NETSCOUT's nGenius Solution Chosen to Optimize One of the World's Largest Private Networks

22 Dec 2003

Premier Healthcare Provider Optimizes Carrier-Class Network for Mission Critical Services; nGenius Flow Directors Optimize Deployment of Intrusion Detection Systems

WESTFORD, Mass., Dec. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NetScout Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTCT), a leading provider of enterprise-wide network performance management solutions, today announced that Kaiser Permanente is using the nGenius(R) Performance Management System to proactively manage the performance of its large, complex infrastructure in support of critical network services. Using the nGenius(R) Solution, Kaiser Permanente is gathering management data from throughout its vast infrastructure to create efficient access to unified performance information. In addition to deploying NetScout's core solution consisting of nGenius(R) Performance Manager and nGenius(R) Probes, Kaiser Permanente has purchased NetScout's new nGenius(R) Flow Directors -- probe- based options that provide access for network intrusion detection systems at the outer edges of the network.

Kaiser Permanente is America's largest not-for-profit health care organization with 8.1 million members in nine states and Washington DC. Its network is among the top 20 largest private networks in the world, with a complex fabric of more than 10,000 segments, 200 ATM switches and thousands of routers. The healthcare delivery leader deploys hundreds of concurrent applications for its operations to enable functions such as administration, patient records management, patient and doctor scheduling, medical imaging, drug warehousing and pharmaceutical services. An organization of its size and complexity and the critical nature of its network require an efficient and proactive means of assuring the performance of network services.

The nGenius Solution's ability to unify performance data drawn from throughout the network helps Kaiser Permanente's IT staff access management information in a way that supports faster and better IT decisions. Its integrated performance information enables proactive tuning of the network in support of critical applications. The nGenius Solution also helps extend and protect the value of other standards-based tools and legacy technologies by importing and exporting information to and from the nGenius Solution. Examples include importing performance statistics from other data gathering devices and passing information to network-based intrusion detection systems, modeling and capacity planning tools.

"Our CDM(TM) Technology helps large healthcare organizations like Kaiser Permanente rise above the complexity of managing their huge infrastructure. With streamlined access to integrated performance management information, these organizations are better equipped to ensure that vital networked services used by doctors and patients will be available at any given moment," said Jim Frey, vice president of marketing at NetScout. "The healthcare industry is a top consumer of NetScout's technology and because of the significant impact of HIPAA on healthcare providers' IT infrastructures and processes, there is an urgent need for tools that assure network and application performance."

About NetScout Systems, Inc.

NetScout Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTCT) is a market leader and pioneer of integrated network performance management products that unify performance across the enterprise. NetScout's nGenius(R) Performance Management System is helping more than 3000 leading companies increase their return on infrastructure investments by optimizing the performance of networks and applications according to business priorities. NetScout is headquartered in Westford, Massachusetts and has offices worldwide. Further information is available at http://www.netscout.com.

NetScout and the NetScout logo, and nGenius are registered trademarks of NetScout Systems, Inc. CDM and the CDM logo, and MasterCare and the MasterCare logo, are trademarks of NetScout Systems, Inc. Other brands, product names and trademarks are property of their respective owners. NetScout reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to make changes at any time in its technical information and specifications, and service and support programs.

    For Further Information:
     Peggy Flynn                   Dawn Sullivan
     NetScout Systems              Schwartz Communications, Inc.
     (978) 614-4162                (781) 684-0770
     flynnp@netscout.com           netscout@schwartz-pr.com

SOURCE NetScout Systems, Inc.