Opsware

Opsware was a Sunnyvale, California-based enterprise software company focused on automating large-scale information-technology infrastructure. Its products helped organizations provision servers, configure network equipment, enforce operating policies, apply patches, generate compliance reports, and automate repeatable operational procedures. The company served enterprises, service providers, government organizations, and other customers managing complex and distributed computing environments. The business began as Loudcloud, founded on September 9, 1999, by Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Tim Howes, and In Sik Rhee. Loudcloud initially operated as a managed-services provider and was an early participant in the development of what later became known as cloud computing and infrastructure as a service. Rather than only selling software, it initially operated infrastructure on behalf of customers. This model required the company to develop extensive internal tooling for automating server deployment, configuration, monitoring, and maintenance. Loudcloud raised substantial venture and growth capital during the early internet period, including a reported $120 million financing round in June 2000. The operating-services business was sold to EDS in 2002. After that transaction, the remaining company changed its name to Opsware and concentrated on commercializing the infrastructure-management software created for Loudcloud's own operations. This shift transformed the company from a managed-services operator into a specialized enterprise software vendor. Opsware expanded its product portfolio through both internal development and acquisitions. Tangram Enterprise Solutions added asset-management capabilities in 2004. Rendition Networks, acquired in 2005, strengthened the company's network-device configuration and management offering. CreekPath, acquired in 2006, contributed data-center automation technology, including capabilities related to storage provisioning. In 2007, Opsware acquired iConclude and incorporated its run-book automation technology into a broader process-automation strategy. The company's principal product families were the Server Automation System, Network Automation System, and Process Automation System. Server Automation System supported provisioning, policy enforcement, patching, and compliance management across Windows, Unix, and Linux servers. Network Automation System addressed provisioning, configuration, security lockdown, software management, and compliance reporting for equipment from many network vendors. Process Automation System provided run-book and workflow automation for data-center operations. Opsware also supplied technology that was commercialized by Cisco Systems under the Network Compliance Manager name. In July 2007, Hewlett-Packard announced an agreement to acquire Opsware for $1.65 billion in cash, or $14.25 per share. The transaction closed on September 21, 2007. HP incorporated Opsware's technology into its software portfolio and marketed the products under HP software brands, including HP Server Automation, HP Network Automation, and HP Operations Orchestration. Opsware therefore ceased to operate as an independent company, but its technology continued through successive corporate owners. HP's software activities later became part of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, were combined with Micro Focus in a 2017 spin-merge, and became part of OpenText after its acquisition of Micro Focus in 2023. The former Opsware capabilities are now associated with OpenText's hybrid-cloud-management portfolio.

Opsware's history began with Loudcloud, a company founded on September 9, 1999, by Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Tim Howes, and In Sik Rhee. Loudcloud was established as a managed-services provider during the expansion of internet businesses and sought to operate computing infrastructure for customers rather than requiring every customer to build and administer its own environment. Its approach anticipated later infrastructure-as-a-service and software-as-a-service models. The company developed software internally to automate the deployment, configuration, maintenance, and operation of large numbers of servers. Loudcloud attracted significant financing during the early technology boom. In June 2000, it reportedly raised $120 million, a financing round described at the time as unusually large for a second round. The company nevertheless faced the difficult economics and changing market conditions associated with internet infrastructure services. In the summer of 2002, it sold the operating side of its managed-services business to EDS. This transaction left the technology business that had supported Loudcloud's operations. The remaining company adopted the name Opsware and changed its commercial focus from running infrastructure for customers to selling automation software to enterprises. Opsware's software strategy was based on automating the server lifecycle and extending the same control principles to networks, storage, and operational workflows. Its Server Automation System was designed to provision and manage Windows, Unix, and Linux servers at scale. It supported policy enforcement, patching, and compliance reporting, allowing administrators to apply standardized configurations across large server estates. The Network Automation System addressed network-device provisioning, configuration, software management, security lockdown, and compliance across equipment from many vendors and product families. The company expanded through acquisitions. Tangram Enterprise Solutions, acquired in 2004, brought asset-management functionality. Rendition Networks, acquired in February 2005, strengthened network configuration management. CreekPath, acquired in July 2006, contributed data-center automation technology and capabilities for provisioning storage components. In 2007, Opsware acquired iConclude, a Seattle-based provider of run-book automation. The iConclude technology became the foundation of the Process Automation System, which was intended to automate repeatable operational procedures and connect infrastructure-management tasks into broader workflows. Opsware's customer base included HP, GE, EDS, the United States federal government, and other large enterprises. Its technology was also commercialized through a relationship with Cisco Systems, which offered a related network-compliance product under the Cisco Network Compliance Manager name. These relationships reflected the company's focus on complex environments containing many server types, network-device models, operating systems, and organizational policies. In July 2007, Hewlett-Packard announced that it had agreed to acquire Opsware for $1.65 billion in cash, equivalent to $14.25 per share. The transaction closed on September 21, 2007. HP made Opsware part of its software activities and continued selling or integrating the technology under HP product names, including HP Server Automation, HP Network Automation, and HP Operations Orchestration. Opsware was no longer an independent company after the acquisition. The subsequent corporate history of the technology followed HP's software businesses. HP's 2015 corporate separation placed the relevant software operations within Hewlett Packard Enterprise. In 2017, the HPE Software business group was combined with UK-based Micro Focus through a spin-merge transaction. OpenText acquired Micro Focus in 2023. As a result, the capabilities that originated at Opsware are now associated with OpenText's hybrid cloud management software portfolio rather than marketed as an independent Opsware brand.

• 2023

  Micro Focus acquired by OpenText

  [1]Opswareen.wikipedia.org

  OpenText acquired Micro Focus, placing the former Opsware software lineage within OpenText's portfolio.

