NETSCOUT Launches Deep Packet Inspection Consortium to Improve Patent Quality and Deter Frivolous Patent Claims

Advisory Board Will Guide Consortium’s Mission to Help Innovators Defend their Innovations

NETSCOUT SYSTEMS, INC. (NASDAQ: NTCT) today launched the DPI Consortium, a non-profit organization established to improve patent quality and deter frivolous patent claims. The consortium provides resources to support and advance the field of Deep Packet Inspection (“DPI”) technology by making historical research and development resources available to all, including innovators fighting frivolous claims made by patent assertion entities. Resources include prior art and information about pioneering developments in DPI technology, including hard-to-find product data sheets, articles, patents, and web pages from the Internet Archive.

Understanding the history of DPI technology and its vital role in modern networks helps companies advance their technology and fend off spurious claims against their development. In addition, DPI technology is used in service assurance products that safeguard the health of the network and the applications that run over it. The technology is a core component of critical cybersecurity products, such as next-generation firewalls, DDoS mitigation products, and cybersecurity threat hunting and incident response tools. As the Guardian of the Connected World, NETSCOUT envisioned making its knowledge of early DPI advances available publicly and encouraging the same from other pioneering companies. As a result, it founded and funded the DPI Consortium.

The consortium assembled a stellar advisory board to help guide its mission of improving patent quality and assisting innovators in defending their innovations. The consortium’s advisory board includes seven luminaries from the world of networking, including:

• Vint Cerf, VP and Chief Internet Evangelist, Google;
• Laura Chappell, Author and Protocol Analyst/CEO, Protocol Analysis Institute, Inc. and Chappell University;
• Gerald Combs, Original developer of the Wireshark open source project;
• Tim O’Neill, Chief of technology and contributing editor for the NetworkDataPedia website;
• Mike Pennacchi, Owner and Lead Network Analyst, Network Protocol Specialists, LLC;
• Len Shustek, Co-Founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Computer History Museum in Mountain View CA;
• Joe Sutherland, former president of Dyaptive Systems;

“DPI technology has been around since the 1980s, but it has been rediscovered in recent years as companies try to solve increasingly complex application and cybersecurity problems,” stated Paul Barrett, CTO for Enterprise at NETSCOUT and president of the DPI Consortium Board. “This has sometimes led to new patent applications based on old technology and patents with questionable validity asserted by patent assertion entities. At NETSCOUT, we are proud to have founded this consortium to ensure high-quality patents from true innovators. In the next few weeks, we will announce a major new resource for those involved in developing DPI patents and evaluating the novelty of existing DPI patents.”

NETSCOUT is the founding member and currently the sole supporter of the DPI Consortium, a non-profit 501(c)(6) tax-exempt membership organization. Companies involved with networking are encouraged to get involved. For more membership information, contact the DPI Consortium.

About NETSCOUT

NETSCOUT SYSTEMS, INC. (NASDAQ: NTCT) protects the connected world from cyberattacks and performance disruptions through advanced network detection and response and pervasive network visibility. Powered by our pioneering deep packet inspection at scale, we serve the world's largest enterprises, service providers, and public sector organizations. Learn more at www.netscout.com or follow @NETSCOUT on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

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