Micromuse to Provide Realtime Monitoring of Cable& Wireless' New Digital Broadband...

Business/Technology Editors

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2000

NETCOOL(R) Software to Centrally Manage Interactive Network and

Subscriber Services

Micromuse Inc. (Nasdaq: MUSE), a leading provider of fault and service-level management software,

today announced that Cable & Wireless Communications has purchased NETCOOL(R) software to manage its new digital television network. The new network is the UK's first digital cable TV and interactive commercial service delivering a host of services that include, e-mail, e-commerce applications, games, news and TV-based Internet services.

The Netcool software is rapidly being rolled out to consolidate alarm and event information from the network into the Cable & Wireless Services Management Centre (SMC). Micromuse has developed specific Netcool software Probes to incorporate alarms from key hardware platforms in the interactive service market.

"As the provider of the UK's first broadband interactive service, Cable & Wireless Communications needs quick, effective solutions to the challenges posed in developing a pioneering technology," said Graham Dye, Programme Manager - Operations Readiness at Cable & Wireless Communications. "Micromuse has helped us manage our wide range of new services from a single platform to ensure the reliability of our unique interactive product. The underlying technology behind our interactive digital platform is complex and requires more comprehensive network management than on traditional broadcast TV service."

"As more and more services are rolled out on digital networks, the requirement for realtime monitoring applications such as Netcool will increase," said Peter Shearan, Senior VP, Technical Services at Micromuse. "With new services running from intelligent set-top boxes, broadcast networks are undergoing an evolution from simple one-way networks to more complex interactive infrastructures that are difficult to manage. Micromuse is positioned to excel in this space. We are particularly proud of the progressive management solution that we've developed with Graham Dye's operations team at Cable & Wireless Communications."

"We were able to react very rapidly to CWC DTV's requirements, because of the architecture of the Netcool software and its ability to rapidly bring in events from all hardware platforms," added Shearan. "This market sector is growing, and we have been quick to provide solutions to enable these new multi-service operators to manage their services efficiently and effectively."

About Micromuse

Micromuse Inc. (Nasdaq: MUSE) is the leading provider of fault and service-level management software. Micromuse recently earned the highly acclaimed "Best of Show" award in the network management category at NetWorld + Interop '99 Atlanta. Micromuse customers include AirTouch, AT&T, BT, Cable & Wireless, Cellular One, Charles Schwab, Deutsche Telekom, Digex, GTE, ICG Communications, ITC^DeltaCom, JC Penney, MCI Worldcom, MindSpring Enterprises, NextLink, and a number of financial investment concerns. Headquarters are located at 139 Townsend Street, San Francisco, Calif. 94107; (415) 538-9090. The Web site is at www.micromuse.com.

About Cable & Wireless Communications

Cable & Wireless Communications plc is the largest provider of integrated telecommunications and television entertainment services in the United Kingdom. The company serves customers nationally with a broad range of facilities-based network services including local, national and international voice, data and Internet services, and in certain regions, multichannel television and, through resale, mobile telecommunications services. Cable & Wireless Communications is one of the largest carriers of wholesale telecommunications traffic in the United Kingdom and in 1997 the ninth largest carrier of international traffic in the world. The CWC Board believes that CWC is now the seventh largest such carrier in the world.

Netcool is a registered trademark of Micromuse Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks in this document are the properties of their respective owners. Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on current expectations, but are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. The factors that could cause actual future results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include the following: fluctuations in customer demand, the Company's ability to manage its growth (including the ability to hire sufficient sales and technical personnel), the risks associated with the expansion of the Company's distribution channels, the risk of new product introductions and customer acceptance of new products; the rapid technological change which characterises the Company's markets, the risks associated with competition, the risks associated with international sales as the Company expands its markets, and the ability of the Company to compete successfully in the future, as well as other risks identified in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission Filings, including but not limited to those appearing under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and on Form 10-K on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on the Company's Web site.