EM7 Tips: Virtual Devices

What is it?
EM7 Virtual Devices allows customers to build a business-process defined view with customized events for a group of IT services and processes running on multiple devices. Depending on your needs, you can set up Virtual Devices to manage service levels for specific applications, service offerings, customer environments and more. Using this function enables EM7 customers to deploy a true business service management solution that shows IT operations performance and availability the way the business needs to see it.

Who's using it?
Leading network-based gateway company providing merchants with a single interface to all major payment providers. In 2005, this customer will process more than 1 billion transactions representing a total of nearly $40 billion in sales.

How are they using it?
State-of-the-art network services were developed to exceed the demanding standards of the payments industry for availability, security and proactive monitoring. They use EM7 to monitor how well its IT infrastructure is performing for customers - both merchants and credit card processors - at a transaction level and rolled up to a customer view. They also offer additional applications and services to support their customers' business needs. Using EM7, the IT staff works to maximize uptime and optimize IT service delivery.

Customized EM7 Virtual Devices that track:
1) Credit Card authorization and settlement transaction performance for each of its customers and
2) Performance and availability of custom-built services and applications

How does it help the business?
For their deployment to date, this EM7 customer has created over 500 event definitions that specify what the issue is, where it has occurred and who/what it affects. It takes some work, but it's work that pays off in higher uptime and service levels, more rapid problem resolution and very satisfied customers. Once they spent the time and effort to create the initial Virtual Devices, they were "ahead of the curve" for future projects; creating Virtual Devices is now a part of the company's new service and product rollout process.

Advice for other EM7 customers?
To get the most out of the EM7 Virtual Devices feature, customers need to understand how IT really supports their business. This requires defining meaningful IT operations metrics and event definitions within EM7 to support proactive service level management.