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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Network Instruments Ensures Nanosecond Precision for Packet Timestamps

New GPS Time Synchronisation System Correlates Accuracy for Time-Sensitive Applications

August 2, 2010 — Minneapolis, MN — Network Instruments, a worldwide leader in network and application management, today announced that its Observer platform now ensures packet timestamp accuracy within 150 nanoseconds. The new Observer GPS Time Synchronisation System uses GPS satellites to manage the timestamps of packets travelling globally between several Network Instruments appliances.

With next generation trading platforms and financial systems pushing to maximise transaction times down to the nanosecond-level, monitoring accuracy is essential for identifying microburst issues and where bottlenecks occurred.

Traditional forms of monitoring fail to guarantee this level of accuracy. Typically, network teams rely upon Network Time Protocol (NTP) to synchronise the clocks on all the devices connected to their network to International Atomic Time. Because of network latency and hardware issues, NTP is typically accurate to only within 30 milliseconds. Even in the best cases, NTP accuracy is only within 10 milliseconds.

“In environments where millions of dollars can be lost in a split-second, our customers require extreme granularity and accuracy,” said Brad Reinboldt, product marketing manager for Network Instruments. “The latest trading platforms, for example, require latencies of less than 5 milliseconds and very low levels of packet loss. On a 10 Gigabit Ethernet network, a 100 millisecond microburst could cause thousands of transactions to be lost or significantly delayed. Without this level of monitoring accuracy, it would be impossible to correctly diagnose the cause or optimise the system.”

Each Observer GPS Time Synchronisation System provides all necessary hardware to achieve precise timing and supports up to 15 monitoring devices.

About Network Instruments
Network Instruments, a leading provider of performance management and troubleshooting for over fifteen years, helps organisations ensure the delivery of business-critical applications. The company's platform of management and reporting products provides comprehensive visibility into networks and applications to optimise performance, speed troubleshooting, and assist long-term capacity planning. Network Instruments achieved profitability in its first quarter and posted revenue growth every year since its founding — without any external funding. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company has sales offices worldwide and distributors in over 50 countries. For more information, please visit www.networkinstruments.co.uk.

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