Network General Service Level Manager Receives Best of Show Award, Networld+Interop, Atlanta; Network General Service Level Manager Provides Critical Analysis of Overall Network Availability and Health

Business Wire, Sept 30, 1996

MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 30, 1996--Network General Corporation (NASDAQ:NETG) today announced that its new Network General(R) Service Level Manager application received the Best of Show award at last week's Networld Interop industry conference in Atlanta. Recognized for its unique ability to allow IS organizations to evaluate their performance against service level agreements, Network General Service Level Manager was selected for the award by a panel of 20 editors from Data Communications and LAN Times magazines.

Network General Service Level Manager is the first in a family of applications that leverage the company's Total Network Visibility(TM) architecture for enterprise-wide fault and performance management of complex heterogeneous client/server environments. Designed to provide insight into overall network health and availability, the Network General Service Level Manager consolidates information from a variety of existing data sources to provide both a real-time and historical view of the network. This visibility provides a top-down perspective on quality of network service and a starting point in a comprehensive fault and performance management strategy.

"We're extremely pleased by the response Network General Service Level Manager received at Networld Interop," said Leon Leong, vice president and general manager of Network General's Systems Division. "Receiving the Best of Show award serves to validate the strategy we have chosen in developing the Total Network Visibility architecture into one of the industry's preeminent next-generation fault and performance management solution."

The Network General Service Level Manager is a Windows NT based application that operates through the three-tier architecture known as Total Network Visibility. Announced earlier this month, the Total Network Visibility architecture utilizes domain-level server intelligence to correlate data from distributed collection devices. It then reduces this vast array of data into manageable information and delivers it to an integrated suite of fault and performance management applications - like Service Level Manager. This actionable information helps IS organizations prioritize their workloads and handle problems more efficiently.

Domain-level server engines enable the collection and correlation of data from virtually any source. By collecting information from data sources that include RMON, RMON2, MIB2, and customized MIBs, the Network General Service Level Manager helps network professionals take greater advantage of their existing network management infrastructure.

Service Level Manager can operate in standalone mode or integrate with INMS products. Because it utilizes data from RMON embedded in networking devices, Network General Service Level Manager can combine server, router and segment status into a single view, helping improve the effectiveness of INMS platforms. And, by taking advantage of the integrated Distributed Sniffer System(R) Viewer application, network managers can quickly isolate and solve network fault and performance problems.

This first release will support MIB2 (including servers and routers), RMON and RMON2 data sources on Ethernet, Token Ring, Fast Ethernet, WAN, and FDDI networks.

Network General Service Level Manager is priced at $4,995. It will be available by the end of 1996.

For more information, call 1-800-SNIFFER (764-3337).

About Network General

Network General Corporation (NASDAQ:NETG) is a leading provider of fault and performance management solutions for enterprise networks worldwide. Founded in 1986, the Company has extensive experience in complex heterogeneous network environments and offers a comprehensive suite of products and services designed to provide Total Network Visibility. Worldwide headquarters are located at 4200 Bohannon Drive, Menlo Park, California, 94025. URL: http://www.ngc.com; Telephone: 415/473-2000, or 800/SNIFFER (764-3337). -0-

Note to Editors: Network General, Sniffer and Distributed Sniffer System are registered trademarks and Total Network Visibility is a trademark of Network General Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All other companies, products and brands as they appear in this release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. All specifications may be changed without notice.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which reflect the Company's current judgment on certain issues. Because such statements apply to future events, they are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially. Important factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are described in the Company's reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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