NetQoS Study Indicates Evolving Role of the NOC Demonstrates Need for Next Generation Integrated Operations Center

AUSTIN, Texas (Business Wire EON) April 21, 2008 -- NetQoS Customer Symposium:

• An increasing emphasis on application performance is changing the role of the Network Operations Center (NOC) and leading to the need for an Integrated Operations Center (IOC), according to the results of a study commissioned by NetQoS^® Inc.
• The Next Generation Network Operations Center study, written by Dr. Jim Metzler, vice president of Ashton, Metzler & Associates, surveyed 176 NOC and non-NOC IT professionals in U.S. and global organizations.

The NOC’s Role Is Changing While Dissatisfaction and Confusion Persist

• NOC and non-NOC personnel have disparate views regarding where NOC staffs spend their time: NOC personnel revealed they spend the greatest amount of time on applications (39 percent) and WAN (23 percent). However, non-NOC respondents believe NOC personnel spend the greatest amount of time on WAN (48 percent) and servers (22 percent), while only 17 percent believe NOC personnel spend significant time on applications.
• In addition, managing applications was identified by NOC personnel as the area with the greatest increase in time (45 percent), making it a relatively new phenomenon.
• While respondents were generally positive about the value of the NOC, more than 25 percent of respondents indicated the NOC does not meet the organization’s current needs and only 58 percent believe the role of the NOC is understood by the entire IT organization.
• More than two thirds of respondents indicated that their organizations would attempt to make significant changes to their NOC processes within the next 12 months.

Ensuring acceptable performance for key applications

A Move to the Next Generation Integrated Operations Center (IOC)

• 75 percent of the respondents indicated that NOC personnel now have a broader responsibility, performing some functions that were previously considered to be Level 2 or 3 engineering functions.
• “Ensuring acceptable performance for key applications” is the top driver of change in the NOC (more than 80 percent).
• To meet these challenges, the study asserts that organizations should move to a next generation Integrated Operations Center that is highly automated, has very effective processes, and is responsible for managing the performance, availability, and security for all the components of IT.

Supporting Quotes:

Dr. Jim Metzler, Vice President, Ashton, Metzler & Associates: “Within 18 months the primary objective of the typical NOC will be managing application performance, adding to the host of factors driving change in the NOC as indicated by the survey. In an ideal world, to address these challenges IT organizations would move to an Integrated Operations Center that has common tools, goals, language, and effective processes independent of geographical or organizational boundaries. While an IOC may not be realistic for all, IT organizations should move immediately to capitalize on NOC trends such as process improvement, skilled staff, intelligent tools that are integrated, and a focus on performance, applications, security, and proactive management.”

Joel Trammell, CEO, NetQoS: “The days of NOC personnel sitting and monitoring management consoles all day waiting for green lights to turn yellow or red are over. The focus has moved from pure fault management to network and application performance, and as the survey reveals, NOC staffs are increasingly engaged in higher-order problem resolution, not just problem identification. IT organizations and vendors alike need to adapt and facilitate the move to an Integrated Operations Center.”

Report:

The Next Generation Network Operations Center: How the Focus on Application Delivery Is Redefining the NOC: www.netqos.com/resourceroom/whitepapers/forms/Metzler_NOC_paper.asp

Podcast:

The Next Generation Network Operations Center: How the Focus on Application Delivery Is Redefining the NOC: http://www.networkperformancedaily.com/2008/04/nextgennoc.html

Related Links:

NOC resources: http://del.icio.us/NetworkOperationsCenter

The Handbook of Application Delivery: http://www.netqos.com/resourceroom/whitepapers/forms/handbook.asp

NetQoS Performance Daily Blog: http://www.networkperformancedaily.com/

About NetQoS Inc.

NetQoS provides network performance management software and services that improve application delivery across the world’s most complex networks. More than 800 service providers, government agencies, and large enterprises – including half of the Fortune 100 – use the NetQoS Performance Center to monitor application service levels, troubleshoot problems quickly, and plan for change. Representative NetQoS customers include Chevron, Lockheed Martin, American Express, Hilton Hotels, Siemens, Boeing, Deutsche Telekom, NASA, and Barclays Global Investors. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NetQoS has R&D centers in Austin and Raleigh, N.C., and regional sales offices in London and Singapore. For more information, visit www.netqos.com or call 877-835-9575.

RSS Feed to NetQoS Press Releases: http://feeds.feedburner.com/NetqosPressReleases

NetQoS is a registered trademark of NetQoS Inc. All other trade names, trademarks, and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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