[August 16, 2004] Micromuse Awarded U.S. Patent for Netcool/Precision Network Discovery Technology SAN FRANCISCO --(Business Wire)-- Aug. 16, 2004 -- Patent Specifies Methodology for Determining Network Characteristics Using Routing Protocols Micromuse Inc. (Nasdaq: MUSE), the leading provider of ultra-scalable, realtime business and service assurance software, today announced that it has been issued patent number 6,744,739 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Titled "Method and System for Determining Network Characteristics Using Routing Protocols," the patent describes a method for using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) technology to identify and catalog BGP network topology changes in realtime. It also enables a systematic router discovery system for collecting data created by the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) routing protocol. This method places a lighter load on the router, speeds-up network discovery, and limits the discovery focus to networks that are known to be under the operators' administrative control. The patent breaks new ground by using the network control plane, namely OSPF and BGP, to discover network topology. "Many of our customers are dependant on very large and disparate networks to run their services or business. Providing them with the ability to manage all routing and signaling protocols in a heterogeneous environment is a critical issue, especially in networks that use MPLS and Generalized MPLS technology," said Craig Farrell, Micromuse's Chief Technology Officer. "This is an important achievement for Micromuse; the new patent clearly demonstrates our focus and innovation surrounding the possibilities and problems of control plane management." Micromuse now holds four patents for its network management technology, including two for the Netcool(R)/Precision(TM) product and one for its Netcool(R)/Impact(TM) product. The Company has 9 additional patents pending, pertaining to technology inventions underlying several Netcool applications. 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 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 real-time 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, GE Appliances, ITC DeltaCom, J.P. Morgan Chase, MCI, T-Mobile and Verizon. Headquarters are located at 139 Townsend Street, San Francisco, Calif. 94107; (415) 538-9090. The Web site is at http://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; uncertainties associated with patent litigation and uncertainties associated with class action and other lawsuits that have been filed against the Company's officers and directors as a result of the Company's financial restatement; 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. The company disclaims any obligation or intention to update or revise any forward-looking statements. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]