Opsware Unveils Channel Program For Software Automation Solutions

Opsware last week launched its Opsware Authorized Partner Program aimed at enabling partners, including distributors, solution providers and vendors, to deliver the company's data center automation solutions.

Opsware's software allows clients to automate such operations as provisioning, change management, patch management, application deployment, and configuration tracking across Windows, Linux, and Unix platforms, company officials said.

Solution providers who sign up for the program are provided not-for-resale software for training and demonstration purposes, the officials said. The program also offers solution providers education, certification programs, instructor-led and Web-based training, and a channel Web portal.

Among the initial partners signing up for the program are EDS, which acquired the MSP business of the former Loudcloud when that company became Opsware, as well as Dallas-based solution provider Entessa.

The Opsware technology decreases the cost and increases the speed of certain software provisioning tasks, said Tim Howe, CTO and executive vice president development for Opsware. For instance, if a customer has a large hardware deployment, using the Opsware application can dramatically reduce the time to distribute software for that hardware, he said.

Opsware technology also speeds up changes in an IT infrastructure by allowing patches and upgrades to applications to be deployed quickly, Howe said.

For HP, becoming a partner of Opsware is the latest step towards achieving HP's Utility Data Center vision, said Howe.

HP's Utility Data Center already had virtualization technology as well as technology within the company's OpenView management framework for monitoring and metering IT resources, said Howe. The Opsware technology completes HP's offering with technology for software automation. "HP is now the first player with a complete utility solution," he said.

David Kelleher, manager of HP's Utility Center, said HP's use of the Opsware technology is not aimed at channel partners at this time. "But over time, we will make our Utility Data Center offering resalable," he said.