1 Chapter 1. Introduction The IBM acquisition of Micromuse Inc., on February 14, 2006, marks a major milestone for IBM Tivoli software because it significantly strengthens the end-to-end IBM Service Management software portfolio. The acquisition comes at a time when important new networking technologies have emerged and very high network availability has become mission critical for most organizations. While the IBM Tivoli NetView product has a long history of industry-leading out-of-the-box utility, the addition of Netcool/Precision to our portfolio extends our network management capabilities to include extensive automated network discovery and best-of-breed topology-based root cause analysis ­ providing customers with comprehensive, real-time understanding of their network infrastructures and the fastest possible resolution of network problems. While significant focus is being placed on enhancing the ease of installation and use of coming versions of Netcool/Precision, IBM will continue to protect NetView customers' investments and also intends to provide a smooth upgrade path to a future converged network management product offering. © Copyright IBM Corp. 2007. All rights reserved. 3