Network General to Offer Comprehensive Vendor-Independent Troubleshooting Service Featuring Call-In Network Support Center; Network Enterprise Troubleshooting Service Provides Priority Response

Business Wire, Feb 4, 1997

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 4, 1997--Network General(R) Corporation (NASDAQ:NETG), a leading worldwide provider of network fault and performance management solutions, today announced that it will begin offering a new consulting service designed to provide efficient response to network emergencies. The Network Enterprise Troubleshooting service emphasizes remote troubleshooting as an effective means for problem resolution in multi-vendor environments, such as emergency response troubleshooting, trace file analysis or less critical network problems. The service also includes a field consulting force available for on-site backup when needed. By becoming an integrated part of a customer's network management and problem response plan, this new service is designed to help customers increase staff productivity, network reliability and availability, thereby allowing them to refocus resources from reactive firefighting to more proactive network issues.

Information technology managers are currently facing a critical shortage of available expertise to manage their increasingly complex networks. Often this expertise is needed the most during network emergencies, periods of peak demand or staff turnover, or during the introduction of new technologies and applications to an active network.

"This new program is designed to enable our customers to arrange call-in support from our network consultants in advance, ensuring that they are available during times of network problem escalation," said Terry Printy, vice president and general manager, World Wide Services for Network General. "Call-in service capability can deliver immediate problem response by eliminating travel time to a customer's location. By purchasing this remote troubleshooting service on a contract basis, customers will enjoy priority call handling and guaranteed response times."

Network Enterprise Troubleshooting utilizes Network General's reliable, secure Network Support Center which is staffed by consultants with Certified Network Expert(TM) (CNX) credentials and in-depth backgrounds in supporting enterprise client/server networks and problem resolution. Dedicated exclusively to assisting customers with network issues, the consultants' knowledge is not restricted to specific network components. As a result, consultants are focused on diagnosing and troubleshooting the entire network as opposed to an individual vendor's equipment.

According to Alice Murphy, Senior Industry Analyst with Dataquest's Network Integration and Support Services program, "Today, virtually all enterprise networks consist of a variety of hardware and software products, usually supplied by a number of different vendors. In these complex multi-vendor environments, pinpointing and resolving network problems can be a source of frustration for network managers. Network General's Network Enterprise Troubleshooting service is a novel approach for providing access to the capabilities necessary for rapid problem resolution. Network General's significant experience, working with a range of multi-vendor customer networks, makes them ideally suited to provide network-wide management service and support with a vendor-neutral perspective."

Pricing

Network Enterprise Troubleshooting Service is available on an annual basis. Fixed-package pricing begins at $5,000 for 20 consulting hours. For more information, please contact a Network General Consulting Services Coordinator at 1-800-395-3151.

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(TM). 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 and Certified Network Expert (CNX) are trademarks 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.