Monday, June 06, 2005

Why Quest's acquisition of Vintela is good for you


NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: DAVE KEARNS ON WINDOWS NETWORKING TIPS
06/06/05
Today's focus: Why Quest's acquisition of Vintela is good for
you

Dear networking.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* Quest acquires another Active Directory tools vendor
* Links related to Windows Networking Tips
* Featured reader resource
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Quest Software
Essential Guide: An NDS-to-Active Directory Migration

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and a new generation of Active
Directory. Now NDS users can securely and reliably migrate to
Active Directory with true coexistence, minimizing impact on
users. This Essential Guide titled: An NDS-to-Active Directory
Migration helps you plan your migration. Get your copy today
and start your move to the world's directory platform of choice.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=105705
_______________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________

Today's focus: Why Quest's acquisition of Vintela is good for
you

By Dave Kearns

The hottest part of Windows networking these days is Active
Directory. The upcoming R2 update for Windows Server 2003 is
fairly ho-hum - except for the identity management parts tied to
Active Directory (see "Running Microsoft's R2 up a flagpole,"
link below). As a result, third party companies that offer
Active Directory-enabled products are ripe for acquisition.

Quest software has been acquiring Active Directory related
third-party vendors for almost five years in a shopping spree
that includes Fastlane and Aelita (see
<http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/nt/2004/0209nt2.html>
). So it came as no surprise when Quest announced last week
plans to acquire Vintela, a company best known for tools that
enable single sign-on to Windows, Unix, Linux and Java-based
desktops via the auspices of Active Directory (see
<http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/nt/2004/0726nt1.html>
).

Vintela's extension of simplified sign-on to various non-Windows
platforms certainly helped move the deal forward, but I believe
that it was other parts of the Vintela product offerings that
really made the deal.

Quest, even before becoming enamored of Active Directory related
technologies, was in the business of platform management, where
"platform" means not only operating system but also applications
(PeopleSoft, Oracle E-Business Suite, Siebel, SAP, and custom
Web applications built with J2EE) and databases (Oracle, SQL
Server, DB2, MySQL, and Sybase). Active Directory, as simply an
instance of a specialized database, was really a natural
progression for Quest.

Vintela, after integrating sign-on among various non-Microsoft
platforms had recently moved on to other integration products -
notably Vintela Group Policy, which extends Windows' Group
Policy management to Linux and Unix platforms. The newest
products leverage Microsoft's Systems Management Server (SMS) by
extending management to Unix, Linux and other non-Microsoft
platforms.

Quest, a management company with a strong appetite for Active
Directory management, and Vintela, a company extending the reach
of Active Directory with an appetite for management, seem - in
retrospect - like a natural match.

Some mergers and acquisitions never quite assimilate. Some take
so long to mesh, that any benefits of the merger are lost along
the way. But Quest has an excellent track record of providing
continuity of acquired products while at the same time
integrating them with its existing product line. One look at
Quest's existing lineup of Active Directory offerings (
<http://wm.quest.com/products/ActiveDirectory/> ) - almost all
of which were acquired or are based on acquired technology -
shows that the company isn't in the business of acquiring
customer lists but is actively seeking out new ways to create
real benefit for networks, network users and - very importantly
- network managers. Also, look at Quest's offerings for
Exchange, SQLServer and more general Windows management.

This merger should be good for everybody - including you, the
network manager.

RELATED EDITORIAL LINKS

Running Microsoft's R2 up a flagpole
Network World, 05/16/05
http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt2388

Microsoft seeks to sync up software
Network World, 06/06/05
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2005/060605-teched.html?rl
_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Dave Kearns

Dave Kearns is a writer and consultant in Silicon Valley. He's
written a number of books including the (sadly) now out of print
"Peter Norton's Complete Guide to Networks." His musings can be
found at Virtual Quill <http://www.vquill.com/>.

Kearns is the author of three Network World Newsletters: Windows
Networking Tips, Novell NetWare Tips, and Identity Management.
Comments about these newsletters should be sent to him at these

respective addresses: <mailto:windows@vquill.com>,
<mailto:netware@vquill.com>, <mailto:identity@vquill.com>.

Kearns provides content services to network vendors: books,
manuals, white papers, lectures and seminars, marketing,
technical marketing and support documents. Virtual Quill
provides "words to sell by..." Find out more by e-mail at
<mailto:info@vquill.com>
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Quest Software
Essential Guide: An NDS-to-Active Directory Migration

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and a new generation of Active
Directory. Now NDS users can securely and reliably migrate to
Active Directory with true coexistence, minimizing impact on
users. This Essential Guide titled: An NDS-to-Active Directory
Migration helps you plan your migration. Get your copy today
and start your move to the world's directory platform of choice.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=105704
_______________________________________________________________
ARCHIVE LINKS

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daily: http://www.networkworld.com/topics/windows.html

Operating Systems Research Center:
http://www.networkworld.com/topics/operating-systems.html

Archive of the Windows Networking Tips newsletter:
http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/nt/index.html
_______________________________________________________________
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