Compuware, IBM and BSG join Tivoli's Applications Management Initiative; Support from first management and systems integrator partners fuel efforts to make AMS a de facto industry standard.

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 27, 1996--In the fulfillment of another milestone, Tivoli Systems Inc. today announced that its applications management initiative has gained support from two independent management tool vendors and a systems integrator.

Compuware Corporation and IBM will be supporting the Applications Management Specification (AMS) in various product offerings, while BSG will incorporate the AMS into the services it provides to customers. All three companies will also be assisting with the on-going enhancement of the specification.

The AMS is an open specification that offers a consistent, standard way for creating management-ready client/server applications. The AMS defines a standard, open approach for creating a set of management objects for any application. These objects enable the connection of applications into management systems and allow system administrators to perform a full range of management tasks for the applications.

Initially unveiled in April 1995, the AMS has garnered industry recognition as the leading effort for enabling the effective management of client/server applications. Nine application development tools vendors previously announced their support of the AMS. With today's announcement, Tivoli takes a major step toward its goal to make AMS a de facto industry standard by opening the AMS to a wide variety of industry partners.

"The AMS has been enthusiastically received by many of our customers and partners, but one question kept coming up -- is it going to be supported by other management vendors?" said Martin Neath, vice president and general manager of TME Core Products for Tivoli Systems. "We've answered those questions with this announcement and also reaffirmed our commitment to providing our customers with open management solutions. We're also excited about the unique perspective BSG brings to the effort given their close customer relationships in application implementation."

By extending the existing relationship with Tivoli, Compuware plans to support the AMS with its Eco suite of networked applications management products EcoTOOLS, EcoNET and EcoDBA. With the information available through the AMS, Compuware plans to enhance current solutions to give customers a complete solution for end-to-end management of client/network/server applications. In addition, Compuware plans to enhance its UNIFACE product offering to allow the generation of AMS-enabled applications, and its Fault-XPERT product to provide detailed application fault information.

IBM has plans underway to AMS-enable all of its strategic software products. IBM is also equipping its Team Connection, an industry-leading object repository, and its VisualAge family of application development tools to create AMS-enabled applications.

BSG will create methodologies to help customers build and deploy client/server applications that are manageable using the AMS which will accelerate the adoption of the specification by customers. Headquartered in Austin, Texas with offices across the United States, BSG is one of the largest pure client/server and advanced technology systems integrators serving Fortune 1000 customers.

Partner Perspective

"By strengthening our relationship with Tivoli and utilizing the AMS, Compuware will provide customers with the ability to precisely monitor and manage components of applications, regardless of whether they are developed in-house or purchased," said Steve Fagan, Compuware's senior vice president of enterprise systems. "We are excited to work with Tivoli to help define the AMS and make it the de facto standard for applications management instrumentation. The complete suite of Compuware's distributed products plans to utilize the AMS to increase its current industry-leading position by providing the most comprehensive end-to-end application management solution."

"Tivoli has set the agenda for applications management with the AMS initiative," said Don Haile, general manager of IBM's Networking Software Division. "This is a clear example of Tivoli's industry leadership and innovative thinking which triggered IBM's interest in merging with them."

"BSG is committed to open standards for applications management," said Ken Hamilton, managing director of systems management for BSG. "Tivoli's applications management initiative combined with our methodologies for implementing applications using the AMS will enable customers, for the first time, to fully manage their important applications."

Full-Cycle Applications Management

The AMS can be used by a range of application providers, including third-party developers of client/server packaged applications and in-house developers using either a standard language or development tool.

The AMS is specifically designed to automate the full management cycle of distributed, client/server applications. Until now, applications management has been limited to basic monitoring of the application once it's deployed. Tivoli and its partners believe a more comprehensive -- or full cycle -- range of management capabilities is required to manage and maintain the new generation of client/server applications. The AMS defines those functions including:

- Dependency Checking -- ensuring that all prerequisite hardware and software components are installed on both the client and server systems, including proper versions of operating systems as well as database configurations;

- Deployment Management -- synchronizing the distribution, installation and configuration of all components of the application on target client and server systems;

- Operations Management -- monitoring all distributed components of an application for events, messages and thresholds that might affect performance and availability; and

- Task Administration -- automating frequent maintenance functions such as start, stop and reset as well as providing troubleshooting and diagnostic procedures.

Tivoli's Applications Management Initiative

Tivoli first introduced its applications management initiative in April of 1995. The basis for the activities, the Applications Management Specification, was initially released in October of 1995 and is now undergoing its second revision. Implementing a multi-faceted strategy, Tivoli has also spearheaded a number of activities that put the AMS to work for customers, including:

- Working with application development tool vendors to enable their products to generate AMS-compliant applications;

- Establishing relationships with systems integrators and consultants to assist customers with AMS implementations; and

- Developing management modules that utilize AMS and the Tivoli Management Environment (TME) to manage key client/server packaged applications. The first such module, for SAP R/3, was delivered in January 1996.

Tivoli Systems Inc.

Tivoli Systems (NASDAQ: TIVS) is a leading supplier of systems and applications management software and services for managing distributed client/server environments. The company's product family, the Tivoli Management Environment, is used by Fortune 1000 companies worldwide to make client/server work by removing systems management as a barrier to success.

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Tivoli distributes its products worldwide through a network of domestic and international sales offices, international distributors and systems integrators. Visit Tivoli Systems' World Wide Web site at http://www.tivoli.com for more information on Tivoli and the AMS.

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Note to Editor: Tivoli and TME are trademarks of Tivoli Systems Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

CONTACT: Tivoli Systems Inc.

Claire Campbell, 512/794-9070

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Rachael Stockton, 617/862-4514