Web site visitor is an important target for every internet enabled companies and even public organizations. Just as a nation cannot exist without citizens, the market cannot exist without customers. As we are living in the information era flooded with data, the most promising market is definitely the internet-web market. The size of web market is increasing constantly and customer diversity is also expanding exponentially in the web market.

Then, what object should be pursued by web service industry? This is a quite difficult question but at the same tine, many fresh, original ideas are born daily. For example, meeting consumer needs and increasing customer appeal by providing attractive web site would be one possible answers. However these are not the best idea in terms of business critical issues such as web system performance management. According to Boston Consulting Group, four out of five internet shopping customers have experienced website performance problem while they purchased products through e-commerce website. Among them, 25% never bought the same product again through an online shopping mall and 23% never used the site where they experience performance problem. This means that popular e-shopping malls cannot survive if it has performance problem with their website. Therefore, performance management must be one of main objective for web companies.

However, most web system administrators don’t think about APM solutions carefully in spite of its effectiveness. Meta Group research indicates that only 5-7% among IT companies monitors web site performance and response time using APM solutions. The report from Meta Group, emphasizes that companies need to focus more on web system performance management. According them, “company’s sales, productivity and brand image can be damaged by badly performing web application.” and ”IT companies need to set a unified monitoring plan of web application to avoid difference between process and technology that give negative impacts on distributed system environment.” IT companies agree that customer satisfaction is their ultimate aims and APM solution is an important tool to meet consumer satisfaction. However, they sit back and just stick to existing business practices because of fear of possible failure while using APM solution. Web companies are like a herd of Zebras crossing the river full of crocodile, they are all waiting for someone to cross the river first, so that they can make sure its safe to cross first.

Unfortunately, APM solutions have not established a solid foundation yet even though it is considered as a new paradigm of web service. It’s because APM market is still in the developing stage and need more time to fully mature. Nevertheless, APM will serve as a new standard to provide valuable web services to many. As web service is more commercialized and become more sophisticated, “performance guarantee” will be a requirement for customer satisfaction. Now is time to run across the river for customer like a heard zebras crossing river for grassy field.

Sun Ho Kim