ASG Solutions is now shipping Version 7 of its enterprise IT portfolio management application, ASG-becubic, which it contends will save companies time and money by automating the mapping and analysis of their applications. Its goal: to optimize IT resources and align them with strategic business goals, according to ASG public relations manager Parker Hathcock.
Typically, this process of mapping applications and components and figuring out how they fit together is manual and labor-intensive, Hathcock explains. But ASG’s discovery engine finds all applications and artifacts (including scripts, schedulers, database management systems and more), places them in a central repository, and then generates a map showing their relationships. The end result: management can maximize efficiency of IT resources, finding application areas that are under- or over-utilized, says Hathcock.
He notes that Version 7 is a major improvement over previous editions because it is more scalable and can process and analyze more data. It also includes industry metrics for comparison. In previous versions, developers had to drill down for information and then put it together, but now the application performs impact analysis and application utilization automatically, Hathcock says, adding that the application, which is about 4½ years old, was obtained through a recent acquisition and then improved in response to customer input.
The new version has multiple role-based data views, which not only provide high-level analysis for IT managers (its primary audience), but also granular, role-based views for developers, operations, and support staff whose tasks range from fixing bugs to scheduling to integrating applications and routine maintenance. Hathcock points out that ASG-becubic’s data also can be a useful “enabler” with SOA applications, helping programmers to compartmentalize code correctly.
Unlike some of its competitors, ASG-becubic has a powerful discovery reporting engine, which generates a comprehensive level of impact analysis for all levels of IT management, according to Hathcock. He adds that ASG Solutions also gains a competitive advantage from its smaller size, which enables it to be more responsive to its customers and provide better service.
ASG Solutions, which grew revenues from $180 million in 2006 to $400 million in 2007 through acquisitions and organic growth, regularly competes with larger companies and has 8,000 customers, notes Hathcock. The growth of the 22-year-old, privately-owned firm is fueled by its founder, Arthur L. Allen, whose pre-retirement career spanned both business and IT. Allen launched the new venture in 1986 to fulfill his vision for holistic IT management.
Customers of ASG Solutions products include Fidelity Investments, Air France, Wells Fargo, and HSBC. Major product competitors include CAST, Relativity Technologies, and Troux Technologies.
Pricing starts at $180,000 for five concurrent users and three technologies and increases with more users and additional technologies.
For more information, go to: www.asg.com
