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Conference 35.181::insurance

Title:Insurance Industry Conference
Moderator:ICPSRV::DOVE
Created:Thu Feb 18 1988
Last Modified:Wed Feb 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:136
Total number of notes:551

65.0. "Network Management" by POCUS::OHARA (Bob 352-2968) Wed Jan 25 1989 15:47

    In December Met Life informed us that they had undertaken a major
    project to evaluate the major vendors of network management software
    and services (read: IBM and AT&T) so as to enable them to set their
    future net mgmt strategies.  Digital was invited, as a late entry,
    to present our strategy and direction.
    
    Curiously, New York Life and Aetna did the same thing at the same
    time.  Coincidence?  Especially if you consider that OUR net mgmt
    project has hit the skids recently.
    
    Has any other account done this recently?  Not to be paranoid, but
    is IBM trying to capitalize on our current problems, influencing
    their Insurance customers to set their strategy NOW, effectively
    locking us out?
    
    I think we should have ONE consistant story to tell to all our 
    customers, possibly a single presentation each of us can deliver
    to our customer.  We can't afford to sing different hymns.  It could
    come back to haunt us.
    
    Who should develop this presentation?  
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65.1METLIFE HELP?OTOO01::JAYWed Jan 25 1989 17:4812
    I HANDLE METLIFE IN CANADA. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE
    OPPORTUNITY AND THE RESULTS.
    FROM DISCUSSIONS WITH METLIFE TYPES LOCALLY IT WOULD APPEAR THAT
    THEY ARE LOOKING TO A. REDUCE # OF O/S TO 1  IE MVS AND VM TO MVS
                        B. AUGMENT EFFECTIVENESS VIA PCS
                        C. USE TECHNOLOGY TO GET A MARKETING EDGE
    
    ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED
    
    LINCOLN JAY 
    OTO 7/3
    DTN 633-3741
65.2What skids?POBOX::MCDEVITTEverybody out to the field!Sun Jan 29 1989 23:5512
    Bob, am I missing something? When and in what form did "our net
    mgmt project hit the skids lately?" What project? And what kind
    of network is Met talking about?
    
    Did Met invite us in to discuss how we would look at and solve their
    business problem, or did they invite us in to explain some perceived
    difficulties we might be having? What was the nature of their
    perception? What might IBM be capitalizing upon?
    
    This is all news. It needs some explanation.
    
    Ed McDevitt
65.3EMA in Phase 0HOCUS::OHARABob 352-2968Mon Jan 30 1989 08:0313
    Ed
    
    EMA (Enterprise Management Architecture) is no longer available
    for PID.  Reason?  What we spent the last 2 years doing must be
    redone.  That's all I've been told.
    
    What Met wants is one or two vendors on which to base their network
    management design of the future.  They will consider DEC, and No,
    they do not know our current situation.
    
    However, I find it curious that 3 major companies are doing the
    same thing at the same time.  I've been fighting IBM so long I smell
    a big blue rat.
65.4IBM Plot to Exploit Network Management WeaknessCTOAVX::MURPHYWed Mar 08 1989 19:4422
    We have been receiving some disturbing RFP's lately from AEtna that
    intimate a very focused and calculating strategy by IBM (and AT&T)
    to exploit our current network management plight.
    
    One RFP was to propose a solution to "DECnet over SNA" to allow remote
    access to VAX-based applications by IBM terminals and DEC terminals,
    and to "simplify multivendor network management."  (Our main
    competition was IBM/Interlink and a company called Forrest something
    or other.  I've never even heard of them.)
    
    We've also had a lot of pressure in the network management space.
    AEtna has Netview installed, and might pilot AT&T's UNMA.  They're
    looking for a multivendor solution, and they are not willing to
    wait until EMA is deliverable.  I have already documented our situation
    and the various delay tactics I have employed to maintain our chances.
    I sent this information to Marlboro with an urgent request that
    more software engineering resources be applied to the task, and
    that time to market be a priority.
    
    The coincidence of AEtna, New York Life, and Met. all receiving
    similar requests was discoved at a recent class where representatives
    from each sales team were present.  It is a fact, and is very disturbing.