OPSW Opsware (MM)

Opsware Inc. (Nasdaq:OPSW), the leading provider of IT automation and utility computing software, today announced that Computer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE:CA), one of the world's largest management software companies, has certified the Opsware's Network Automation System (NAS) as being interoperable with Unicenter Network and Systems Management (Unicenter NSM). The seamless integration of Opsware with Unicenter NSM helps companies better manage their networks to comply with standards and regulations such as ITIL and Sarbanes-Oxley, and achieve greater operational efficiency through automation -- a fundamental aspect of a utility computing environment. Opsware NAS automates the operational life-cycle of all network devices including change and configuration management, compliance management and process automation. To enable closed-loop network change management, Opsware's NAS provides tight 2-way integration with third-party network management systems and trouble ticketing systems. The integration of Opsware's NAS with Unicenter NSM enables IT organizations to manage and view network element configurations based on the IT services they support, and it keeps those configurations consistent with organizational guidelines in a dynamically changing environment. Unicenter NSM reduces the complexity of deployment and use of network devices by applying self-managing capabilities, which deliver high levels of automation for configuring and maintaining the network. This is critical for utility computing, since resources are continually re-allocated to services based on demand. The integration between the two solutions enhances automation of network management by forwarding change-related events and information on network devices, in real-time, from Opsware NAS to the Unicenter NSM console. For example, changes and attempts at altering network device configurations can be audited and checked against pre-defined policies, such as ITIL or Sarbanes-Oxley, to ensure compliance. This enables network personnel to quickly remediate network configuration situations that could affect the integrity of the organization's network resources or have a negative financial impact on the organization as a result of failed compliance, downtime, or missed SLAs. "Network change and configuration automation is key to increasing efficiency, ensuring policy compliance and transforming IT into an on-demand utility," said Melvin Estrada, Business and Product Manager for Unicenter Network Management solutions at Computer Associates. "By enhancing Unicenter NSM implementations with intelligent, rules-based automation, Opsware NAS can help our customers reap significantly greater returns on their investment in IT infrastructure while implementing proven best practices for network management and technology governance." "Opsware NAS and Unicenter NSM solve a critical problem for companies that are concerned about compliance, or trying to implement more efficient models of computing such as utility computing," said John O'Farrell, executive vice president of business development at Opsware Inc. "As a Unicenter-certified partner, Opsware NAS helps IT organizations further reduce IT costs and complexity by delivering previously unattainable levels of operational efficiency, network uptime, security, and compliance." The integration of Unicenter NSM and Opsware NAS will be demonstrated in the partner section of CA booth 1141 at Networld + Interop (N+I) 2005 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, in Las Vegas, Nevada from May 2-5, 2005. About Opsware Inc. (Nasdaq:OPSW) Opsware Inc. is the world's leading IT automation and utility computing software company. The growth of the Internet is driving a shift from client/server computing to Web architecture. With this shift comes an overwhelming proliferation of servers, networking devices and applications, creating massive complexity that makes an automated IT model a necessity. Opsware automates the complete IT lifecycle and delivers utility computing by enabling IT to automatically provision, patch, configure, secure, change, scale, audit, recover, consolidate, migrate, and reallocate servers, network devices and applications. Over 280 of the world's largest companies, outsourcers and government agencies use Opsware to deliver this new, automated model of IT. For more information on Opsware Inc., please visit our Web site at www.opsware.com. Opsware is a service mark and trademark of Opsware Inc. All other product names, service marks, and trademarks mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners. This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding our Opsware Network Automation System. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements, including the risk that the assumptions underlying our current business strategy may change, that our experience operating as a software company is limited, and that the specified features may not be available in the time frame indicated or perform as described. More information about these and other factors that could affect our business and financial results is included in our Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 15, 2005 under the headings "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and the Forms 10-Q and 8-K that we file during the fiscal year.