CA co-founder outlines growth plans
Russ Artzt talks innovation, growth and how CA's channel partners fit into its strategy
Russ Artzt: CA as a company is innovating again
CA’s co-founder is keen to spread the word that the vendor is gunning for growth and is in full innovation mode.
Russ Artzt, vice chairman and co-founder of the software giant, which changed its name this week to CA Technologies, spoke to CRN about CA’s plans for cloud computing and virtualisation and how its push translates into opportunities for the channel, and also about the recent appointment of Bill McCracken as chief executive.
“Bill knows our company and is a tremendous leader,” Artzt said. “He is a growth-oriented guy and believes in teamwork and providing excellent customer service. Together we have put together a strategy that is going to get us in good shape.”
He added that the vendor is gunning for the ‘emerging enterprise’ market – described as being the 15-20,000 firms that sit below the traditional Global 2000 players – a market worth between $300m and $2bn.
Earlier this week the vendor outlined its cloud computing and virtualisation strategies, launching a raft of products and initiatives aimed at attracting new customers, and improving the business processes of existing customers.
“Bill is a main driver of our cloud strategy – being here for the acquisition of Nimsoft and 3Tera,” Artzt said, adding that the Nimsoft acquisition in particular will give CA access to untapped markets.
“This acquisition will give us new customers and partners that we have never had. The technology is geared around MSPs and enables us to add new customers. Gary Read [Nimsoft chief executive and now head of the Nimsoft unit at CA] is a great guy and happy to take the business forward,” Artzt added.
He explained that CA intends to keep Nimsoft as a standalone business unit – but with the intention of integrating the technology into CA.
“There is a lot of frustration out there at the moment with many companies hampered by big, complex, heavyweight systems. Nimsoft is nimble and is appealing to these guys,” he said.
The combined products will also benefit CA’s channel partners, Artzt said.
“In the past the main product we have sold through the channel is ArcServe – mainly to the SMB market. However we are finding that a number of ArcServe partners are very excited about selling Nimsoft as well. This can be sold on demand and we intend to add even more capabilities to Nimsoft, but in a methodical and integrated way. To me customers are looking for agility, simplicity and integration. We want to give it to them.”
In terms of cloud, the aim is for CA to develop a whole platform of both cloud and virtualisation offerings, Artzt said.
“With cloud and virtualisation – they are leading each other. We want to integrate them for the emerging enterprise.”
When asked if there was one thing he wanted channel partners and customers to take away from this year’s event, Artzt said: “I would like people to realise that CA as a company is innovating again. CA is a technology leader and a thought leader. If they go away with that message, I will be happy.”