Organisations (large, medium, and small) are starting to recognize the hefty costs they are paying for network management tools. No doubt the tools have essential functionality, but is it justifiable to spend so much on them? Traditional enterprise solutions, such as those from the Big 4 (HP®, IBM®, Cisco®, CA® Technologies), are typically packaged and priced so ambiguously that you often don’t realize the amount of money you’re shelling out to purchase them. IT budgets are getting leaner so network administration teams are looking for more economical solutions. It’s definitely not resourceful to purchase “enterprise solutions” that charge you for more than what you really need.