Opticom Joins SMARTS' Technology Partners Program; Partnership Enables Customers To Maximize Existing IT Investments, Improve ROI and Enhance Network Performance.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

ANDOVER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 6, 2003

Opticom(R), a leading provider of business-level management solutions for IT executives, today announced that it is joining the SMARTS Technology Partners Program. The agreement will enable Opticom to integrate its iView(TM) optimization solution with SMARTS' award-winning service assurance solution, InCharge(TM).

iView delivers comprehensive business-focused analytics critical to optimizing IT service delivery. By creating unique perspectives of IT service delivery, iView empowers IT organizations to optimize, validate and communicate the impact of IT on the business.

The combination of iView's inventory and reporting capabilities with InCharge's patented Codebook Correlation Technology(TM) (CCT) for intelligent infrastructure management will provide customers with an immediate return on infrastructure investments and dramatic improvements in network performance by enabling them to make better use of their IT assets.

Opticom will rely on the powerful auto-discovery capabilities of InCharge and the results of its analysis to capture and analyze information regarding key elements of the IT infrastructure. Using this information, Opticom's iView will generate business reports that customers can use for such cost savings improvements as identifying and removing stranded assets from annual maintenance bills, eliminating leased lines that have been underutilized or shown poor performance, and comparing hardware and services offerings from multiple vendors to determine how they meet key criteria such as mean time to failure and overall throughput.

"Because SMARTS is a clear technology leader in intelligent service assurance software, we believe the integrated solution will be very attractive to our customers," said Opticom Founder and CEO Ed Flannery. "InCharge provides comprehensive, automated discovery and cross-domain root cause analysis. Its ability to identify authentic problems in the IT infrastructure is unparalleled. Together, InCharge and iView will enable customers to reach a new level of service management, reduce costs, enhance performance and the overall customer experience."

"Opticom iView and our InCharge solution are very complementary in their ability to help companies quickly maximize ROI, improve performance, and align IT with business objectives," said SMARTS Founder and President Shaula Alexander Yemini. "This partnership will give customers access to a wealth of business-oriented metrics that are critical to optimizing the end-to-end performance of today's mission-critical IT infrastructures."

Pricing and Availability

The integrated product offering is scheduled for availability in January 2003. Pricing is now available from Opticom.

About SMARTS

SMARTS (System Management ARTS Incorporated), recipient of a 2002 Editor's Choice award from Network Computing Magazine, develops the industry's only smart software for managing networks, systems, and applications in alignment with the business they support. The SMARTS InCharge suite bridges the gap between IT and the business by leveraging patented technologies: a common information model across IT and business objects and Codebook Correlation Technology(tm) that can automatically diagnose any service-affecting problem and its business impacts. The unprecedented intelligence built into SMARTS solutions automatically adapts to the managed environment for the industry's fastest deployment and highest ROI.

SMARTS InCharge manages the world's largest, most complex networks, with a customer base that includes over 100 global corporate enterprises, educational and government institutions, and also 11 of the 12 top North American and U.K. service providers. For more information, visit the SMARTS web site at http://www.smarts.com.

About Opticom

Opticom develops and markets strategic business management solutions essential to service delivery optimization and business impact analysis. Opticom iView enables Global Fortune 1000 enterprises and service providers to optimize, validate and communicate the impact of IT on their business. Opticom customers include Harley-Davidson, Westinghouse, AT&T, Sprint, MCI, Lucent, Motorola, Audi, Compaq, the Australian DOD, the U.S. Army, GTE, Verizon Wireless and others. Opticom recently raised an initial $3 million in its second round of funding. iView was also named a Network Management Best of Interop Finalist at NetWorld+Interop Las Vegas in May 2002. In September 2002 Opticom was ranked in the top 10 of New England's' Fastest Growing Technology Companies and named to Deloitte & Touches' 'Technology Fast 50' for the 3rd straight year. For further information, Opticom can be reached at www.opticominc.com.

SMARTS, InCharge, Authentic Problem, Codebook Correlation Technology, Instant Results Technology, Graphical Visualization, SMART Adapters, and Holistic IT Management are trademarks of System Management ARTS Incorporated. The InCharge products mentioned in this document are covered by pending applications and one or more of the following U.S. patents: 5,528,516, 5,661,668 and 6,249,755. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

Opticom is a registered trademark; the Opticom logo, opticominc, know the difference, iView, and Service Chain Management are trademarks of Opticom Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.