New HP AdvanceStack Assistant Software Helps Resellers Sell Network Services and Products; Software Helps Resellers Make Suggestions for Improving Network Performance, with Better Network Analysis and Reporting Capabilities

Business Wire, August 25, 1997

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 25, 1997-- Hewlett-Packard Company, a networking industry leader, today announced the HP AdvanceStack Assistant for Resellers, a tool specifically designed to help resellers recommend network-performance improvements and sell solutions.

The HP AdvanceStack Assistant for Resellers is a network-traffic-analysis and intelligent interpretation tool that provides straightforward suggestions on how to improve network performance. Easy to install and use, the software automatically and efficiently "understands" networks. It is being offered to all resellers at no cost.

"This tool gives any reseller the confidence to migrate their customers to switched or 100Mbps networks," said Jan Bell, worldwide marketing manager for HP's Workgroup Network Division. "The HP AdvanceStack Assistant for Resellers outlines simple solutions that resellers can use to establish business cases to sell network products. In addition, the software is backed by the HP name for quality and innovation."

The reseller version of the HP AdvanceStack Assistant includes many new features in the areas of the state of the network, report threshold configuration, and exporting reports and data. -0-

    -- State of the network -- The software provides historical
       views, graphical and tabular, of the network that assist
       the reseller in explaining the state of the network.

         --   Historical utilization clearly shows how the
              network is performing.  It is ideal for identifying
              and confirming periods during which performance is
              poor, graphically displaying up to 10 segments at a
              time and reporting on up to 50 segments.

         --   Utilization frequency provides a profile of network
              traffic that clearly indicates the percentage of
              time that traffic exceeds the user-defined
              threshold.  This feature helps resellers set
              performance goals.

         --   Utilization by protocol separates network traffic
              by protocols, providing a guide on how much Web
              traffic (HTTP over IP) is on the network, as
              compared to IP, IPX and NetBios.

         --   Identification of "top talkers," the most active
              nodes, eliminates guesswork.

         --   Inventory of connected nodes automatically gathers
              the most basic and essential pieces of information
              required to provide a complete picture of the
              network.

    -- Report threshold configuration -- Resellers now can
       select the utilization level, based on a customer's
       requirements, at which a recommendation is generated.

    -- Exporting reports and data -- Reports and data now can
       be exported to widely used spreadsheet and word
       processor programs, allowing resellers to prepare
       high-quality, personalized reports quickly.