IBM recently announced it has acquired Intelliden, Inc., a privately held provider of network solutions with headquarters in Menlo Park, California. Intelliden solutions manage the operational lifecycle of heterogeneous network devices and help CSPs accelerate the delivery and enhance quality of next generation services. Intelliden solutions and expertise will strengthen the IBM Integrated Service Management portfolio for Network and Service Assurance.

IBM's first product foray into the realm of flow-based, application-aware network performance management - IBM Tivoli Netcool Performance Flow Analyzer (TNPFA) - provides visibility into the composition of network traffic  and helps service providers  plan for capacity and troubleshoot problems. TNPFA complements the IBM Tivoli Netcool portfolio by improving both troubleshooting speed and planning accuracy. The flow-based data improves problem and incident investigations starting within the network domain, by adding color and understanding to just how, for instance, a congested link is being used and where the problematic traffic is originating from or going to.

Extreme Networks, Inc., a leader in high performance converged enterprise and data center networks recently announced that it is expanding the flexibility and power of its network operating system, ExtremeXOS®, by achieving certified interoperability with IBM’s Tivoli Netcool OMNIbus and IBM Tivoli Network Manager.

As part of Tivoli’s Netcool Technology program, the companies have completed integration of the ExtremeXOS operating system, IBM Tivoli Netcool OMNIbus and IBM Tivoli Network Manager to help customers to reduce the burden of complex IT and network operation management tasks.

We're excited to bring our smarter communications solutions to TMForum's Management World 2010 in Nice, France (May 18-20) – solutions that address your business imperatives - to enable new services and business models, differentiate the customer experience and improve operational efficiencies and reduce costs.

Come visit our booth (#44 in Expo Hall 2), join us when we deliver four presentations, and meet with IBM industry executives who can discuss your specific imperatives, the latest industry challenges and IBM's responses to them.

Pulse Comes to You brings the excitement, education and experience of our global conference, Pulse 2010, to over 20 cities worldwide! Last year, Pulse Comes to You demonstrated how a dynamic infrastructure through service management can integrate your business and IT to deliver new, innovative services and help build a smarter planet.

Join us at Pulse Comes to You 2010 and deepen your understanding of what service management means for a dynamic infrastructure.