Posts Tagged ‘Daily
Just for fun
God & Opsware …
God was deciding whether whether opsware should go to hell or heaven:
God> why do you deserve heaven?
Opsware> I helped mankind by reducing the amount of work they do
God> did you cause pain and suffering
Opsware> Some, but mostly to help
God> were you faithful to your spouse
Opsware> i had many suitors, but I was faithful to HP
God> Did you have any enemies
Opsware> only one, Bladelogic
God> did you help your friends
Opsware> yes I did, some like Solidcore, more than others
God> Were you good to your parents
Opsware> I took care of Mr. Andreessen
God> OK. anything else before I announce my decision
Opsware> If i went to hell, they would become too powerful, you wouldnt want that
God> yes, but if I sent you to heaven they would become lazy because you will do all their work for them
Opsware> that is true, i am really good at reducing work
God> well its done then, I am not ready for you, go and serve mankind
HP Beefs Up BSM
HP
announced that they enhanced their Business Service Management (BSM) solution and this will likely kickoff a battle of ‘Who Has the Best BSM Solution’ in the big enterprise management vendors.
BSM is really all about integration. All the large vendors offer similar components that help IT managers examine the overall health of their business services across networks, servers and applications. At the end of the day, the BSM products link infrastructure performance to end-user monitoring and process automation.
What is unique with HP, is that they have synchronized major upgrades to HP Operations Center 8.0, HP Network Management Center 8.0, HP Business Availability Center 7.0 and HP Universal Configuration Management Database (CMDB) 7.0 all tied to a larger BSM upgrade.
For enterprise organizations already running many of these products it is worth taking a look at how the products can be integreated and provide you a more holistic picture of your environment.
The major upgrades to HP’s existing tools in conjunction with HP’s addition of Mercury and Opsware into their management suite provide some compelling solutions to organizations that are seeking more knowledge around the business impact to performance and fault issues.
http://www.technologysnapshots.com/2007/10/the-evolution-1.html
The Evolution of Business Service Management – Part 1: Defining BSM
Welcome to the first posting in the “The Evolution of Business Service Management” blog series. So, we will begin with a definition of Business Service Management (“BSM”) and then cover the fundamentals of BSM in my next posting. My definition of BSM is derived from my recent experience as the Global CTO for one of the largest private equity companies. In this role, I continually saw that each of our seven + data centers, as well as, in the IT operations of most of our portfolio companies the proliferation of siloed point solutions each covering two or less of the elements of a critical service. For example: In one of our Asian data centers we had three network management products, eleven host or device-oriented point tools, five network monitoring products and at least five security products. Most of these were either not being actively monitored or they were not adequately performing the function in which they were purchased for. For that matter, three of these items were not even installed (“shelfware”). Needless to say this seems to be common amongst medium and large businesses, since most IT organizations do not have a cohesive strategy around monitoring and managing their critical services nor do they fully understand the business impact of the loss or degradation of these service(s) to the organization. BSM is both a strategy as well as, a framework within several service management strategies like ITILfor linking business processes and data with the critical IT services, so their true business impact both good and bad may be determined. This helps management understand the strategic value of their investments in technology and plan for its impact on the organization. For more on BSM
Please note that even the analysts are having a hard time determining a single concise definition of BSM. This is because th idea of strategically aligning your IT organizations operational goals with the Company strategic goals in an actionable way has been a trial of errors till recently. There are numerous vendors out there now trying to come up with a definition of BSM that closely relates to their current management or monitoring products versus producing a solution that aligns itself with the idea of true BSM. So when selecting a BSM product be careful and do your homework.
So, after reading this post and my definition of BSM…it is easy to understand how important BSM is becoming for IT organizations around the globe. The linking of corporate strategic goals and objectives with the IT operations in a measurable and actionable way is quickly becoming another major step in maturization process for world-class organizations.
