MUSE Micromuse (MM)

Industry's Foremost Centralized Configuration Repository Offers 'One-Stop Shopping' for MIBs, and Auto-Generation of Rules Files for Netcool(R) Customers and Partners Micromuse Inc. (Nasdaq: MUSE), the leading provider of ultra-scalable, realtime business and service assurance software, today announced the availability of the Netcool(R) MIB database, the world's largest known online SNMP MIB repository. With more than 12,000 MIBs, built-in rules files generation for Netcool Solutions(TM) and a straightforward shopping-cart user interface, the MIB database significantly cuts the time, technical knowledge, and guesswork required to configure Netcool to facilitate the monitoring of SNMP-manageable devices by the Netcool suite. Growing daily, the MIB database is the largest known repository of SNMP MIBs available on the Internet, but its functionality goes far beyond that. The database virtually eliminates the time-consuming task of combing the Internet for needed MIBs and converting them into a usable format. Further, it will soon provide a way to match MIBs with hardware and applications that support them. This means that a non-technical user will simply select the pertinent hardware device or application to gather the appropriate MIBs--in a shopping cart--for downloading in a choice of formats. Formats currently available for download include original MIB text, Netcool rulesfiles, html, csv, plain text, or data files suitable for using with other Netcool tools. "We've used this tool again and again since October," stated Kenn Neeley, Sr. Software Engineer, Mpower Communications. "Wow, let me just say that this is an excellent resource and is a huge time saver. It helps us get devices configured without the guesswork, testing or tedious hunting down of elusive MIBs on the Internet. Nothing is a more frustrating than having to post a notice on an online forum for a seldom-used but critical MIB. Instead, we just click on a MIB, sending it to a shopping cart for free download. It's fun." In addition, the database provides a SOAP interface for seamless integration with applications. This means that an application which uses data contained in a MIB can attach to the database and query it for MIB or configuration information with little or no knowledge or effort on the part of the user. A number of Micromuse applications currently make use of this seamless integration. As an added security bonus, a user may choose to upload MIBs to the database and specify that only users from a specific company have access to them, providing a way for customers and partners to auto-generate rules files for MIBs they wish to keep private. "This unique database will provide the user with pre-defined configuration files created by human intelligence where they are available," stated Victor Havard, Micromuse's VP of Solutions Research and Global Advanced Technology Team, "but if not available, the MIB database will automatically deduce the basic information needed and generate perfectly formatted rules or configuration files." This saving in time and effort enables faster configuration, deployment, and ROI. And because the user needn't have in-depth SNMP or MIB tree knowledge, even administrators with less experience can get their applications up and running in a short time. The database's 12,000 MIBs represent well over 1.2 million objects. Widely acclaimed by the Micromuse customer base since its release last October, the MIB database is available to any Micromuse partner or customer with a valid support contract. "We feel this is a significant development for the whole industry," stated Craig Farrell, Micromuse CTO. "Until now, a customer or partner setting up network devices for use with network management applications would need a list of the MIBs required for their specific devices--usually, but not always, provided by the vendor. Then someone with in-depth SNMP and MIB tree knowledge would have to collect the MIBs and write and test the rules files required. This could take a month or more. But accessing the MIB database and collecting the appropriate MIBs in a shopping cart literally takes five minutes." About Netcool Micromuse's Netcool(R) software solutions provide businesses with the assurance that their applications and services are up and operating. By allowing our customers to see what's happening throughout the infrastructure in realtime, Netcool applications enable them to respond to problems before revenue-supporting services are affected. Netcool applications install out-of-the-box, deploy rapidly and scale to the largest environments. Micromuse's flagship, Netcool/OMNIbus(TM) application, includes a library of off-the-shelf software modules that allow our customers to collect and consolidate information from more than 1,000 environments spanning applications, systems, voice and IP, cable/broadband, switches and routers, and enterprise management systems. About Micromuse Micromuse Inc. (Nasdaq: MUSE) is the leading provider of ultra-scalable, realtime business and service assurance software solutions. The Netcool(R) software suite provides organizations with the assurance that their IT systems are supporting and driving profits 24 hours a day. Unlike traditional infrastructure management systems, Netcool solutions provide realtime end-to-end visibility and accurate troubleshooting from a business perspective. Such business intelligence allows organizations to respond to problems quickly, streamline workflow processes and improve business uptime. Micromuse customers include BT, Cable & Wireless, Deutsche Telekom, EarthLink, ITC DeltaCom, JPMorgan Chase, MCI, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Headquarters are located at 650 Townsend Street, San Francisco, Calif. 94103; (415) 568-9800. 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.