ca_nimsoft

A November 18th blog post from Read states:

Read between the lines and I suspect CA has been hands off with Nimsoft because Nimsoft remains in growth mode. But the story doesn’t end there. Nimsoft’s focus on the managed services market seems to be spilling over into additional CA departments. Already, groups like CA ARCserve have introduced new licensing models to assist VARs and MSPs with recurring revenue opportunities. Over time, that approach will become standard at CA, I believe.

It’s also safe to expect more coordinated work between CA’s managed services efforts and sweeping cloud effort, led by Adam Famularo, general manager of CA’s Cloud Customer Solutions Unit.

CA deserves credit: Nimsoft apparently remains a nimble organization within the broader CA enterprise. And CA seems to be taking the managed services opportunity far more seriously than some other large, entrenched IT security software companies.

Who’s Your Competition?

But CA can’t afford to rest on its laurels. Some critics still look at CA as the old software company that allegedly strong-armed some CIOs into painful long-term contracts. Plus, CA’s competitive landscape is evolving. Even as CA battles established rivals like Symantec, new rivals are popping up in the world of online backup and managed security.

Here again, though, CA seems to be studying market trends closely. One prime example: John Lacorte, senior director for MSP strategy at CA, has spent recent weeks attending the N-able Partner Summit and the IT Nation conference. He’s taking notes and building CA relationships with companies like LabTech Software, Level Platforms and N-able.

In the 1990s, I doubt the old Computer Associates would have embarked on such relationships. The reason: LabTech, Level Platforms and N-able compete on some fronts with CA’s Nimsoft business. But in modern times, CA realizes you need to both compete and cooperate in the MSP market. Plus, Nimsoft CEO Gary Read has openly stated that he doesn’t fear CA’s engagements with rival RMM (remote monitoring and management) software providers.

As long as Nimsoft continues to meet or exceed CA’s growth targets, I suspect Read and his team will enjoy plenty of independence within the larger CA. But at the same time, it’s clear that the ARCserve team and other organizations within CA are striving to replicate Nimsoft’s success in the MSP space. And over time, watch for CA to introduce a blanket managed services model for its entire software portfolio.

Oh, and what is Read working on next? He hints:

MSPmentor will be waiting…

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