The latest BriefingsDirect executive interview centers on gaining visibility and control into the IT services management lifecycle while progressing toward cloud computing. We dig into the Cloud Service Automation (CSA) and lifecycle management market and offerings with Mark Shoemaker, Executive Program Manager, BTO Software for Cloud at HP.

As cloud computing in its many forms gains traction, higher levels of management complexity are inevitable for large enterprises, managed service providers (MSPs), and small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs). Gaining and keeping control becomes even more critical for all these organizations, as applications are virtualized and as services and data sourcing options proliferate, both inside and outside of enterprise boundaries.

More than just retaining visibility, however, IT departments and business leaders need the means to fine-tune and govern services use, business processes, and the participants accessing them across the entire services ecosystem. The problem is how to move beyond traditional manual management methods, while being inclusive of legacy systems to automate, standardize, and control the way services are used.

We're here with HP's Shoemaker examine an expanding set of CSA products, services, and methods designed to help enterprises exploit cloud and services values, while reducing risks and working toward total management of all systems and services. The discussion is moderated by Dana Gardner, principal analyst at Interarbor Solutions.

Read a full transcript or download a copy. Learn more. Sponsor: HP.