CA readies utility software

Computer Associates International is readying an update to its systems management software that will make it easier to track computing resources and fix problems, the company said. The software, called Unicenter, will include a technology that the company calls "sonar," which is a key piece of CA's strategy for managing utility, or on-demand, computing systems.

CA will provide additional details of how the software will work within the next few months and plans to ship the product by year's end, said Yogesh Gupta, CA's chief technology officer. The sonar-equipped release of Unicenter will let companies make better use of computing resources and potentially save money, the company said. Unicenter competes with systems management software from IBM and Hewlett-Packard.