[Full text of BWire article]
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 20, 1997--Amati
Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: AMTX), a leading developer of
advanced transmission equipment utilizing Discrete Multi-Tone (DMT)
technology for the Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), today
announced Allegro -- the world's first ADSL Access Concentrator
designed to quickly dispatch ADSL services to the mass market.
With Allegro, local service providers (telco or ISP) can
consolidate data traffic collected over the high speed ADSL
connections into a single high speed data "pipe" for the backbone
network interface, making installation of large scale ADSL services
for data and video applications efficient and economical.
The new Allegro Access Concentrator enables the installation of
multiple modems and control via a single mechanical configuration,
saving space, consolidating power and providing for easy maintenance.
Allegro permits two information channels per modem -- allowing both
video-on-demand and Internet access simultaneously to any subscriber
over a single ADSL connection. Allegro is also equipped with Amati
ADSL SNMP Management permitting up to 48 ADSL connections to be
managed, administered, and maintained by a single intelligent
interface to an SNMP network manager.
"Allegro is the first in a line of products to be developed by
Amati to enable worldwide implementation of the ADSL service," said
Jim Steenbergen, President and CEO of Amati. "It sends a signal to
the industry that today's telephone network can quickly and
cost-effectively become the high speed data highway of tomorrow."
The Allegro Access Concentrator is a flexible platform for
Amati's leading ADSL/DMT modem design, the Overture 8 modem. The
Overture 8 is the fastest ADSL modem commercially available, and has
been shown to set the standard for ADSL services in multiple trials
and evaluations.
Allegro holds 12 ADSL/DMT modems in a 6RU shelf. The shelves are
-48 V powered and designed for installation in either a 19" or 23"
rack configuration. The shelf Overture 8 modems are "hot-swappable,"
permitting on-line replacement and maintenance. The Amati Allegro is
designed for central office installation and meets NEBS requirements.
The Amati ADSL Management interface provides the Amati ADSL
Enterprise MIB via a direct Ethernet connection that can be used to
monitor and control up to four Allegro shelves, or 48 modems.
The Allegro is available in configurations for multiple ADSL
service offerings. For data users, Allegro offers a 6:1
concentration of users to a single 10BaseT interface with bridging
for data link packet transmission. For video applications, it
provides individual serial interfaces (RS422) for each ADSL modem.
For combined services, both the Ethernet and serial ports are
available to support dual data channels in each ADSL connection. The
bandwidth is programmable via the Amati ADSL Management interface for
real-time application and bandwidth control.
The Amati ADSL Management SNMP MIB and SNMP interface software is
based on Amati's years of experience in the development and testing
of ADSL services. The experience has permitted Amati engineers to
determine the key parameters to effectively monitor performance, line
conditions, and system connectivity for optimum ADSL performance and
availability.
The parameters are then built into the Amati Enterprise MIB
provided in every shelf management interface. The result is the most
manageable, most controllable, and most easily integrated management
interface of any ADSL system structure.
Amati's Future Product Architecture
The Allegro provides a platform for a newer version of the
Overture 8 modem that is a step forward in technology and offers
several advantages over the original Overture 8 model. These new
features include: downloadable software, for on-line upgrades and
feature enhancements; adaptive power mode, an Amati innovation that
adjusts power consumption to line lengths and traffic conditions;
SNMP management, permitting detailed line testing, option setting,
data rate evaluation, and service administration directly via the
central office (host) management connection; data packet buffers per
line, assuring highest possible throughput in data applications; and
rate adaptation, meeting the T1.413 standards in assigning up to four
pre-set rate levels specifically to enable multiple service
definitions. The Overture 8 core DMT technology has been tested at
rates up to 8 Mbps and distances up to 18,000 feet. With the
Allegro, the service provider not only has the most manageable and
most cost efficient platform for ADSL services, but also one equipped
with the best ADSL technology.
Allegro's shelf system also provides a platform for future ADSL
modem designs based on new generations of silicon and ADSL software
and permits easy upgrades to newer system protocols as they are
required by the service providers. From the packet-based interface
today, the Allegro can be extended to provide frame-based and
cell-based access in the future. The key is that the product is
being offered by the leader in ADSL/DMT products and experience,
Amati.
Amati is participating in tests of ADSL services at speeds from
1.5 Mbps up to 8 Mbps for services ranging from Internet access to
video broadcast. The trials are world-wide including services being
offered by PTTs in Europe and the Asia-Pacific, with companies such
as Philips, Italtel, Tadiran and Samsung. In the U.S., Amati is also
providing ADSL/DMT equipment in GTE's current Internet access trials
in Texas and Washington.
Pricing and Availability
The Allegro Access Concentrator is now available from Amati;
pricing can be obtained by contacting Amati Sales in San Jose,
Calif.
Amati Communications Corporation
Amati is a leading developer of advanced transmission equipment
utilizing DMT technology for the ADSL, Very High-Speed Digital
Subscriber Line (VDSL) and cable modem markets. Amati is the holder
of the ADSL/DMT patents and has licensed the technology to companies
such as Nortel and Motorola. Amati is also a provider of network
connectivity systems for the internetworking and OEM marketplaces.
The company's connectivity products include local area network
gateways, client-based workstation software and network data
communications interfaces.
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Note to Editors: Statements made in this press release which are
not historical, including statements regarding product demonstration,
product capabilities, availability and markets, are forward looking
statements and as such are subject to a number of risks. Please see
the company's prospectus/proxy statement dated October 16, 1995 and
other reports filed pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
for additional disclosure regarding such risk factors. |
