It’ll be here before you know it – xChange 2011, Serena’s global user conference from September 19-21 in Las Vegas, Nevada! I just got an advanced look into the “SBM and IT Process Automation” track from Amita Abraham, group product marketing manager for Serena Business Manager (SBM) and Serena Service Manager.
KP: So, our last poll indicates that more than 60% of those registered for the conference want to know what’s new and exciting with SBM. What do you have in store for them?
AA: We’re thrilled about all the interest in SBM! Our customers have quickly recognized that they can leverage the power of SBM to automate processes well beyond the application and product development realm – to streamline IT service management (ITSM) processes as well as those that support their core business operations. So we’ve packed our “SBM and IT Process Automation” track with sessions led by their peers and our product experts that will focus on how to get the most out of their SBM investments – best practices, product deep dives, and a slew of case studies.
We will also showcase the newest release of Serena Service Manager, our SBM-powered solution for IT Service Management (ITSM).
KP: Why the focus on ITSM and what can our customers expect to take away from the sessions on Serena Service Manager?
AA: We polled our customer base and found that 300+ customers use SBM to automate ITSM processes today. Another 1/3 of our base has been clamoring for an alternative to complex packaged ITSM solutions of old from the likes of BMC, CA and HP that are unintuitive and expensive to use and maintain and the “my way or the highway” SaaS offerings for ITSM that are out there. Since Serena Service Manager is powered by SBM, it has all the right ingredients to alleviate those challenges around flexibility, visibility and usability. And you can automate other core IT processes with the same solution. Whether a customer is considering extending or replacing their ITSM capabilities, the sessions that we have lined up will be of value.
KP: I see that there are a lot of customer-led sessions. Which ones are you looking forward to?
AA: Without a doubt, WebMD and Worthington Industries. They will talk about why they focused on a process-based approach to ITSM – from incident, problem, and change management right through to release management. Also, I wouldn’t miss AgustaWestland, the helicopter manufacturer. They used SBM to reduce customer service request response times from 6 weeks to 6 minutes. And CareerBuilder is going to speak about uniting the power of SBM with existing investments in SharePoint – a “don’t miss” for customers that use SharePoint as their document store and portal.
KP: Thanks, Amita. Going to be a great track.
