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On public and private networks
Daniel Briere and Christine Heckart, WAN Monitor
 Visual Networks' Visual UpTime WAN management software has changed the service provider model for deploying and managing data services. It has become the default standard for network performance monitoring and service-level agreement (SLA) measurement.
Carriers such as AT&T, Bell Atlantic, MCI WorldCom and Sprint package the software as a standard or optional component of frame relay and ATM services or embed it in their network infrastructures.
With Visual UpTime, service providers can share detailed and more granular views of network performance in real time with customers. The software provides reports on a variety of network elements, such as ports and permanent virtual circuits on a frame relay network and the network components that generate the most errors.
Quick look
Visual UpTime
Visual Networks (just merged with Inverse Network Technology)
Pricing: $1,195 for 56K Analysis Service Element (ASE); $3,995 for T-1 ASE; $19,995 for DS-3 ATM ASE; and $11,995 for Tier 0 Performance Archive Manager.
Market status: Commercially available.
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| Service providers encourage users to select managed service options using Visual UpTime because it lets them better manage the service. In the U.S., we see few examples of this type of advocacy for premises equipment. The ubiquitous packaging and support of Cisco's routing products with carrier services would be another example.
Many corporations use Visual UpTime to monitor network performance and hold service providers to SLA terms. Delta Airlines, Federal Express and Marriott have chosen the tool.
Visual UpTime's benefits include greater network reliability and availability through the use of real-time performance metrics and historical reporting. Ultimately, that translates into lower network operation cost and maintenance because diagnosis and trouble isolation can occur more quickly and accurately.
We chose Visual UpTime as our category-breaker because it's an existing product that already has made a substantial and measurable impact (not just the promise of one). In addition, Visual UpTime has a direct (not just indirect) benefit to IT managers.
Related links
Briere is president and Heckart is vice president of TeleChoice, a consultancy in Boston. They can be reached at dbriere@telechoice.com and checkart@telechoice.com.
WAN Monitor archive
Visual UpTime overview from Visual
SLA savvy
Five secrets for making sure you get the most from your service-level agreements. Network World, 9/27/99.
SLAs: Avoiding loopholes
Network World, 9/27/99.
Net Resources: SLAs
Technology overviews and related info.
Bell Atlantic monitors frame nets
With Visual UpTime. Network World, 7/12/99.
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