Event
Summary
Peregrine Systems made some key moves to consolidate its strengths in
asset management. First, it entered into a partnership with Motive Communications.
Motive specializes in augmenting and bypassing help desk personnel by
providing tools that allow individuals with IT problems to diagnose and
repair their own desktop machines.
Peregrine
will license a version of MotiveNet Server. This product allows users
to automatically diagnose problems and initiate self-repair operations.
Should these be insufficient users will make contact over the Internet
with support staff using a combination of Motive's technology and Peregrine's
Get.Help! self-service application. Motive and Peregrine have promised
to develop tight integration between the two companies' product suites.
Peregrine
also announced two partnerships with service provider companies. The company
signed with KPMG Consulting, LLC to jointly develop infrastructure management
solutions for the transportation industry. The solutions will cover IT,
real estate and facility assets. KPMG will contribute its industry expertise
and will have its consultants trained in Peregrine's solutions. Peregrine
will contribute its entire suite of applications, including ServiceCenter,
AssetCenter, FacilityCenter, FleetAnywhere, InfraTools, Knowlix and
its new line of employee self service "Weblications" known as Get.It!
Peregrine also entered into a global partnership agreement with the British
consultancy CI, a specialist in corporate asset management and desktop
security. Under the agreement CI will deploy Peregrine's AssetCenter and
InfraTools Desktop Discovery products to customers of both companies.
Desktop Discovery can take inventory of desktops systems and their current
configuration from a single point. AssetCenter manages all assets that
are critical to the business mission.
Market
Impact
This is a strong trio of moves for Peregrine. In substance they strengthen
both its asset management product line and its overall ability to deliver
solutions to customers. In combination with the Harbinger merger they
indicate that Peregrine is capable of expanding and acting on many fronts
simultaneously, reinforcing its image as a strong competitor that is likely
to be with us for a long time.
Given
estimates suggesting that a company can save between $1,500 and $2,500
on the annual cost of a single PC using judicious asset management, and
given the difficulties of recruiting, training and keeping help desk personnel,
Peregrine will be an increasingly attractive asset management solution
to large companies, where the potential savings can be in the millions
of dollars. This positions them to introduce their self-service Get.It!
applications into the largest enterprises, putting them into head-to-head
competition with a number of vendors in that space, including Ariba and
Commerce One, neither of which has shown the same energy in attacking
the asset management problem.
User
Recommendations
Peregrine and Motive have promised to release an integrated support solution
during the summer. Given Peregrine's recent track record we think users
can feel confident that the release will take place, and consequently
those interested in such a solution can begin looking at it now.