Once, Computer Associates International, Inc. could have gathered all its management software partners to meet in a closet.

But things have changed.

Last week, CA hosted more than 200 developers and service providers for the first time to rally support for its Unicenter TNG management suite and its database software.

Once-aloof CA disclosed plans and launched a formal partner program to assist product development, certification, sales and marketing. The goal is to forge relationships that yield tangible results in time for the annual CA-World user convention, held in April, officials said.

CA is following in the footsteps of Hewlett-Packard Co. and Tivoli Systems, Inc., both of which have enlisted partners to integrate tools with their enterprise management software. Competition is hot because large organizations want suites of cohesive tools than can help to lower the cost of controlling complex client/server environments.

This effort shows CA is serious about partnering, not continuing as "an isolated island against the rest of the world," said Paul Mason, an analyst at International Data Corp. in Framingham, Mass. "They can still control the direction of the Unicenter TNG suite, yet enable integration of other tools that users favor."

Besides indicating that CA has changed the way it does business, the new partner program promises to offer users a richer variety of options that will readily work with Unicenter TNG, said Bill Oris, an information systems vice president at J.P. Morgan & Co. in New York.

"This step is clearly important since no company can handle systems management alone," Oris said. "I'm glad to see CA share the load of integration work with partners, not just engage them for sales and marketing."

Several new options for Unicenter TNG should be ready for an April introduction: