GTE and FORE at the Core of Microsoft
ATM Network
High-Performance Products From FORE Team With GTE
Services To Provide Backbone For One Of The World's
Largest Corporate ATM Networks
REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- FORE
Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORE), the worldwide leader in
networking products based on asynchronous transfer mode
(ATM) technology, and GTE (NYSE: GTE), one of the largest
publicly held telecommunications companies in the world,
have been selected by Microsoft Corp. (NYSE: MSFT) to
provide the high-performance network backbone and related
services as part of the company's Redmond, Washington
campus-wide network upgrade. FORE Systems will supply
the ATM equipment to GTE for installation in the network and
GTE will provide ongoing value-added services. The ATM
backbone will also support Microsoft's worldwide Internet Data
Centers. The network will be one of the largest concentrated
deployments of ATM in the world.
The Microsoft ATM backbone will consist of meshed
ForeRunner(R) ASX-1000 10 Gbps switches connected via
OC-12 SONET links running at 622 Mbps. ForeRunner
switches will also uplink numerous Microsoft buildings
throughout the Puget Sound area to the ATM backbone, with
many locations deploying redundant switches. This ATM
infrastructure will support the main Microsoft campus and
three satellite campuses. Management of the FORE switches
will be provided by FORE's ForeView(R) Network Management
Software.
ForeRunner switches will operate over Microsoft's local
SONET infrastructure, providing Microsoft with a high-speed,
high-performance network backbone that enables the
company to connect its multiple data centers, and is capable
of accommodating a wide range of future needs including
voice, video and multimedia transmissions.
According to John Connors, Microsoft's Vice President - Chief
Information Officer, the company selected the FORE/GTE
ATM solution for a number of distinct reasons, including the
quality and responsiveness of GTE's services, FORE's
leadership in ATM technology, products, performance and
price, the manageability of FORE's ATM products, and
FORE's scalability for accommodating growth.
"ATM is a proven networking technology and FORE -- with its
mix of products, its installed customer base and its
experience with large networks -- is a leader in the ATM
marketplace," says Arne Josefsberg, Microsoft's General
Manager for Global Networking. "Another key factor was
FORE's ForeView network management software, which
provides a solid solution for managing the network
infrastructure."
"Perhaps most important, FORE is not standing pat on its
technology, but is committed to having the next generation of
ATM products available when we need them," Josefsberg
added. "With ATM, we now have the ability to integrate voice,
video and multimedia within the same, single network as
those needs arise. The FORE/GTE combination gives us
more options for optimizing the utility, performance and cost
advantages of our network, along with the assurance that
these companies will be there to serve us in the future."
"GTE's commitment to serving large customers has been
amply demonstrated by the 17 members of its on-site service
team, who have shown they thoroughly understand our
networking environment, the SONET infrastructure and the
ways ATM will integrate within that SONET," said Dave
Gasiewicz, Microsoft's General Manager for Worldwide
Infrastructure Operations. "Their experience, and GTE's
willingness to provide value-added services, such as
inventorying networking equipment to enable us to move
quickly on implementation, shows the extent to which GTE is
willing to tailor its services to our requirements."
"FORE Systems and GTE offered a superior backbone
solution that met the full range of requirements prescribed by
Microsoft, and met them better than any of the other options
considered during a long, thorough evaluation period," said
Susan Ershler, Regional Sales Manager for GTE in Everett,
Washington. "This monumental deployment of ATM will
simplify the lives of Microsoft employees and help them be
even more productive."
"Microsoft sets the standard within its industry because it
understands better than any other company the ways
technology can be applied to solving business problems,
thereby creating a distinct competitive edge," said Tom Gill,
FORE Systems' Chief Operating Officer. "Their selection of
FORE recognizes the performance and cost advantages of
ATM, along with the fact that those advantages will continue
to grow as we develop even greater capabilities in the future.
We're extremely pleased to be working with Microsoft and
GTE."
About ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) Technology
ATM is widely recognized as a breakthrough networking
technology for delivering time-sensitive data, voice and video.
Unlike data-only technologies, such as Ethernet or token ring,
ATM provides guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS) for on-time
delivery, supports a wide range of speeds, and can "scale up"
to support network growth. ATM is the only high-performance
technology that spans local area networks (LANs) and wide
area networks (WANs). In the early 1990's, FORE Systems
became the first company to commercialize ATM networking
products.
About GTE
With revenues of more than $21 billion in 1996, GTE is one of
the largest publicly-held telecommunications companies in
the world. In the United States, GTE offers local and wireless
service in 29 states and long-distance service in all 50 states.
GTE was the first among its peers to offer "one- stop
shopping" for local, long-distance and Internet access
services. Outside the United States, where GTE has operated
for more than 40 years, the company serves approximately 7
million customers. GTE is also a leader in government and
defense communications systems and equipment, directories
and telecommunications-based information services, and
aircraft-passenger telecommunications. Additional information
about GTE can be found on the Internet at
gte.com.
About FORE Systems
FORE Systems is a worldwide leader in the design,
development, manufacture, and sale of high-performance
networking products based on ATM (asynchronous transfer
mode) technology. FORE offers the most comprehensive ATM
product line available today including ForeRunner ATM
switches and adapter cards, PowerHub(R) LAN switches and
CellPath(TM) WAN multiplexers for ATM connectivity,
ForeThought(TM) Internetworking Software, ForeView Network
Management Software and the StreamRunner(TM) ATM Video
Product Line. FORE has delivered ATM and LAN switching
solutions to approximately 4,000 customers including Fortune
500 companies, telecommunications service providers,
government agencies, research institutions, and universities.
FORE Systems' headquarters are located at 1000 FORE
Drive, Warrendale, Pennsylvania 15086. FORE Systems can
be reached by telephone at 412-742-4444 and via the Internet
at fore.com or info@fore.com.
This press release contains forward looking statements with
respect to products and other matters. Please refer to the
Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by FORE Systems with the
Securities and Exchange Commission in June, 1997 for a
discussion of risks that could cause actual results to differ
materially from such statements.
All FORE Systems' editorial information and graphics can be
found on NEWSdesk, the high-tech Internet Network at
newsdesk.com.
FORE Systems, ForeRunner, ForeView, and PowerHub, are
registered trademarks of FORE Systems, Inc. ForeThought,
CellPath, and StreamRunner are trademarks of FORE
Systems, Inc. All other brand or product names are
trademarks of their respective holders. SOURCE FORE
Systems, Inc.
North America,United States of America
PRNewswire
September 17, 1997 |
