By combining NetVigil with its Sniffer product line, Network General envisions offering "packet to dashboard visibility," an end-to-end correlated, graphical view of performance and availability of critical business services as well as the underlying network and server infrastructure on which the applications run.

"Today's complex IT environments support a broad range of multi-tiered, converged media applications across distributed enterprises," said Ken Boyd, CIO and executive vice president of products at Network General. "Optimal performance of these applications requires visibility across all IT infrastructure components under a single umbrella. This approach ensures performance issues are isolated and resolved quickly, eliminating the finger-pointing that commonly occurs in siloed IT organizations."

"It also helps IT fulfill its internal SLAs and closely aligns IT with business objectives," he added.

The acquisition demonstrates a trend of Network General's ongoing move into the application management game, according to Elisabeth Rainge, a director at IDC. "Lots of vendors have identified the overlap or harmony between the network management and application management areas."

For example, Rainge cited Computer Associates' Concord/Aprimsa deal last April, as well as IBM's acquisition of Micromuse in December.