Network General Sets New Industry Standard with Sniffer Enterprise Visualizer 4.0; Next Generation Application and Network Performance Capabilities Enable IT Organizations to Track IT Health and Operations Parameters with Speed and Pinpoint Accuracy

Business Wire, Nov 7, 2005

MIAMI -- Network General(TM), the global leader in enterprise network and application performance analysis, today announced the general availability of Sniffer(R) Enterprise Visualizer 4.0, a powerful Web-based end-to-end monitoring, analysis and reporting tool for Sniffer Distributed and Sniffer InfiniStream(TM) platforms. Sniffer Enterprise Visualizer 4.0 has raised the bar in the industry with this completely re-architected solution which enables customers to quickly isolate problems and provide customizable reports that include executive dashboards to detailed performance monitoring analysis. The breakthrough reporting features and depth of functionality in this release allow IT organizations to track internal SLAs through network and application baselines, provide accurate capacity planning through trend reports with industry first confidence ratings, and provide detailed internal cost allocation and tracking to ensure IT efficiency and return on investment (ROI).

Sniffer Enterprise Visualizer 4.0 enables the entire IT organization to work more proficiently, with enhanced features including dashboards that allow critical network and application parameters to be monitored in near real-time; custom report definitions using ad-hoc workflow; comparative performance reporting across multiple applications and geographic locations; quick problem isolation that reduces mean time to resolution; and trend reports with confidence ratings to facilitate accurate capacity planning.

In addition to quickly pinpointing performance anomalies that can disrupt day-to-day operations, Sniffer Enterprise Visualizer 4.0 provides summary-level information that helps IT managers enforce SLAs. These include internal service levels for which they are held accountable to deliver, as well as those promised by external providers. Sniffer Enterprise Visualizer reports also assist managers in making strategic business decisions on issues including server virtualization and data center consolidation, and in predicting the impact of outages of critical business applications and servers.

"Our customers tell us that today, merely keeping the network and applications up and running is no longer sufficient," said Aswini Chowdoppa, product manager at Network General Corporation. "The IT infrastructure must operate at peak performance, and the IT department must function cost-effectively as a business unit. Today, IT department performance is being assessed through adherence to internal and external SLAs. Not meeting these performance objectives can result in business disruption and financial losses. Sniffer Enterprise Visualizer provides IT organizations with comprehensive, real-time information about every aspect of their network and application infrastructure, allowing them to operate more efficiently in both the short- and long-term."

"Sniffer Enterprise Visualizer combined with Sniffer Distributed gives me both the big picture and packet-level details about our network," said Dave Swan, IT senior manager at Altera Corporation. "The Network Overview feature helps me track broad traffic patterns, and I use the advanced statistical baselining with deviation envelopes to watch for abnormal patterns of important application and network parameters. Sniffer Enterprise Visualizer significantly increases the level of control I have in managing the network."

Sniffer Enterprise Visualizer 4.0 is compatible with all Sniffer instrumentation -- including Sniffer Distributed s4000, Sniffer Distributed s6040 and Sniffer InfiniStream -- and supports all network topology types such as wide area network (WAN) and local area network (LAN).

About Network General Corporation

Network General(TM) Corporation is the global leader in enterprise application and network performance analysis. The Network General portfolio consists of innovative software solutions and intelligent appliances that allow IT professionals to identify, monitor, measure, manage and resolve application and network performance problems. Supporting the widest range of network topologies in the industry, Network General delivers breakthrough technology solutions that focus on the intersection of the application and the network for comprehensive real-time monitoring, analysis, and reporting across the business enterprise. Sniffer Enterprise Solutions empower IT organizations, simplify network management tasks, and protect the extended value and life of IT assets. For more information on Network General, a privately-held company based in San Jose, California, dial 408-571-5000 or go to www.networkgeneral.com.

Network General, Sniffer, InfiniStream and the Network General logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Network General Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. Only Network General Corporation makes Sniffer(R) brand products. All other registered and unregistered trademarks herein are the sole property of their respective owners. (C)2005 NETWORK GENERAL CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.