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PBNM Software

By now you've heard us talking about how enterprise IT needs to step up and contribute to the bottom line. Simple enough if you're building an SFA (sales-force automation) system or running the e-commerce servers. But say you're a network engineer. Think you're exempt? Nope. You need to look at your network as an asset that can yield dividends, in both hard dollars and less tangible assets. Next-generation applications, like VPNs and QoS, and specialized services, such as videoconferencing, can be worth their weight in bytes -- if they're dependable, secure and available on demand.

That's a tall order, and in some cases, PBNM products help you deliver. The trick is knowing whether PBNM is right for you, and that's what we help you decide. If you're with an xSP looking to wring every drop of revenue from your network, yes. If you're with a large enterprise that wants to enable services without expanding your infrastructure, maybe. If you're looking just to tweak QoS, probably not. If you think PBNM can save money by taking the place of a skilled network engineer, you're way off the mark.

We brought PBNM products from Dorado Software, Gold Wire Technology and Orchestream into our Real-World Labs®. Each product had to be able to change and manage router and switch configurations in a heterogeneous IP network. We focused on the product's ability to deliver a clear ROI, and that, combined with its smart change-delivery capabilities, earned Orchestream's Service Activator top marks.

Finally, in "No Standards, No Policy, No Management", we bemoan the woeful state of standards. This lack is responsible for the limited usefulness of PBNM. Sure, there are a few bright spots on the horizon, including SNMPconf, but let's face facts: It takes a long time for a standard to move from being just a gleam in an engineer's eye to a mature state suitable for inclusion in a PBNM product.