Today’s increasing network complexities require tools that offer detailed visibility into the network traffic. These tools enable the IT team to increase its awareness of the traffic characteristics and potential anomalies of their network. It is this awareness that provides network visibility and enables the IT team to make confident decisions in:

1. Planning for network and resources, 2. Mitigating network faults rapidly to reduce network downtime, 3. Ensuring proper performance of applications and maintain or exceed their consumer satisfaction, and 4. Fighting off unauthorized access to their networks.

Strong network visibility solutions also help extend the life and increase the efficiency of existing network monitoring and defense tools (hereinafter referred to analytical tools) such as Network and Application Monitors, IDS/IPS, and Firewall. They ensure that the network and business key performance indicators (KPI) remain at healthy levels.

ACG Research conducted an economic analysis of three separate scenarios (out-of-band, inline and data center virtualization) and used conservative assumptions in saving levels for deployment of Ixia’s network visibility solutions, specifically Vision ONE. The analysis covered the reduction in cost-increase of the current network analytical tools, such as firewall, IDS/IPS, as well as cost savings in:

1. Lowering network downtime.

2. Mitigating network defects, that is, Mean-Time-To-Repair.

3. Avoiding regulatory noncompliance, for example, HIPAA, inability to offer adequate lawful intercept, federal and state fines for lost records.

4. Reducing costs of security breach, such as loss of revenue, post data-breach activities (such as legal and administrative activities), and cost of lost customer records.

The analysis was performed against “do-it-yourself” or “do-nothing” scenarios.