CA World Tools to manage converged networks and radio frequency identification (RFID) chips are top of CA's technology development agenda. Yogesh Gupta, CA's chief technology officer, said its recent purchase of network management specialist Concord Communications gave it the ability to develop tools to tie together the management of converged voice and data networks.

By addressing the converged networks market CA reckons it can ease the headache of managing service levels and quality of service. CA plans to integrate technology from Concord within its flagship Unicenter systems management suite. Gupta also singled out the management of mobile devices and security as key to the firm's technology development plans. The increased use of RFID in the supply chain to track goods "into stores and potentially beyond" also creates a emergent management market that CA is keen to exploit.

Speaking during a presentation at CA World in Las Vegas, Gupta said the firm recently established a CA Labs unit which will focus on technologies due to come to market between three to five years in the future. The unit - which is yet to be fully staffed and even then will only employ 40 people - will collaborate with universities on research and focus on areas such as mobility and convergence. ®

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