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Network General is looking to close the gap between proactive-monitoring and problem-resolution tools with version 4.2 of its Network Intelligence Suite. And for large organizations, the $120,000 price of this integrated product may be justified. Network General says it has listened to customer demands for increased integration of various app and network monitoring and analysis tools. The beta's ease of setup, business-focused reporting and simple drill-down interface left us wishing we could keep the gear.
Much of the suite's base functionality can be found in a collection of tools from other vendors. Implementations with sniffing tools, such as open-source Ethereal; monitoring tools, such as CA's Concord, Dartware's InterMapper or NetScout's nGenius; and large-scale management offerings, such as IBM Tivoli or HP OpenView, would provide similar raw data on the low end and competitive toolsets on the high end. And that's Network General's pitch: It eliminates the need for a raft of other products.
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