Airline Deploys nGenius to Ensure Reliable, On-Time Performance of
Applications Powering New Baggage-Matching and Self-Ticketing Operations
WESTFORD, Mass., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
NetScout Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTCT), a leading provider of network
performance management solutions, today announced that Continental Airlines
has purchased NetScout's nGenius(R) Performance Management System to meet
elevated requirements for real-time and application-level network performance
management. Fueling the airline's purchase of nGenius is the need to tightly
manage availability and efficiency of applications that power its most
critical real-time operations, such as those that automate Continental's
"baggage match" verification process. The process ensures that all checked
bags are positively matched to boarded passengers before planes leave the
ground. Also being tracked are applications recently enhanced to increase the
efficiency of reservation and check-in services, including self-service
kiosks.
"We chose nGenius to increase our visibility into the network performance
characteristics of our most mission-critical applications. Our existing
performance reporting and analysis tools could not give us this increased
visibility," said Bob Edwards, VP of IT for Continental Airlines. "By adding
nGenius, we now have clear, immediate visibility across all of our network's
traffic, with deeper insight that allows us to proactively prevent problems
and ensure capacity on demand, thereby precluding impacts to service."
Continental continues to introduce complex and time-sensitive applications
onto its network-such as those automating its baggage match process- to remain
competitive and meet new business goals. Baggage match verification requires
that all checked baggage be matched to a passenger who has boarded a flight.
The verification process, which must be completed in a short window of time,
relies heavily on hand-held devices and wireless applications that require
immediate network access-even the slightest network delay can slow the process
and affect a flight's departure. Continental is using NetScout's nGenius to
carefully monitor the behavior of all applications and systems that support
the baggage match process, set acceptable performance levels and anticipate
problems before they impact on-time departures.
Continental Airlines is also using nGenius to monitor its eService
Centers. "Enhancing services in our airports requires a well-tuned network
and the collaboration of numerous IT and technical professionals across our
organization," said Edwards. "nGenius provides information that is useful
throughout the entire life cycle, including the design and deployment of new
applications, systems and network bandwidth. For example, we use nGenius views
into application behavior to validate the effectiveness and utilization of new
applications so our designers can target modifications at enhancing
performance."
"We are pleased to provide assurance for Continental's high-profile, real-
time services. Continental's choice of nGenius over other performance
management products is a strong testament to the uniqueness of our solutions,"
said Jim Frey, vice president of marketing, NetScout Systems, Inc. "nGenius is
the only system on the market to offer rich, holistic views of network and
application performance, enterprise-wide, in both real-time and historical
formats. Through nGenius, IT organizations can ensure the operational
reliability of their mission-critical services while simultaneously optimizing
application and infrastructure designs."
About Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines is the world's sixth-largest airline and has more
than 2,100 daily departures. With 122 domestic and 90 international
destinations, Continental has the broadest global route network of any U.S.
airline, including extensive service throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and
carries approximately 45 million passengers per year on the newest jet fleet
among major U.S. airlines. With 48,000 employees, Continental is one of the
"100 Best Companies to Work For in America." Fortune ranked Continental the
"No. 2 Most Admired Global Airline," and the "No. 30 Most Admired Global
Company," in March 2002. For more company information, visit continental.com.
About NetScout Systems, Inc.
NetScout Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTCT) is a market leader and pioneer of
integrated network performance management solutions for leading companies and
service providers worldwide. NetScout's offerings are based upon its
nGenius(R) Performance Management System, an integrated solution of advanced
monitoring and reporting applications that draw on the rich performance data
generated by NetScout's real-time, application-aware probes, advanced
intelligent software agents and other network devices. The nGenius System
helps organizations increase their return on infrastructure investments by
optimizing the performance of their network and applications. NetScout is
headquartered in Westford, Massachusetts and has offices in North America,
Europe and Asia. Further information on the company is available on the World
Wide Web at http://www.netscout.com.
NetScout, nGenius, and the NetScout logo are registered trademarks of
NetScout Systems, Inc. ART MIB, because the network is the business and CDM
Technology are trademarks of NetScout Systems, Inc. NetScout reserves the
right, at its sole discretion, to make changes at any time in its technical
information, specifications, and service and support programs.
For Further Information:
Peggy Flynn Dawn Sullivan or Erin Del Llano
NetScout Systems Schwartz Communications, Inc.
(978) 614-4162 (781) 684-0770
flynnp@netscout.com netscout@schwartz-pr.com
SOURCE NetScout Systems, Inc.