Lucent Technologies and Westell to Jointly Market and Sell ADSL Products
PR Newswire - December 11, 1997 14:08
WSTL LU %CPR V%PRN P%PRN
Westell's SuperVision broadband access platform to enable high-speed data
from North America's most widely deployed Digital Loop Carrier Systems
AURORA, Ill., Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Westell Technologies (Nasdaq: WSTL)
announced today that it has signed a joint marketing agreement with Lucent
Technologies (NYSE: LU). Lucent will now begin marketing Westell's
SuperVision(R) Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) systems,
including concentration shelves, line cards, mux cards, remote ADSL modems and
network management systems, enabling telecommunications service providers to
offer high-speed data over copper telephone wires.
Under the agreement, Lucent can market Westell's SuperVision broadband
access platform. Westell's DSLAM systems will be commercially available in
the first quarter of 1998. In addition, the agreement calls for both
companies to market and sell Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
products developed by Westell for Lucent's SLC(R) Digital Loop Carrier
Systems. The first ADSL enabled SLC Series systems are projected to be
available in the fourth quarter of 1998. Today's announcement is the next
step in an agreement announced earlier this year, when Lucent and Westell
first agreed to integrate Westell's ADSL technology into Lucent's SLC Digital
Loop Carrier systems.
Lucent's SLC-2000 and SLC Series 5 digital loop carriers are the most
widely deployed systems in the United States. By combining SLC Systems
ADSL-enabled channel units that interface with Westell's SuperVision ADSL
modems, service providers with Lucent's SLC systems will be able to offer data
service at rates up to eight megabits per second (Mbps) downstream with full
rate-adaptive capabilities -- an increase of 200 times over today's raditional
data rates using 28.8 kilobits per second (kbps) modems.
As part of the agreement, Westell will install and support the broadband
equipment at the central office and remote modems at the customer premises.
Financial terms and conditions of the contract were not disclosed.
Lucent Technologies may also use Westell-supplied AccessVision(R) element
manager to provide full network management of each ADSL circuit. AccessVision
is a scaleable, distributed Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
management system that provides a graphical interface to operators in a
central management center. AccessVision's modular open architecture
cost-effectively supports small networks but can accommodate network growth up
to the hundreds of thousands of lines. AccessVision was specifically designed
to manage large, dispersed, multi-product access networks.
"Lucent Technologies is continually looking for ways to help service
providers maximize their investment in our digital loop carrier products so
they can meet their customers' demand for higher bandwidth services," said
Linda Manchester, Lucent's director of Access Solutions Strategy and Business
Development. "Integrating the Westell ADSL solution ensures that service
providers will be able to offer high-speed ADSL from a SLC system, thereby
avoiding the expense of installing an overlay network."
The Lucent/Westell solution requires an ADSL line card and a
Westell-developed mux card to be inserted into a SLC-2000 Access System
Metallic Distribution Shelf or SLC Series 5 dual channel bank assembly. This
creates a remote DSLAM inside the remote terminal cabinet. Each ADSL card
provides two ADSL lines and integrated onboard Plain Old Telephone Service
(POTS) splitters.
"This joint marketing agreement with Lucent is an expansion of our earlier
development agreement and a major step forward in the commercial deployment of
our DSLAM solution," said Marc Hafner, Westell's senior vice president,
Business Development and Global Alliances. "Westell's SuperVision broadband
access platform will complement Lucent's SLC digital loop carrier systems,
allowing both companies to launch a joint marketing effort that benefits our
mutual customers."
According to the Lucent/Westell marketing agreement, SuperVision will
support the transmission of ATM cells from either a 155 Mbps (SONET/SDH) or 45
Mbps (DS3) ATM network interface to DSL line modules housed within Lucent's
SLC remote terminal cabinets. The DS-3 signal from the SLC Remote Terminal is
transported via a SONET FiberMux to the host system where it is combined with
other DS-3 signals into an OC-3 signal. The OC-3 signal travels to the ATM
Backbone Network.
Westell's SuperVision DSLAM is a flexible platform that serves as a single
point of concentration for ADSL line cards located in the SLC Remote Terminal
office. By consolidating individual DSL access line interfaces into a single
high-speed interface to the switching network, service providers are spared
the cost of fully deploying multimedia services such as high-speed Internet
access, video-on-demand and remote LAN access. Westell's consolidation also
reduces equipment costs, saves space and enhances availability by minimizing
the potential points of failure in the network.
Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., designs, builds
and delivers a wide range of public and private networks, communications
systems and software, data networking systems, business telephone systems and
microelectronic components. Bell Labs is the research and development arm for
the company. For more information on Lucent Technologies, visit the company's
web site at lucent.com.
Westell Technologies, Inc. is a holding company for Westell, Inc.,
Conference Plus, Inc. and Westell WorldWide Services, Inc. Westell, Inc. is a
leading worldwide innovator and manufacturer of xDSL systems and
telecommunications access products, with corporate headquarters in Aurora,
Ill. Westell's xDSL products are currently in use or trial by many customers
worldwide, including Ameritech, Bell Atlantic, Bell Canada, BT, GTE, MCI,
Quebec Telephone, SBC, Saskatchewan Telephone, Telecom Italia, US West and
leading Internet service providers. In addition to developing and
manufacturing xDSL and non-DSL data and telecommunications products, Westell,
Inc., has established technology relationships with leading telecommunication,
software, computing and semiconductor companies such as Atlantech
Technologies, ATML, DSC Communications, GlobeSpan, Lucent Technologies,
Microsoft, Motorola, Texas Instruments and others.
Conference Plus, Inc. is a multi-point telecommunications service bureau
specializing in audio teleconferencing, multi-point video conferencing,
broadcast fax, and multimedia teleconference services. Westell WorldWide
Services, Inc. provides engineering, installation and network management
services to leading network providers as well as turn-key equipment and
service solutions to enterprise customers and service providers. Additional
information can be obtained by visiting Westell's Web site at
westell.com.
SuperVision is a registered trademark of Westell Technologies, Inc.
SLC is a registered trademark of Lucent Technologies.
"Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995
Certain statements contained herein such as the development and commercial
availability of Westell's ADSL products and the commercial deployment of
Westell's DSLAM solution are forward looking statements. These statements
include risks and uncertainties such as those listed under the "Risk Factors"
section contained in Westell's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31,
1997. These risks include but are not limited to, product demand and market
acceptance risks, the impact of competitive products and technologies,
competitive pricing pressures, delays in product development and
introductions, lack of commercial acceptance for Westell's products,
technological delays or difficulties, and the effect of economic conditions
and trade, legal, social and economic risks.
SOURCE Westell Technologies
/EDITOR'S NOTE: For more information about Lucent's SLC digital loop
carrier systems or other Lucent access solutions, contact Loren Talley at
908-559-6417.
For more information on Westell Technologies, Inc. via facsimile at no
cost, simply dial 800-PRO-INFO and enter the ticker symbol WSTL/
/CONTACT: Mark L. Meudt of Westell, Inc., 630-375-4125; Brad Wills of
Wills & Associates, Trade/Business Press, 301-530-3711; or Lisa Ferguson,
Analysts Inquiries, of The Financial Relations Board, 312-266-7800/
/Web site: http://http://www.westell.com,http://www.lucent.com/
(WSTL LU) |
