Empirical Software Announces Empirical Director 3.5 with Unparalleled Predictive Service Level Management Capabilities
ACTION ITEMS

Empirical Software, Inc., a leading provider of end-to-end service level management (SLM) solutions for enterprise applications, has announced Empirical Director 3.5, enabling a proactive approach to service level management across the enterprise. Enhanced network support and in-depth analysis of application components enables organizations to measure the efficiency levels of critical applications, and initiate recommendations and actions to predict service level agreement compliance. Additionally, advanced neural network technology helps predict problems before they impact user productivity. Empirical Director is part of Empirical Suite, a comprehensive solution that helps organizations plan, measure, predict, and improve service levels.

"Neural networks and other emerging technologies will help IT organizations proactively manage application performance, availability, and service levels," said Herb Van Hook, vice president and director, Service Management Strategies, META Group. "Solutions like Empirical Director can enable IT operations groups to get ahead of service impact issues."

Empirical Director: New and enhanced features

Based on a unique Internet-based architecture, Empirical Director offers managing, reporting and predicting capabilities to deliver end-to-end service level management.

• Advanced neural network: Empirical Director's improved neural networking technology introduces confidence intervals for its predictions on dozens of performance and availability statistics, as well as service level metrics. This enables IT managers to predict, proactively and confidently, approaching application performance problems and act on recommendations to resolve the problem before end-users are impacted.
• Enhanced Knowledge Engine: Empirical Director uses applied intelligence to diagnose application problems and generate detailed recommendations for resolving performance and availability problems. Combined with the current rule base for applications, databases and operating systems, Empirical Director correlates information across network and systems management. Also, with Empirical Director's open rules engine, new rules can be added quickly to support changes in your application environment.
• Network support: In addition to reporting on applications, operating systems, and database support, Empirical Director can now monitor network performance and availability. This allows organizations to implement service level management across the enterprise; monitoring and analyzing how each of these interdependent computing elements impacts achieving established service levels. Empirical Director can be integrated with all SNMP-compliant devices.
• SQL server integration: Embedding Microsoft's SQL server into Empirical Director ensures customers have the most reliable database solution that facilitates scalability and reliability of service level management across the computing enterprise. The integration with Microsoft also makes the database transparent to the end-user. It facilitates quick access to service level information and increases IT professionals' efficiency in responding to customer needs while generating effective advice for business critical applications.

"The critical dependency on key business applications, and the data they hold, often represents the difference between business success and failure and therefore controlling these applications is the single most important issue facing CIOs and senior management today," stated Ed Gaudet, vice president of marketing at Empirical Software. "It is therefore critical for organizations to invest in maintaining the health of this complex network of business systems by using a solution such as Empirical Software's Empirical Director which is proven to deliver successful results and ensure optimal application performance."

Platform Requirements

Empirical Director, part of Empirical Suite 3.5, operates on Windows NT Web servers and supports clients using Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator Web browsers. Support is included for Oracle, and custom applications operating on NT, UNIX, and VMS platforms.

Pricing and Availability

Pricing for Empirical Suite begins at $70,000 per application. Enterprise licenses are available. Empirical Director can be purchased separately at $40,000. All products are available immediately.

About Empirical Software, Inc.

Empirical Software, Inc. has provided service level management solutions since 1997. Worldwide customers include AlliedSignal, St. Laurent, Raytheon Aircraft, Otsuka America Pharmaceuticals and DuPont. The company's flagship product Empirical Suite, which includes Empirical Planner, Empirical Director, and Empirical Controller, is the first end-to-end service level management solution to plan, measure, predict, and improve service levels. Empirical Software was recently awarded the prestigious Crossroads 99 A-List Award from Open Systems Advisors, Inc. Empirical Suite scored high marks in the Application Service Level Management category as a promising new technology, offering value to customers striving to achieve control over business critical enterprise applications. Empirical Software was also ranked as one of 'Software Magazine's' 1997 Software 500. The company's strategic partnerships make Empirical Software's comprehensive solutions for service level management available through a broad network of value-added resellers.

For more information on Empirical Software, call 1-888-917-8483 or visit http://www.empirical.com.