Major German Newspaper Boosts Business Service Performance with Concor

    Business Editors/Technology Editors

    MARLBORO, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 17, 2005--Concord Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCRD), a global provider of Business Service Management software solutions, today announced that Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ), Germany's largest regional newspaper, is among the first companies to run Concord's eHealth(R) Suite alongside SPECTRUM(R) software from Aprisma Management Technologies. In February 2005, Concord acquired Aprisma and is currently working to enhance integration between the two best-in-class fault and performance management solutions. However, by working with amasol, one of Concord's premier partners in Central Europe, WAZ has already recognized how the two solutions naturally complement each other. Working in tandem, Concord's eHealth Suite and SPECTRUM software ensure the high availability and responsiveness of mission-critical business services, such as WAZ's publishing production-related systems and components.
    "Concord's eHealth(R) Suite and SPECTRUM(R) software go together perfectly and form a logical entity," notes Jens Degener, WAZ Media Group's deputy group manager of networks in the IT and Organization business unit. "What we're particularly impressed with is the SPECTRUM software's strength in fault management and the eHealth Suite's strength in IT infrastructure forecasting and planning. Together they form a complete solution and we're delighted that the two vendors have joined forces. An additional advantage for us is that amasol is a highly competent partner who has comprehensive expertise in both solutions."
    The WAZ Group is the second largest newspaper group in Germany and one of Europe's largest publishers of regional dailies and magazines. It produces 500 titles and has part-ownership of newspapers and magazines in several other countries. WAZ also has a significant foothold in radio, TV, and Internet businesses.
    Using the eHealth(R) Suite and SPECTRUM(R) software together, staff at WAZ's IT and Organization division monitor the network and all of the systems connected to it, including the data center, the 150 editorial and business offices, and the subsidiaries connected to the WAN. WAZ's IT staff has defined threshold limits for values like hard disk capacity; throughput and/or processor availability. These enable staff to correct errors before they lead to a drop in quality of service from the end-user's perspective.
    The WAZ group is currently using the eHealth Suite and SPECTRUM software to monitor 318 (or 90 percent) of all server systems, all LAN and WAN routers, and LAN switches. The company also uses the solutions to underpin its long-term capacity planning and business impact analysis. In the next few months, the group will be implementing an SLA management solution to include both Concord tools, enabling WAZ to transparently manage and guarantee the service level throughout the company.
    "The WAZ media group is further proof that the eHealth(R) Suite and SPECTRUM(R) software perfectly complement each other and coexist to drive best-in-class business services," said Dayton Semerjian, Concord's Executive Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Alliances. "The two solutions are an unbeatable combination to minimize downtime and accelerate business service performance in fast-moving multinational enterprises like WAZ."

    About the WAZ Media Group

    The Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) is Germany's largest regional newspaper. It is headquartered in Essen and has several offices in the entire region. The newspaper, founded in 1948, has grown into a media group with an accent on regional newspapers and magazines. In the late 1990s the group expanded into Eastern Europe and has print participations in Poland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, Romania and the Czech Republic. The group also has interests in Austria and a 10% share in the TV group RTL. WAZ Media Group executives include Dr. Erich Schumann, Lutz Glandt, Bodo Hombach, and Dr. Detlef Haaks. For further information please visit www.waz.de

    About amasol AG

    amasol AG is an IT consulting firm for information and communication technology and is based in Munich, Germany. Founded in 1999, amasol's core business is, helping their service provider and enterprise customers optimize the investment in their IT infrastructure by deploying industry leading IT management solutions (network-, system-, application- and service management). amasol's carefully selected products and customized services are designed to offer customers a quick implementation of successful business processes. Customers include service providers and medium and large enterprises that rely on mission-critical IT systems. For further information please visit http://www.amasol.de

    About Concord Communications

    Concord Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCRD) is a global provider of Business Service Management (BSM) software that reduces IT downtime, improves capacity planning, and optimizes service level management - thereby enabling customers to increase revenue and productivity. Built on more than 100 technology patents, Concord's family of world-class solutions addresses the needs of enterprise customers across 17 vertical markets, managed service providers, and both wireless and wireline telecommunications carriers. These solutions enable organizations of all sizes to map IT services to business needs, measure the actual end-user experience, and manage voice or data applications, systems, and networks.
    More than 7,500 customers worldwide use Concord's software, including 23 of the world's 24 largest service providers, 14 of the world's 20 largest banks, and 11 of the world's 20 largest insurance companies. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Marlboro, Massachusetts, USA, Concord maintains offices around the globe and can be found on the web at www.concord.com.

    Concord Communications, Inc., the Concord logo, eHealth, and SPECTRUM are trademarks of Concord Communications, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

    Forward-looking statements made in this press release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained herein. Risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to, the Company's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Any forward-looking statements should be considered in light of all these factors. The information contained in this press release is applicable only today and should thereafter be considered historical and will no longer constitute the Company's current expectations. The Company undertakes no obligation to update information contained in this press release.

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CONTACT: Concord Communications Eric Snow, 508-486-4508 esnow@concord.com or Greenough Communications Gillian Farquhar, 617-275-6514 gillian@greenoughcom.com

KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SOFTWARE NETWORKING PRODUCT SOURCE: Concord Communications

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