitoring and service management
software for wireless service providers worldwide. Vallent’s software helps service providers manage
the performance of their network infrastructure through monitoring and reporting problem areas such
as dropped calls and traffic bottlenecks. It also helps operators improve wireless service quality and
identify network problems before they impact a customer’s experience. As a leading service assurance
provider with over 300 installations worldwide, Vallent has been formed from numerous mergers and
acquisitions, including those of WatchMark, Comnitel and ADC Metrica.
Vallent is integrated into IBM’s Software Group as a part of its Tivoli Software unit, the same unit into
which the Netcool assets from Micromuse acquisition have been integrated.
IBM’s service assurance management strategy is to provide comprehensive solutions, across both IT
and operations, that enable carriers to speed time to market, ensure quality of service, and reduce opera-
tional costs. The combination of IBM’s Tivoli, Micromuse’s Netcool, and Vallent’s wireless service and
performance management products amalgamate to form a powerful and comprehensive suite of service
assurance functionality across network domains and discrete network environments.
• The combination of Micromuse’s software and IBM’s IT service management technology is
expected to provide customers with a comprehensive approach for reducing the complexity of
their IT environments, lowering operational costs, and addressing compliance mandates.
• With the acquisition of Vallent, IBM complements its real-time and event-based service assur-
ance approach, mainly rooted in the fixed line and IP markets, with strong wireless functionality
and customer-centric service assurance capabilities. The combination of Vallent’s software and
IBM’s comprehensive management capabilities will enable service providers to deliver and man-
age end-to-end high-quality services across wireline, wireless, IP and converged fixed/mobile
network infrastructures
These acquisitions, when combined with IBM’s service-oriented architecture (SOA) leadership and
broad partnership and alliance network, position the company for a strong presence in the NGOSS area.
However, IBM’s key challenge is to address competition from end-to-end solution providers as well as
vendors with lower-cost solutions.
3.7.4.4.1 Tivoli Product Portfolio
Server, Network, and Device Management: Server, network, and device management is an integral part
of IBM IT service management. It consists of the following parts.