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NetScout Systems has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Network General, in a combined cash, stock, and debt transaction currently valued at approximately $205 million.

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The acquisition, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, is expected to be completed by early November.

Network General employees will become NetScout employees, and the newly combined entity will be headquartered in <‾xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags' />Westford, Massachusetts.

NetScout believes that for fiscal year 2009, the combined company will approximately double NetScout's current revenue rate, and that the transaction will be accretive for fiscal year 2009 on a non-GAAP basis and accretive on a GAAP basis by the end of fiscal 2009.