While HP and Computer Associates offer a broad suite of functions, Oblix’s software is more specific to identity management. The acquisition of Confluent by Oblix could indicate that interest in Web services management will increasingly come from a broad range of companies, beyond the traditional software management realm, according to Ron Schmelzer, an analyst at Web services research company ZapThink.

“If you asked me who I thought would buy Confluent, I would not have put Oblix on the list,” said Schmelzer. “I think we’ll start to see consolidation from different places (than traditional management providers).”

The Confluent software can help Oblix manage networking policies other than security and network access, Schmelzer noted. Confluent’s software could act as an extension to Oblix’s current software line with the ability to track whether a Web service application is available and whether it’s performing adequately, he said.

Read more at: CNet