IT Operations Blog

IDC System and Service Management Market Report

2 minute read
Bill Talbot

How BMC Stands Apart, and Why it Matters

The system and service management (SSM) software market is composed of a multitude of offerings from a dizzying array of vendors. For the IT leaders that are responsible for evaluating, procuring, and operating these types of solutions, it’s no trivial task to stay on top of this ever-changing market, and ultimately choose the best tools and partners to work with.

Recently, IDC released a report that can help. Entitled, “Worldwide System and Service Management Software Market Shares, 2018,” the report provides an analysis of competitors in this market, offering snapshots of vendor revenue and market share.

The report reveals that BMC has emerged as a top-two vendor in the SSM market. Further, BMC stands alone in a critical way: We are the only software provider that has a strong presence in all three segments of the SSM market. While having the second highest market share is important, if I was a decision maker within an enterprise IT organization, I think I’d give this latter distinction even more weight.

The Three Segments within the SSM Market

Analyst definitions of market segments can vary, so I thought it would be helpful to provide some context. IDC defines the SSM arena as being composed of three segments:

  • IT operations management (ITOM)
  • IT service management (ITSM)
  • IT automation and configuration management (ITACM)

As IT environments continue to grow more dynamic and complex, the traditional boundaries between these different disciplines are dissolving. AIOps in particular provides a vivid illustration of the power that can be realized through integration across these segments. For example, establishing AIOps solutions can deliver invaluable insights for IT operations management. However, by using this intelligence to fuel automation, teams can begin to truly maximize the value gained from these insights, and in the process, realize breakthroughs in operational efficiency and SLA compliance. Similarly, on the ITSM side, teams can employ AI and machine learning to establish automated workflows for incident management, automating everything from ticket generation to ticket close.

These are just a couple examples of the potential of having integration across these segments. Given this potential, IT leaders will be well served by working with vendors that offer a breadth of solutions and capabilities. That’s why it’s such big news that BMC was the only vendor to have a strong presence in all three segments.

This cross-segment leadership is an important byproduct of the sustained investment BMC has made in innovating and enhancing its offerings. Perhaps most importantly, for customers and prospects, this shows that BMC is a strategic partner for the long haul. As the lines between segments continue to blur and shift, having the right technology partner is vital. Having a single vendor that can provide strong and integrated solutions in each area will be invaluable, and the IDC report makes clear BMC customers will have a unique advantage in this respect.

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These postings are my own and do not necessarily represent BMC's position, strategies, or opinion.

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About the author

Bill Talbot

Bill Talbot is a Vice President of Solutions Marketing at BMC Software. He has nearly 20 years of B-to-B marketing, sales, and business development experience. Prior to BMC, Talbot worked at CA Technologies where he ran product marketing for both the Cloud and Service Assurance business units. He also founded VIA Consulting, a marketing services firm that helped high tech businesses transition from being product-centric to customer-focused. Talbot has held senior marketing and business development roles at Uplogix, GoldenGate Software (Oracle), and Evolutionary Technologies. In his spare time Talbot enjoys being outdoors, live music, and chasing around his two red-headed, rambunctious boys.