Network management's downward trend?

The most puzzling aspect of the new wave network management buzz comparison is the OpenView & NetIQ graph. I find it hard to believe that either OpenView or NetIQ are losing traction in the marketplace. So, how do you explain the fall in their respective number of searches?

Network management vs network monitor

First port of call was to see how the industry in general is doing. Whilst far from perfect I think that the network monitor & network management keywords will provide a reasonable guide to search trends.

Figure 1 looks strangely familiar. The generic terms network management and network monitor both show a very similar downward trend to both NetIQ and OpenView.

Network monitor vs NetIQ vs OpenView

You can see in Figure 2, where network monitor is graphed along with OpenView and NetIQ, shows the same trend.

Why the downward trend

Whilst the graphs are very similar in shape, a steady loss of search volume over the last three years. I am at a loss to explain the reasons behind the numbers.

The usual suspect would be an economic slowdown. Though, I think we can exclude this straight away. Just about everywhere in the world is growing at a fair old lick, including the English speaking nations.

The network management market is mature. Maybe systems are installed and working, so why bother researching a new system when you’ve bought and paid for a system that works?

Perhaps customers aren’t quite as dissatisfied with existing solutions as some believe? If they are dissatisfied, why aren’t they researching new, better solutions?