University of Pennsylvania Deploys SPECTRUM(R) Integrity(TM)

University of Pennsylvania Deploys SPECTRUM(R) Integrity(TM)

Aprisma Solution Guarantees Reliability and Performance of Infrastructure that Supports 35,000 Users, Internet2, Streaming Video, VoIP, and Educational Content Over the Web

PORTSMOUTH, N.H., Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Aprisma Management Technologies, Inc., a Gores Technology Group Company, today announced that the University of Pennsylvania has deployed Aprisma's SPECTRUM(R) Integrity(TM). The campus-wide IT infrastructure is accessed by more than 35,000 wired and wireless users daily. SPECTRUM ensures reliable performance and availability for critical application servers that support e-mail, Internet access, Oracle and PeopleSoft programs, streaming video, voice over IP (VoIP), educational content over the web, and much more.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001218/NEM017LOGO )

"The University of Pennsylvania is renowned as one of the nation's leading research and teaching institutions," said Kristina Victoreen, ISC Networking Project Leader in the University of Pennsylvania's ISC Networking and Telecommunications department. "We're able to offer the highest quality education by investing in our faculty and staff, as well as the IT infrastructure that supports them. We always seek out the best solutions, and we found that Aprisma provided the best fault isolation and root cause analysis for our heterogeneous network environment. SPECTRUM enables us to quickly isolate a network or server component that is adversely affecting the infrastructure's performance, and helps us resolve the issue promptly."

SPECTRUM manages 1,800 devices across 200 subnets spanning 300 university buildings. In addition to monitoring the Gigabit Ethernet backbone (built with core routers from Cisco and Juniper, edge routers from Foundry, and high-speed switches from Extreme and 3Com), SPECTRUM helps ensure the availability and performance of critical Juniper routers that support the University of Pennsylvania's Mid Atlantic Giga-POP Initiative or "MAGPI" (http://www.magpi.net/). Conceived in 1997 by research and educational institutions in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware -- and managed by UPenn -- MAGPI provides regional and Internet2 connectivity to members through strategic points of presence (POPs) connected at Gigabit speeds throughout the tri-state region.

"SPECTRUM is critical to the MAGPI project," Victoreen explained. "MAGPI supports extremely important advances in the research, education and medical fields, and the network infrastructure must perform without fail around the clock. SPECTRUM ensures that our Juniper routers are operating at peak performance to support such bandwidth-intensive applications as high-speed video broadcasting across the globe, medical simulation models, and real-time collaboration."

Victoreen has high praise for SPECTRUM's Modeling Gateway which enables her network management team to quickly and automatically synchronize SPECTRUM with the university's database of managed devices. "The Modeling Gateway is a tremendous time-saver for us," she explained. "In our environment, we're always performing moves, adds and changes. We needed a way to get the data from our inventory database into SPECTRUM automatically." The University of Pennsylvania customized the integration solution using industry-standard XML. The Modeling Gateway updates the SPECTRUM database and supports SNMPv3, which is a necessity for them.

SPECTRUM SNMPv3 support provides critical authentication and encryption capabilities, allowing Victoreen and her team to securely manage remote devices throughout the expansive network. "All of our core and building entrance equipment now uses SNMPv3. We would not consider a management platform that did not support it," Victoreen added.

SPECTRUM Alarm Notification Manager (SANM) helps the team save valuable time and money by enabling them to set policies to escalate trouble calls appropriately. "Aprisma's solution enables us to tailor our support and escalation policies to the needs of diverse user communities who may have different SLAs with us. We can also define the role of each network component and perform different escalations depending on how a particular component outage may affect service. By combining SPECTRUM's root cause analysis with SANM's granular notification filters, we almost always notify the right person at the right time to get the problem solved quickly."

The University of Pennsylvania plans to send one of its network engineers through ACE certification training with Aprisma in the near future to give them direct access to Aprisma's product support engineers and developers in the Aprisma Technical Assistance Center (ATAC).

"We expect that Aprisma will be a valuable partner for many years to come," Victoreen concluded. "Their 'try before you buy' approach lets me feel comfortable with how the product will perform before we invest in it. I think it's the perfect partnership approach to working with a technology vendor in today's economy, where every investment needs to demonstrate a rapid return."

About University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, enrolled more than 23,000 full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students in Fall 2003, and employed approximately 4,500 faculty. It employed a staff of 12,831 as of Spring 2004, with an additional 11,247 people employed by the University of Pennsylvania Health System. The university has four undergraduate schools: The College at Penn (School of Arts and Sciences); School of Engineering and Applied Science; School of Nursing; and The Wharton School (Business Administration). It also has 12 graduate and professional schools, including: Annenberg School for Communication; School of Arts and Sciences; School of Dental Medicine; Graduate School of Education; School of Engineering and Applied Science; School of Design; Law School; School of Medicine; School of Nursing; School of Social Work; School of Veterinary Medicine; and The Wharton School. (http://www.upenn.edu/)

About Aprisma Management Technologies

As the leader in Service Level Intelligence(TM) solutions, Aprisma's SPECTRUM(R) software manages the health and performance of networks and the business services that rely on them. With over 10 years experience delivering rapid return on investment for over 1,000 leading companies in more than 40 countries, SPECTRUM solutions are delivered on time and on budget. Over $500 million has been invested to date in the research and development of the SPECTRUM software suite, and an intellectual property portfolio of over 100 patents serves as evidence of Aprisma's continual innovation and industry thought leadership. The company's culture is centered on the principle "There is nothing more important than our customers" to strengthen the knowledge, trust and respect customers gain from a relationship with Aprisma. Additional information on SPECTRUM and related Aprisma solutions is available at http://www.aprisma.com/.

About Gores Technology Group

Gores Technology Group, LLC ("Gores") is a private investment firm focused on the technology, telecommunications, and business services sectors. Since 1987, Gores has amassed an enviable track record of successful investments within these sectors. The firm combines the seasoned M & A team of a traditional financial buyer with the operational expertise and detailed due diligence capabilities of a strategic buyer. Gores has a long standing record of creating sustainable value in its portfolio companies by focusing on customers and employees, supporting management with operational expertise, and providing the capital required for growth. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Gores maintains offices in Boulder, Colorado; New York; London; and Zurich. (http://www.gores.com/)

Forward-Looking Statements 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. Aprisma and Gores undertake no obligation to update information contained in this release.

SPECTRUM is a registered trademark of Aprisma Management Technologies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001218/NEM017LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Aprisma Management Technologies, Inc.

CONTACT: Ann Kelly, Public Relations Manager of Aprisma Management
Technologies, +1-603-334-2179, akelly@aprisma.com; or Frank Stefanik, EVP
Marketing & Business Development of Gores Technology Group, +1-310-209-3010,
fstefanik@gores.com

Web site: http://www.aprisma.com/
http://www.gores.com/
http://www.upenn.edu/


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