IT operations teams often struggle to assemble an effective network performance management (NPM) toolkit because the market is increasingly complex. There are at least half a dozen classes of technologies that claim to manage network performance, yet they all offer very different views of the network. Moreover, the number of NPM use cases is expanding. Network operations monitoring, network troubleshooting, and network capacity planning remain core use cases. However, enterprises also use NPM tools for security monitoring and cloud application migration assessments. 

This market research offers a guide to evaluating NPM technologies and establishing a tool strategy that meets every use case an enterprise might have for such solutions. However, it is not a vendor comparison study. In fact, the reader will find almost no mention of specific vendors. The research draws on survey data and one-on-one interviews with IT professionals to understand how IT organizations are selecting, implementing, and using NPM tools. It identifies key technology requirements, industry challenges, and potential best practices. The key finding is this: There is no such thing as the ideal NPM platform. Every enterprise has its own unique needs that defy the possibility of a silver bullet for all. Instead, this research shows how enterprises assemble their own ideal NPM platforms based on partnerships with key vendors and some good old-fashioned hard work.