HCL Comnet has launched a Web-based network management service called
routermanage.com. The service, to be priced at as little as Rs 1,000 per month,
is expected to be the next big wave in the IT industry. It will enable companies
to monitor and manage their networks remotely without the headache of upgrading
network management systems or retaining dedicated employees for the job.
Targeted specifically at corporates, ISPs and upcoming dotcoms, the service will
enable clients to focus on core business issues. The estimated size of the
Management Service Provider (MSP), a word coined by the Gartner Group, is around
$2 billion by 2003.
The service will monitor the network and provide instant alerts about any
potential problem that can affect operations, thereby enabling clients to offer
better service to their customers. Besides, it can also provide data about the
user profile, page views and the traffic pattern. Whenever a customer requires
any information, it will be conveyed through e-mail. Instant alerts will be
through pagers, cell phones or any other preferred mode.
The service will be offered on a free trial basis to 3,000 select customers
till the global launch on August 15. The project, which was conceived in
September 1999, went through intensive research before its beta launch in May.
HCL Comnet has already signed up 26 customers in addition to those who had
availed the service during its beta launch. Estimating the size of the Indian
market to be Rs 120 crore, HCL Comnet president Vineet Nayar said that a major
chunk of its customers would be from the US and Europe with Indian clients
accounting for just 25 per cent.