Visual Networks brings strategic network information to the executive desktop.

ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 14, 1997--

New Executive Reporting Package For Visual UpTime(R)

Targets Senior-Level Decision Makers

Visual Networks, the original developer and leading provider of managed access systems for wide-area, fast-packet services, announced Monday the addition of the Executive Reporting Package to the company's market leading, WAN management product, Visual UpTime.

Senior-level executives now have access to network-wide reports on service level verification, overall quality monitoring, exception analysis, and capacity planning. The Executive Reporting Package will be rolled out in three phases over the course of 1997.

"This announcement is very exciting, because by adding the Executive Reporting Package, Visual UpTime now provides the level of information that CIO's and senior management need to track network-wide trends in order to make accurate resource allocation decisions," said Robert Markovich, vice president of marketing.

"Additionally, the Executive Reporting Package provides the information needed by executives to accurately determine if their companies are receiving the appropriate levels of service being paid for from the service provider."

CIO's and other senior-level management need information on the status of the network that is different from the information needed by network managers and engineers. Not only does senior-level management need to verify they are receiving the level of service agreed to with their service provider, they also need the ability to see a top-down or "watchtower" view of network performance.

That information can then be utilized in making strategic decisions on budget and resource allocation. Additionally, senior executives need to make aggregate quality assessments on the state of the overall network, both in the short term and over time for continued efficiency. By automating report generation, senior management can access strategic data in a timely fashion.

Phase one implementation for the Visual UpTime Executive Reporting Package includes service level verification, including error performance for each line/port in the network as well as congestion performance for each PVC. Also included in phase one is network-wide quality monitoring and capacity planning. The new reporting capabilities assist in effective planning and budgeting of resources, based on network-wide trends.

Examples of overall quality monitoring include comparisons of average "quality indexes" for all network elements and the network overall to the established baselines. This includes monitoring traffic volume trends by comparing the volume of network traffic over a given time versus the network traffic baseline.

The capacity planning capabilities include detailing one-second burst usage history for all ports/PVC's in a given network, from most to least active, while also making port and PVC recommendations in terms of increasing/decreasing the access speed and Committed Information Rate (CIR), respectively.

In addition to the executive reporting package, Visual Networks is announcing Web browser access to Visual UpTime's planning and reporting toolsets. Now executives can view Visual UpTime reports using a familiar Web interface. They also can automatically generate meaningful reports, according to their decision timetables. Visual UpTime's executive reporting capabilities can be accessed by both the Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Explorer browsers.

Visual Networks will begin taking orders in 60 days for the first phase of the Executive Reporting Package, including service level verification, overall quality monitoring, and capacity planning.

Enhanced features to service level verification and the addition of exception analysis will be available in the third quarter of this year, with automated, network-wide baselining becoming available in the fourth quarter. Pricing for the Executive Reporting Package and Web access will start at $9,995, depending on network size.

Visual Networks Inc., a privately-held company, is focused on providing managed access systems, a new breed of WAN product that integrates expert WAN monitoring with WAN access equipment. These systems automate the site-to-site support and management of networks based on public data services such as frame relay, the Internet, and ATM. Visual Networks is headquartered in Rockville, with sales offices nationwide.

For more information about Visual Networks and Visual UpTime, contact Visual Networks Inc., 2092 Gaither Road, Rockville, Maryland 20850, at 301/208-6784, or via the World Wide Web at http://www.visualnetworks.com

CONTACT: Visual Networks

Daniel Davie, 301/519-1758

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