Guess who's entered the data management space? Symantec, long known for its Norton line of computer protection, has made data management part of its lineup. As Symantec puts it, "Data Protection Management (DPM)has emerged to address challenges around aligning backup SLAs with business requirements. DPM technologies deploy alongside the existing backup and recovery infrastructure, providing transparency into the backup process and enabling IT to match the process to business needs."

Translation: Symantec is now a player - a player with a better idea. To read the company's white paper on taming backup environments, which is quite a good little guide, visit the Ziff Davis website.