"Customers are struggling (with deadlines), the industry is struggling--it's time someone stepped up," says Max Watson, chairman, president and CEO of BMC Software. BMC expects to hit its deadlines as close to 100% as is "humanly possible." "We are putting our company reputation on the line," Watson says.

Michael Dortsch, an analyst with the Robert Francis Group, says he's seen enterprise-management system projects take 18 to 24 months--longer than the life span of many CIOs. Never-ending projects, in fact, are the single biggest complaint from CIOs, Dortsch said. "Anything that can shorten this time frame is welcomed by the industry. And if BMC can deliver on its promises made today, their competitors, such as Tivoli and Computer Associates, are going to have to sit up and take notice."