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The line between CA Technologies and its Nimsoft business unit has been fading away the past few years. And starting now the line is gone, as is the Nimsoft corporate brand. CA acquired Nimsoft roughly two years ago, operating the MSP software provider as an independent business unit since that time.
4 Min Read
nicholas ellis ca technologies
The line between CA Technologies and its Nimsoft business unit has been fading away the past few years. And starting now the line is gone, as is the Nimsoft corporate brand. CA acquired Nimsoft roughly two years ago, operating the MSP software provider as an independent business unit since that time. Going forward, the product line will be known as CA Nimsoft. And Nimsoft’s website has been rebranded as CA, emphasizing service desk and monitoring — a clear sign that Nimsoft is now fully integrated and part of CA’s broader IT service management strategy, led by folks like Senior VP Nick Ellis (pictured). Here’s what managed services providers need to know.First, the product update: CA Nimsoft Monitor 6, unveiled today, “helps IT teams better understand network conversations and patterns among critical applications and servers. With these insights, they can prioritize traffic based on cost and business impact to increase efficiency, more proactively predict potential problems, and optimize the end-to-end customer experience.”
I believe CA Nimsoft Monitor continues to be available both on premises and in the cloud. CA is positioning the CA Nimsoft product family as part of the “CA Technologies Service Assurance technology portfolio that offers the broadest set of choices to bring the right-sized functionality to the right buyer.” And the Nimsoft website is now a CA website.
Translation: The days of Nimsoft being an independent business unit are over. On the upside, MSPs and corporate IT customers will gain a single throat to choke — the CA corporate sales team — when making CA Nimsoft and other IT services buying and support decisions. But the Nimsoft culture has always been known for creative, nimble, fast-moving decisions that empower mid-market MSPs. Ideally, the Nimsoft portfolio will not lose that culture as it becomes one with CA.
The Official Word
In an Oct. 9 memo to customers, CA Technologies General Manager Ken Arredondo assured MSPs and corporate IT managers that the new organizational approach will service customers well. He wrote:
“For the past two years, Nimsoft has operated as a largely independent business unit within CA Technologies. Over time, however, we have increasingly been leveraging the global resources of CA Technologies to gain scalability, replicate best practices, and increase our synergy with the rest of the company’s technology portfolio. The time has now come to take the next step in the integration of the Nimsoft brand under CA Technologies—integration that you see reflected in the new Nimsoft.com site.
This integration underscores our ongoing commitment to provide you with simple, powerful and innovative IT Management-as-a-Service solutions when and where you need them, while also meeting your other needs with the industry’s most complete portfolio of enterprise IT management technology.”
CA Service Provider Names to Know
For MSPs, some names to know are changing positions while others remain focused like a laser on the service provider market. Among the CA executives that MSPs should keep tabs on:
Mike Crest, senior VP, GM, Data Management Division: Crest is a service provider expert who has been closely involved in CA’s MSP activities. He’s shifting to a data management role; stay tuned for Big Data perspectives on The VAR Guy in the weeks ahead…
Nick Ellis, senior VP, Service Provider Solutions (pictured): He has been deeply involved in running CA’s service provider efforts for at least six months, and he now takes on a strategic role of making sure all of CA’s service provider offerings are coordinated under the CA brand.
Pete Harteveld, VP, Managed Services Provider Practice: I need to double-check whether Harteveld’s title has changed amid CA’s evolving organization. But Harteveld continues to play a key role for MSPs, I’ve heard.
Greg Donovan, VP, CA Technologies: Donovan is the former CEO of a health care MSP that mindSHIFT acquired. He plays a key role in educating and empowering Nimsoft’s MSP base.
There are several other Nimsoft veterans whom I’ve interviewed over the years. Before I list any more names above I’m checking in with those sources to see who remains with CA Technologies and/or whom might be exiting amid CA’s move to more deeply integrate Nimsoft into the parent company. Sources say there have been additional exits from Nimsoft, but I think it’s safe to say that’s not shocking since it’s been two years since CA acquired Nimsoft. If/when we confirm the changes we’ll update our coverage.
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