- HP Software — Software Industry Leadership Excellence
- Parlano — Best Partnering Initiative With a Large Company
- DreamFactory — Best Partnering Program
- Concur — Best SaaS Company (Large Company)
- Gomez — Best SaaS Company (Mid-sized Company)
- Symantec — Best SaaS Migration By a Traditional Software Product (Large Company)
- Maxager — Best SaaS Migration By a Traditional Software Product (Mid-sized Company)
- GeoLearning — Best Marketing Initiative
- Cognos 8 Go! Mobile — Best Market Changing Product (Large Company)
- OpSource On-Demand — Best Market Changing Product (Mid-sized Company)
HP Software is the winner of the Software Industry Leadership Excellence for its growth in its software business and opportunities it offers other ISVs.
“HP Software has impacted the software industry this year with its acquisitions and technology-driven initiatives,” said John Cargile, managing director of Software Business.
PARIS & SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Regulatory News:
Business Objects (NASDAQ:BOBJ) (Paris:BOB), the world’s leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions, today announced preliminary results for the third quarter of fiscal 2007. In a separate release issued today, the company announced that a tender offer agreement was signed with SAP AG, and that SAP will launch a direct cash tender offer for all outstanding shares, bonds and warrants of Business Objects at €42 (approximately $59.64 at current exchange rates) per share.
Total revenue for the third quarter of 2007 is expected to be approximately $366 to $370 million, with license revenue of approximately $137 to $139 million; and services revenue of approximately $229 to $231 million. U.S. GAAP diluted earnings per share for the third quarter of 2007 are expected to be $0.04 to $0.06. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share for the third quarter of 2007 are expected to be $0.36 to $0.39.
“We continued to generate double-digit year-over-year total revenue growth in all geographies, however, our license revenue was below expectations, which in turn caused a shortfall in earnings,” said John Schwarz, chief executive officer of Business Objects. “We are disappointed with our results in the third quarter, but we are encouraged that demand for our solutions remains strong. We are confident that we have the best business intelligence solution and the strongest channel to reach the large and growing market for business analytics.”
The revised third quarter expected results for Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share exclude a charge of approximately $7 million for the final settlement of previously disclosed litigation with Decision Warehouse, and approximately $21 million of amortization of intangibles, $13 million of Stock Based Compensation Expense, and $1.4 million of restructuring and in process R & D expenses from acquisitions.
Although not reflected in these preliminary results, the jury award in the ongoing trial with Informatica Corporation has now been reduced to approximately $12 million. The company previously accrued approximately $25 million as a loss contingency relating to the Informatica litigation and is re-evaluating this reserve in light of the ongoing developments in the case.
The estimated third quarter results set forth above do not include any costs or other charges related to the proposed acquisition of Business Objects by SAP AG.
The company currently anticipates releasing its financial results for the third quarter of 2007 on October 24, 2007.
Accounting Principles
Business Objects prepares its financial statements in accordance with US GAAP. Because the company is listed on both the Eurolist by Euronext™ in France and the Nasdaq Global Select Market in the United States, it is required to separately report consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with both US GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). The most significant differences between the two reporting standards for Business Objects relate to the treatment of stock-based compensation expense, the accounting for deferred tax assets on certain intercompany transactions, the accounting for business combinations and the accounting for the convertible bonds that the company issued in May, 2007.
In accordance with French regulations and IFRS, Business Objects filed with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers in France its Document de Référence 2006 on April 6, 2007 under the registration number D.07-0285, which included its consolidated financial statements for the year ended on December 31, 2006, presented in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. The Document de Référence 2006 includes the consolidated information that Business Objects published on April 18, 2007 to the Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires (“BALO”) in France.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The non-GAAP financial measures such as earnings per share information for the third quarter of 2007 included in this press release are different from those otherwise presented under US GAAP as these non-GAAP measures exclude certain charges. These charges include the write-off of in-process research and development, amortization of intangible assets, stock-based compensation expense, restructuring costs and other non-recurring or non-cash charges. The non-GAAP tax rate differs from the US GAAP tax rate due to the elimination of the tax rate effect of the US GAAP expenses that are being eliminated to arrive at the non-GAAP expenses. Business Objects has provided these measures in addition to US GAAP financial results because management believes these non-GAAP measures provide a consistent basis for comparison between quarters and of growth rates year-over-year that are not influenced by certain non-cash charges or impacts of prior period acquisitions, and therefore are helpful in understanding Business Objects’ underlying operating results. These non-GAAP measures are some of the primary measures Business Objects’ management uses for planning and forecasting. These measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative to, US GAAP and these non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to information provided by other companies.
