The increased focus on unified security, network optimization and application acceleration has resulted in an explosion of new technologies, specialty devices and vendors. The proliferation of high-speed connectivity networks and logical overlay networks - all running over the same physical links - have made it all but impossible for network teams to maintain consistent security, access, audit and change control using manual processes and device-specific management tools.

There has never been a greater need for automated network management. But most suppliers of management software are struggling to keep pace with the shifting composition of today's multi-vendor, multi-dimensional enterprise networks. This paper presents the case for a more agile approach for supplying the management solutions necessary to support today's networks - open network management for open networks.