Data-center management specialist Opsware got a lift today, securing a
multi-million-dollar distribution agreement with Cisco Systems.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Cisco will distribute Opsware’s Network Automation System (NAS) software
under the Cisco brand through its worldwide direct sales force and channel
partners. Opsware and Cisco’s network management technology unit will also
create products built on Opsware’s NAS software.
Opsware’s NAS software takes care of tasks that normally would be performed
by a technical staff member, including change detection and management,
configuration management, provisioning and compliance management. NAS does
this in real time, with the ability to scale to thousands of devices.
Freeing up extra IT hands is increasingly becoming a popular goal for
companies with small IT staffs, making software that can save businesses
time and money an attractive value proposition.
This drive for automated IT operations is fueled by the belief that manual
maintenance is becoming an impractical option because of the glut of servers
and devices that exist in some corporations.
“This agreement marks the most strategic partnership we have signed and
represents a major expansion of Opsware’s sales channel and market reach,”
said Opsware CEO Ben Horowitz on a conference call today.
“Our Network Automation System will bring advanced network automation
capabilities to Cisco’s customer base, enabling them to lower the cost of
network management.”
Horowitz said Cisco is experiencing strong customer demand for automated
management of networks. Moreover, he said this could seed the market for
Opsware’s server automation software.
Opsware will ride Cisco’s credibility and customer relationships in the data
center automation market, which Horowitz said is an $8 billion market
opportunity.
Cisco will couple NAS with its own Network Application Performance Analysis
solution, which helps customers automate configuration management across
complex IT gear.