Waiting For Proof

CA is making a big play to revamp its image -- and rescue its future -- with a new name, 26 new products, a new strategy but the jury is still out on what the vendor's prospects are. In last week's Systems Management Pipeline poll, most of the respondents say they are still at least somewhat skeptical about CA's software and the company's future. Seventy-two percent said that CA's past mistakes are causing them to either reserve judgment until they see more or that that the company's past transgressions are so severe that there is little the company can do to reverse their negative opinion.Given CA's checkered history, it really isn't all that surprising that the vendor faces such a steep uphill battle to repair its reputation. Only 11 percent of the poll respondents said the CA's announcements and its strategic plans are impressive. Thirty-three percent said it is hard to trust the vendor given its past history.

Clearly, the ball is in CA's court. Early reviews on both the company's new software and its work to integrate enterprise data from multiple applications are good. And industry watchers are optimistic about the vendor's strategic business plans. But it is still too early to tell how the vendor's most important audience - its existing enterprise customers and prospective clients -- will receive the company's efforts. For that, we will all have to wait and see.