The following table reconciles the non-GAAP diluted earnings per share to US GAAP diluted earnings per share, (numbers are approximate and preliminary):
Low end
of Range
High end
of Range
US GAAP diluted EPS
$0.04
$0.06
Amortization of intangibles
$0.15
$0.15
Stock Based Compensation
$0.11
$0.12
Litigation Settlement
$0.05
$0.05
Restructuring and in Process R&D
$0.01
$0.01
Non-GAAP diluted EPS
$0.36
$0.39
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties concerning the company’s expected financial performance for the third quarter and the company’s expected growth and profitability. Actual events or results may differ materially from those described in this release due to a number of risks and uncertainties. These potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the impact of the proposed acquisition on Business Objects’ future financial results, the parties’ ability to complete the proposed transaction, including the outcome of regulatory reviews of the proposed transaction, the failure to retain key Business Objects employees, customer and partner uncertainty regarding the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction, the failure of SAP and Business Objects to achieve the anticipated synergies of the proposed transaction, the completion of Business Objects’ preparation, and its independent auditors’ review, of its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2007, and other risks detailed in Business Objects’ SEC filings, including its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007, which is on file with the SEC and available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Business Objects is not obligated to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document.
Additional Information
The tender offer for the outstanding common stock, the Convertible Bonds and the warrants of Business Objects has not yet commenced. The reference to the tender offer agreement included in this press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell any Business Objects securities. The solicitation and the offer to buy shares of Business Objects common stock, the Convertible Bonds and the warrants will be made only pursuant to an offer to purchase and related materials that SAP and its subsidiary intend to file with the SEC on Schedule TO. Business Objects also intends to file a solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 with respect to the tender offer.
Business Objects stockholders and other investors should read the Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO, the Schedule 14D-9 as well as the Note d’Information and the Note en Réponse to be filed by SAP carefully because these documents will contain important information, including the terms and conditions of the tender offer. Business Objects stockholders and other investors will be able to obtain copies of these tender offer materials and any other documents filed with the AMF from the AMF’s website (amf-france.org) or with the SEC at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, in both cases without charge. Materials filed by SAP may be obtained for free at SAP’s web site, www.sap.com. Materials filed by Business Objects may be obtained for free at Business Objects’ web site, www.businessobjects.com. Stockholders and other investors are urged to read carefully all tender offer materials prior to making any decisions with respect to the tender offer.
About Business Objects
Business Objects has been a pioneer in business intelligence (BI) since the dawn of the category. Today, as the world’s leading BI software company, Business Objects transforms the way the world works through intelligent information. The company helps illuminate understanding and decision-making at more than 44,000 organizations around the globe. Through a combination of innovative technology, global consulting and education services, and the industry’s strongest and most diverse partner network, Business Objects enables companies of all sizes to make transformative business decisions based on intelligent, accurate, and timely information.
Business Objects has dual headquarters in San Jose, Calif., and Paris, France. The company’s stock is traded on both the Nasdaq (BOBJ) and Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0004026250 – BOB) stock exchanges. More information about Business Objects can be found at www.businessobjects.com.
The Business Objects logo, BusinessObjects, Crystal Reports, Crystal Decisions, Intelligent Question, and Xcelsius are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects in the United States and/or other countries. All other names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
The Open Group is a vendor-neutral and technology-neutral
consortium, whose vision of Boundaryless Information Flow™
will enable access to integrated information, within and among enterprises,
based on open standards and global interoperability.
IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced new software and resources to help mid-sized customers more effectively manage the quality of their software and network infrastructures, just like their counterparts in large enterprises. The new software underscores IBM’s expanded focus on providing small and mid-sized businesses with the solutions necessary to remain competitive in the market.
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0311610.htm
