ABSTRACT
Applications are evolving from those that facilitated a single business function (e.g., accounting and payroll) to integrated application environments that facilitate business processes spanning entire enterprises or the extended enterprises. This evolution entails more people, planning, and ongoing management, especially for mission-critical applications that must maintain a high level of availability. With such increasing complexity and the increased amount of time and skill needed to keep up with the rapidly changing technology cycles, organizations are increasingly seeking outside assistance to deploy, manage, and enhance their applications.