• 2017

  HPE Software combines with Micro Focus

  [1]Opswareen.wikipedia.org

  The former HP Software business group within Hewlett Packard Enterprise was combined with Micro Focus through a spin-merge transaction.

• 2007

  iConclude acquired

  [1]Opswareen.wikipedia.org

  Opsware acquired iConclude and used its run-book automation technology to develop a broader process-automation offering.

• 2007

  HP announces acquisition

  [1]Opswareen.wikipedia.org

  Hewlett-Packard announced a $1.65 billion all-cash agreement to acquire Opsware.

• 2007

  Acquisition closes

  [1]Opswareen.wikipedia.org

  HP completed its acquisition of Opsware on September 21, ending the company's status as an independent business.

• 2006

  CreekPath acquired

  [1]Opswareen.wikipedia.org

  Opsware acquired CreekPath for its data-center automation technology and storage-provisioning capabilities.

• 2005

  Rendition Networks acquired

  [1]Opswareen.wikipedia.org

  The acquisition of Rendition Networks expanded Opsware's network-device configuration-management capabilities.

• 2004

  Tangram Enterprise Solutions acquired

  [1]Opswareen.wikipedia.org

  Opsware acquired Tangram Enterprise Solutions to add asset-management capabilities to its infrastructure-automation offering.

• 2002

  Managed-services operations sold to EDS

  [1]Opswareen.wikipedia.org

  Loudcloud sold the operating side of its managed-services business to EDS and subsequently concentrated on infrastructure-management software.

• 2002

  Company becomes Opsware

  [1]Opswareen.wikipedia.org

  Following the EDS transaction, the remaining technology company adopted the Opsware name and commercialized software originally developed for Loudcloud's operations.

Showing the 10 most recent.

Opsware positioned itself as an automation platform for enterprises operating large, heterogeneous IT environments. Its value proposition centered on reducing manual infrastructure work, standardizing configuration, improving policy and compliance control, and making server, network, storage, and operational workflows repeatable at scale.

• Server lifecycle automation

  Server Automation System

  Server Automation System was designed to provision, configure, patch, and govern large fleets of Windows, Unix, and Linux servers. It supported policy enforcement and compliance reporting, helping enterprise administrators apply consistent configurations across thousands of machines. After HP acquired Opsware, the product was marketed as HP Server Automation software and later continued through successor enterprise-software portfolios.

• Network configuration and compliance management

  Network Automation System

  Network Automation System automated provisioning, configuration, security lockdown, software management, and compliance reporting for network devices. It was intended to operate across equipment from many vendors, models, and network operating-system versions. Related technology was also OEMed by Cisco Systems under the Network Compliance Manager name and later sold by HP under the HP Network Automation brand.

• IT process and run-book automation · 2007

  Process Automation System

  Process Automation System provided run-book automation for repeatable data-center and IT operations. It originated from technology associated with iConclude, which Opsware acquired in 2007. The system was intended to connect operational steps into managed workflows and was later marketed by HP as HP Operations Orchestration.

• Data-center infrastructure automation · 2006

  Data Center Automation

  Opsware's data-center automation capabilities were expanded through the acquisition of CreekPath in 2006. They added automation for storage-related infrastructure and supported the company's broader objective of coordinating server, network, and storage provisioning in enterprise data centers.

• 2017

  Former HP Software business combines with Micro FocusM&A

  Background

  Following HP's separation into HP Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, the former Opsware product lineage was part of the HPE Software business.

  Action taken

  HPE's Software business group was combined with Micro Focus through a spin-merge transaction.

  Aftermath

  The former Opsware products moved into Micro Focus's enterprise software portfolio and later into OpenText after its 2023 acquisition of Micro Focus.

  Source

• 2007

  Hewlett-Packard acquisition of OpswareM&A

  Background

  HP sought to expand its data-center and enterprise software capabilities through Opsware's infrastructure-automation products.

  Action taken

  HP agreed to acquire Opsware for $1.65 billion in cash, or $14.25 per share, and completed the transaction on September 21, 2007.

  Aftermath

  Opsware ceased to operate independently. Its products were integrated into HP's software business and marketed under HP product names.

  Acquisition consideration. $1.65 billion cash acquisition (Announced July 2007; completed September 21, 2007)

  Source

• 2002

  Shift from managed services to infrastructure softwareStrategy

  Background

  Loudcloud had operated managed infrastructure for customers while developing automation tools for its own service operations.

  Action taken

  After selling its operating business to EDS, the company adopted the Opsware name and focused on selling the underlying server-lifecycle and infrastructure-automation technology.

  Aftermath

  The strategic shift established Opsware as an enterprise software vendor and formed the basis for its later server, network, storage, and process-automation products.

  Source

• 2023

  Former Opsware software enters the OpenText portfolio[1]Opswareen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  After the former HP Software business became part of Micro Focus in 2017, OpenText acquired Micro Focus in 2023. Former Opsware tools were subsequently grouped within OpenText's hybrid cloud management offerings.

• 2007

  Hewlett-Packard agrees to acquire Opsware[1]Opswareen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  HP announced an agreement to buy Opsware for $1.65 billion in cash, valuing the enterprise-software company at $14.25 per share.

• 2007

  HP completes acquisition of Opsware[1]Opswareen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The acquisition of Opsware by Hewlett-Packard was completed on September 21, 2007, ending Opsware's independent corporate existence.

• 2007

  Opsware acquires iConclude[1]Opswareen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Product generation

  Opsware acquired Seattle-based iConclude and its run-book automation software, adding process-automation capabilities to its data-center-management portfolio.

1. 1Opswareen.wikipedia.org