Opsware

Opsware was a software company that specialized in data center automation and IT management solutions, founded by Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Tim Howes, and In Sik Rhee in 1999. The company's products and services were designed to help IT departments and data centers manage and automate their operations, similar to those offered by BMC Software, CA Technologies, and IBM Tivoli. Opsware's solutions were used by a range of clients, including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services. The company's technology was also compared to that of VMware, Cisco Systems, and EMC Corporation.

● Introduction

Opsware was a key player in the IT management market, providing solutions for server automation, network management, and storage management. The company's products were designed to help IT administrators and data center managers streamline their operations, reduce costs, and improve efficiency, similar to the solutions offered by Red Hat, Novell, and Sun Microsystems. Opsware's technology was also used by managed service providers and cloud computing providers, such as Rackspace, Verizon Business, and AT&T. The company's solutions were compatible with a range of platforms, including Windows Server, Linux, and Unix, and were used by clients in various industries, including finance, healthcare, and government, such as JPMorgan Chase, Kaiser Permanente, and the National Security Agency.

● History

Opsware was founded in 1999 by Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Tim Howes, and In Sik Rhee, with funding from Venture capital firms such as Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, and Kleiner Perkins. The company's early products were focused on server automation and network management, and were designed to help IT departments manage and automate their operations, similar to the solutions offered by HP OpenView, IBM NetView, and CA Unicenter. In the early 2000s, Opsware expanded its product line to include storage management and IT service management solutions, competing with companies like EMC Corporation, NetApp, and BMC Software. The company also partnered with other technology firms, such as Cisco Systems, VMware, and Microsoft, to provide integrated solutions for data center management and cloud computing, similar to the partnerships between Amazon Web Services and Red Hat, and between Google Cloud Platform and Intel.

● Products and Services

Opsware's products and services included server automation solutions, such as Opsware Server Automation System, which allowed IT administrators to automate tasks such as server provisioning and patch management. The company also offered network management solutions, such as Opsware Network Automation System, which provided network discovery, configuration management, and troubleshooting capabilities, similar to those offered by Cisco Works, HP OpenView Network Node Manager, and IBM Tivoli NetView. Additionally, Opsware provided storage management solutions, such as Opsware Storage Automation System, which helped IT administrators manage and automate storage area networks and network-attached storage devices, competing with companies like EMC Corporation, NetApp, and IBM Storage. The company's IT service management solutions, such as Opsware IT Service Management, provided incident management, problem management, and change management capabilities, similar to those offered by BMC Software, CA Technologies, and HP Service Manager.

● Acquisition and Merger

In 2007, Opsware was acquired by Hewlett-Packard for $1.6 billion, in a deal that was seen as a strategic move by HP to expand its IT management and data center automation capabilities, similar to the acquisitions of Mercury Interactive by HP and BMC Software by KKR. The acquisition was also seen as a way for HP to compete more effectively with other IT management vendors, such as IBM, CA Technologies, and BMC Software. After the acquisition, Opsware's products and services were integrated into HP's Software Division, and were rebranded as HP Opsware. The acquisition also led to the development of new products and services, such as HP CloudSystem, which provided a cloud computing platform for enterprise clients, similar to the cloud computing platforms offered by Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.

● Technology and Impact

Opsware's technology was based on a service-oriented architecture that allowed for the integration of multiple IT management and data center automation solutions, similar to the architectures used by IBM Tivoli, CA Unicenter, and HP OpenView. The company's products and services used a range of technologies, including Java, XML, and Web services, to provide a scalable and flexible platform for IT management and data center automation. Opsware's solutions were also designed to be compatible with a range of platforms, including Windows Server, Linux, and Unix, and were used by clients in various industries, including finance, healthcare, and government, such as JPMorgan Chase, Kaiser Permanente, and the National Security Agency. The company's technology was also compared to that of VMware, Cisco Systems, and EMC Corporation, and was seen as a key factor in the company's success and its acquisition by Hewlett-Packard.

● Legacy and Discontinuation

After the acquisition by Hewlett-Packard, Opsware's products and services continued to be developed and supported by HP, and were rebranded as HP Opsware. However, in 2010, HP announced that it would be discontinuing the HP Opsware brand and integrating the products and services into its HP Software Division. The discontinuation of the HP Opsware brand marked the end of an era for the company, which had been a pioneer in the IT management and data center automation market, competing with companies like IBM, CA Technologies, and BMC Software. Despite the discontinuation of the brand, the technology and products developed by Opsware continue to be used by HP and its clients, and have had a lasting impact on the IT management and data center automation industry, similar to the impact of VMware, Cisco Systems, and EMC Corporation on the virtualization, networking, and storage markets. Category:Software companies