AFN Communications Implements Micromuse's Netcool Suite; Netcool Solutions Provide Key Elements of Next Generation OSS Solution.

Business & Technology Editors

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 2002

Micromuse Inc. (Nasdaq: MUSE), the leading provider of service and business assurance software, today announced that AFN Communications has extended its deployment of the Netcool(R) suite to monitor event information and enhance the service performance of its new optical network elements and element management systems.

A facilities-based network service provider, AFN delivers carrier-class broadband solutions including private line (DS-3 to OC-48), optical wave (2.5 and 10 Gbps), local access and collocation.

"AFN Communications was born with 8,000 miles of fiber optic network, so from inception AFN has been able to focus on quality of service rather than building the network," said Bud Coburn, Director of Network Operations for AFN. "When it came to our OSS, we wanted vendors who represented the future of OSS and Micromuse was a clear choice for a key partnership. The Netcool suite is an essential part of our OSS initiative as our primary tool to view the network and to reduce the time it takes our team to respond to network events. It enables us to provide the highest level of customer service possible, which is a critical factor for success in our business. It stands head-and-shoulders above anything else."

AFN selected and deployed Micromuse's flagship Netcool/OMNIbus(TM) application, along with the Netcool/Impact(TM) application and the Netcool/Internet Service Monitors(TM) (Netcool/ISMs(TM)) suite. The Netcool solution provides realtime event information correlated with customer and circuit information through TIBCO middleware to operators in AFN's Tulsa, Oklahoma Network Operation Center. AFN uses Netcool to monitor all of its fiber-optic network equipment as well as some of its servers.

Systems Integrator Cap Gemini Ernst and Young was responsible for licensing and configuring the Netcool software to AFN. CGE&Y was instrumental in successfully architecting the overall solution and integrating the Micromuse applications with Metasolv TBS using the TIBCO middleware. This integration allows for increased functionality across the entire OSS infrastructure.

"AFN is a progressive company and we offer progressive solutions. We are excited to continue to assist them as they help shape the future of OSS," said Katrinka McCallum, Micromuse's Executive Vice President & COO. "It has also been a great experience to partner with best-of-breed vendors like MetaSolv and TIBCO, as well as a world-class integrator like Cap Gemini Ernst and Young. We've been able to leverage our respective expertise and design a beneficial solution that will help AFN meet their objectives."

About the Netcool(R) Suite

Micromuse's Netcool(R) software suite provides businesses with the assurance that their networks, services, and applications are working. By allowing our customers to see what's happening throughout the infrastructure in realtime, Netcool applications enable them to respond to problems before they cause network-based business services to go down.

Netcool suite applications install out-of-the-box, deploy rapidly and scale as networks grow. Micromuse's flagship, Netcool/OMNIbus(TM) application, includes a library of off-the-shelf software modules that allow our customers to collect and consolidate fault information from more than 300 popular environments spanning voice and IP, cable/broadband, switches and routers, and enterprise management systems.

About AFN Communications

AFN Communications is a facilities-based network services provider that supplies reliable, high-capacity data transport services to underserved markets, as well as primary population centers. Based in Tulsa, Okla., AFN is led by a veteran team of executives and professionals with extensive experience in network management and operations for the carrier market. The AFN Optical Network has an initial footprint of more than 8,000-route miles. For more information see www.afncommunications.com or contact Teresa Hilligoss at 1-866-AFN-COMM.

About Cap, Gemini, Ernst and Young

Cap Gemini Ernst & Young is one of the largest management and IT consulting firms in the world. The company offers management and IT consulting services, systems integration, and technology development, design and outsourcing capabilities on a global scale to help traditional businesses and "dot companies" continue to implement growth strategies and leverage technology in the new economy. The organization employs about 60,000 people worldwide and reports global revenues of about 8.5 billion euros (2000 pro forma).

More information about individual service lines, offices and research is available at www.cgey.com or [e-mail] (for Network Management Services)

About Micromuse

Micromuse Inc. (Nasdaq: MUSE) is the leading provider of service and business assurance software. Micromuse's recent list of awards include the TeleStrategies OSS Excellence Award for Best New Product for the Netcool(R)/Visionary(TM) application, and Web Hosting Magazine Editor's Choice Award. In addition, Micromuse has been recognized in the Forbes 500, Bloomberg's Top 100 Stocks, the Barron's 500, Deloitte & Touche's Technology Fast 500, San Francisco Chronicle 500, Individual Investor's Index of America's Fastest Growing Companies and Network World's NW200. Micromuse customers include AT&T, BT, Cable & Wireless, Cellular One, Charles Schwab, Deutsche Telekom, Digex, EarthLink, GE Appliances, ITC DeltaCom, J.P. Morgan Chase, One 2 One and Verizon. Headquarters are located at 139 Townsend Street, San Francisco, Calif. 94107; [phone]. The Web site is at www.micromuse.com.

Micromuse and Netcool are registered trademarks of Micromuse Ltd. All other trademarks and registered trademarks in this document are the properties of their respective owners. Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on current expectations, but are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties.

The factors that could cause actual future results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include the following: fluctuations in customer demand, the Company's ability to manage its growth (including the ability to hire sufficient sales and technical personnel), the risks associated with the expansion of the Company's distribution channels, the risk of new product introductions and customer acceptance of new products; the rapid technological change which characterizes the Company's markets, the risks associated with competition, the risks associated with international sales as the Company expands its markets, and the ability of the Company to compete successfully in the future, as well as other risks identified in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission Filings, including but not limited to those appearing under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and on Form 10-K on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on the Company's Web site.