Pender's Blog

Blog archive

System Center Operations Manager 2007 Coming in April (But Don't Call It SCOM)

The next step in the evolution of Microsoft's Dynamic Systems Initiative (DSI) -- not to be confused with Dynamics products -- will be here next week. April 1 is the release date for the System Center Operations Manager 2007, part of DSI. The new management software is the next version of what's now called Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) 2005.

Microsoft officials are trumpeting SCOM -- um, we mean "Operations Manager," but more on that later -- as the first real breakthrough for DSI, its broad systems-management program. Operations Manager is the first product to carry the "System Center" brand, Microsoft says. It's a key piece of the overall strategy Redmond envisions for helping IT people better manage their environments and provide services to users. Operations Manager does that via enhanced IT event and performance monitoring. It represents a big leap from MOM because of its ability to monitor an entire system and not just individual components.

The new release "moves from being an individual server-management tool to being a solution that can manage end-to-end IT services," according to Eric Berg, director of Microsoft System Center. "It gives you one holistic view into that end-to-end service."

Operations Manager also introduces role-based user access, client (as well as server) monitoring and audit collection services that allow companies to collect security log data from servers -- a capability that's especially important for companies wrangling with compliance issues, Berg said.

Just one thing, though. The secure, homey feel of the name MOM will be gone, and, whatever you do, don't call the new product "SCOM." Microsoft's not wild about that for reasons that are pretty obvious. The official Redmond nomenclature, short version, is "Operations Manager."

Even just calling it "OM" is a little risky, as that name is already the domain of famous French soccer club Olympique de Marseille. We do not suggest that you try to sell anything with the name "OM" in Paris. Actually, we're kind of hoping that "OpMan" will catch on.

Also today, Microsoft announced a partnership with EMC aimed at boosting OpMan's capabilities. (Here's an article that flagrantly uses "SCOM.") Redmond also talked about standardizing the Service Modeling Language as part of a broader effort to create heterogeneous systems management.

What opportunities do you see for systems management? Tell me at [email protected].

Posted by Lee Pender on March 28, 2007


Featured

  • World Map Image

    Microsoft Taps Nebius in $17B AI Infrastructure Deal To Alleviate Cloud Strain

    Microsoft has signed a five-year, $17.4 billion agreement with Amsterdam-based Nebius Group to expand its AI computing capabilities through third-party GPU infrastructure.

  • Microsoft Brings Copilot AI Into Viva Engage

    Microsoft 365 Copilot in Viva Engage is now generally available, extending Copilot's AI-powered assistant capabilities deeper into the Viva platform.

  • MIT Finds Only 1 in 20 AI Investments Translate into ROI

    Despite pouring billions into generative AI technologies, 95 percent of businesses have yet to see any measurable return on investment.

  • Report: Cost, Sustainability Drive DaaS Adoption Beyond Remote Work

    Gartner's 2025 Magic Quadrant for Desktop as a Service reveals that while secure remote access remains a key driver of DaaS adoption, a growing number of deployments now focus on broader efficiency goals.