BMC brings self-service to IT workload automation

Business service management specialist BMC Software has unveiled a self-service portal for its Control-M workload automation system, enabling business users to monitor and control services without having to go through the IT helpdesk.

Available now, Control-M Self Service provides end users with a web-based portal that lets them see what is happening with their workload automation services, and make limited changes if necessary.

BMC said that its enterprise customers have been asking for a way to allow business users to perform routine requests themselves, rather than having to submit a helpdesk ticket and wait for the IT department to fulfil the request.

"Job scheduling has always been in the hands of the IT shop, but with Self Service we've built an interface into Control-M that lets the user monitor processes and see when they will be delivered," said Nick Glover, EMEA vice president for sales and software consulting at BMC.

As well as being able check the status of their work and make workload processing changes for their business transactions, customers get access to a service catalogue of predefined workload processes through their portal.

However, the IT department will still be required to define scheduling processes, and the new product is designed to make workload automation more efficient and transparent through the introduction of a limited self-service facility.

"Business users can access services in a safe way that is simple and easy to use without needing any technical knowledge," said Alon Lebenthal, Control-M brand manager at BMC.

Control-M is claimed by BMC as the most widely used scheduling software in enterprise environments, and supports multiple platforms including mainframes as well as Unix, Linux and Windows.

The tool can integrate all of these, plus enterprise applications such as SAP and PeopleSoft, into one large business process, the firm explained.

"Self-service takes this integration one stage further. It's like business service management for workload automation," said Lebenthal.

Pricing for the new product will depend on a customer's exact requirements and the degree to which Control-M is used across their environment.