Business Technology Optimization

Business Technology Optimization (BTO), is an enterprise software product category focused on helping businesses ensure that every dollar invested in information technology, every resource allocated, and every application in development or production meets business goals. BTO is part of an emerging business philosophy to manage IT resources as a business rather than as a service bureau.Fact|date=January 2008

Unlike software offerings and methodologies that focus on internal IT processes, BTO optimizes the strategic functions between technology and business. The depth and breadth of BTO software allows technology executives to better manage a wide range of strategic IT functions that directly impact business results. Effective project and portfolio management, testing new SAP deployments, or reducing the mean time to repair custom J2EE applications are just a few examples.

Most BTO capabilities, however, continue to be marred by the script based testing approach proposed by nearly all test tool vendors.POV-statement|date=January 2008 Until the loop has been closed on the software development lifecycle, the question of whether the problem has been solved remains unanswered. While scripting is effective for batch processing or minor jobs such as crons, this approach fails when used to create automated tests. A non-script based automated testing approach is necessary to achieve the goals of BTO.

BTO software addresses key functions recognized by IT executives and industry analysts as requirements for automating the new business/technology lifecycle. These functions include:
*IT governance
*project portfolio management
*change management
*application quality, performance, security and availability
*application management
*systems management
*datacenter management
*business service management
*business service automation
*IT service management
*identity and access management

Many software companies provide BTO products and services. Mercury Interactive Corporation (now owned by HP) is believed to be the first to call itself a "BTO vendor".Who|date=January 2008 However many companies develop and sell BTO software, including:

*Hewlett-Packard
*BMC Software
*Borland
*CA, Inc.
*Compuware
*IBM Software
*Sun Microsystems
*Whittman-Hart
*Worksoft

Today most large enterprise IT organizations have implemented some form of BTO software.Fact|date=January 2008

BTO articles

* [http://www.itmanagersjournal.com/feature/556 IT Manager's Journal - Business technology optimization: How do you know if it will work for your company?]
* [http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020712S0006 InformationWeek - Business Technology: Time To Do More With Less]
* [http://news.zdnet.com/2422-13569_22-155000.html ZDNet - Business Technology Optimization]
* [http://www.crm2day.com/news/crm/EplAEpkyEAJbZuzQLI.php CRM Today - Business Technology Optimization Is A Hit, Says Yankee Group]
* [http://www.beteoblog.com/2007/11/12/lifecycle-management-%e2%80%93-hp-bto-makes-it-happen beteo - BTO with HP for SAP]
* [http://www.managementsoftware.hp.com/ IDC Report: Worldwide Distributed Performance and Availability MAnagement Software ]
* [http://www.sun.com/br/0404_ezine/ret_bto.html Sun microsystems: Boardroom Minutes - Business Technology Optimization Provides New Insights]

ee also

* Application Lifecycle Framework
* Application Lifecycle Management
* Systems Development Life Cycle