Fluke Networks, Planet Associates integrate LinkWare Live and Planet IRM software

Fluke Networks and Planet Associates announced the release of a comprehensive integration between Fluke Networks’ LinkWare Live and Planet Associates’ PlanetIRM, which is a next-generation cloud-based infrastructure configuration management software platform. LinkWare Live is Fluke Networks’ cloud-connected online cable certification solution. The companies explain the result of this integration is “a single solution that can design, consolidate, aggregate and visualize an organization’s facilities, IT/telecom, inside-plant, outside-plant, circuits, network assets and connectivity data.”

Users of the new Planet IRM software “will now be able to access the LinkWare database by simply logging in,” the companies further explained. “Then, by just clicking on a cable link in the IRM CAD network map or data list, instant access is immediately provided to the cable test data. IT operations and technical staff will now be able to use this critical data when troubleshooting or planning moves, adds, changes, or network expansion. After creating their IT infrastructure plan, designers using the Planet IRM software can now enable contractors to be more efficient and effective during the installation process by accessing the IRM data directly through LinkWare Live to set up testing and labeling plans.”

Angelo DiProspero is network solutions divisional manager at Black & McDonald Ltd., an integrated, multi-trade service provider that delivers construction, facilities management, and technical solutions. Black & McDonald is a long-time partner and user of Planet IRM and LinkWare Live. DiProspero said, “The integration of LinkWare Live with Planet IRM is strategically important and fully supports our commitment to exceeding our customers’ needs through implementation of the latest innovative and cost-effective solutions.”

Bill Spencer, Planet’s chief executive officer, commented, “The Planet IRM solution integration with LinkWare live now provides our customers a complete overview of their entire IT infrastructure and enhances the critical workflow of new projects and day-to-day facility MACs. It will also be available to, and an important part of, the Planet IRM integration with BMC Ready ITSM/Help Desk solution streamlining overall IT infrastructure operations. Adding detailed cabling and circuit test information to existing inside and outside plant cable, data center, desktop, circuit, and IT asset management data is the logical next step.”

Mark Mullins, marketing manager and founding member of Fluke Networks, added, “While our LinkWare platform is the de-facto standard for storing and reporting test results, customers have been asking for a way to integrate that information with the rest of IT infrastructure. We’re proud to finally deliver the industry’s first network-map-to-wiremap solution.”

In a blog post, Planet further explained, “Many studies have revealed that the physical layer accounts for up to 80% of all network downtime. This is due to the combination of over-reliance on network management software (NMS) tools and under-utilization of physical layer management tools. This ever-widening gap which exists is related to mapping critical infrastructure services to the underlying physical plant infrastructure and is now addressed by the recently announced network-map-to-wiremap integration of next-generation cloud/SaaS browser-based software applications Planet IRM and LinkWare Live.

“As physical plant infrastructures have been increasing in complexity, physical layer management cloud/SaaS software solutions have been unavailable and organizations have been limited to relying on the use of tools. Although these NMS tools monitor the health and performance of the network, they have been proven completely useless when responding to incidents that occur to the physical layer—human error, intentional malfeasance, loose connections, improper cable installation, use of wrong cable types required to support applications, lack of certifications, etc.

“Organizations are also concerned about maintaining network infrastructure security, which incorporates both physical and virtual barriers. As malicious network attacks have become more sophisticated and ransomware continues to grow as a problem being able to visualize the physical segmented network infrastructure (layers and dependencies) is critical.”