When an end-user files a trouble ticket or calls the help desk, it's already too late. The majority of organizations want to be able to resolve application performance issues before they have any business impact.
For that reason, businesses are looking for application performance monitoring solutions that would allow them to be more proactive and see potential problems coming before they affect end-users.
To be truly successful in providing application performance management services, telecom carriers need to build their offerings around products that will enable them to achieve this goal.
Some telecommunications carriers have already built robust portfolios of managed application performance management services. Global Crossing, BT, Verizon Business and Orange Business Services are some of the providers offering advanced APM capabilities by partnering with vendors such as Virtual Network Systems (a division of Fluke Networks), InfoVista or Ipanema Technologies.
These solutions allow carriers to provide some key APM functionalities, like measuring the quality of end-user experience, comparing actual performance to SLAs, and advanced troubleshooting and alerting capabilities.
Cisco also understands the potential of the market for application performance management services. Even though it doesn't have a specific APM product in its portfolio, Cisco grouped different solutions to enable carriers to offer application performance management services that include its network management technologies.
APM capabilities are provided by Cisco partners (predominantly InfoVista and Fluke Networks), and Cisco's Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) capabilities offer WAN optimization and network traffic management.