Interspeed, Inc. (ticker: ISPD, exchange: Nasdaq) News Release - Monday, January
31, 2000
Interspeed Announces Distributor For Fast-Growth Japanese
Market
Soliton Systems To Market Interspeed's Family of Integrated DSL Access
Routers;
Interspeed Positioned to Become Japan's Dominant Supplier
of Building-Centric DSL Solutions
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass., Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Interspeed, Inc. (Nasdaq:
ISPD), a leading provider of integrated, high-speed Digital Subscriber Line
(DSL) access platforms for building-centric service providers, today
announced a distributor in the Japanese market. Tokyo-based Soliton
Systems K.K., one of Japan's foremost engineering and trading organizations,
will market Interspeed's complete family of innovative, single-box DSL Access
Routers, including the Interspeed 1000, Interspeed 500, and the Interspeed
DART. Through the combined collaborative efforts of both companies,
Interspeed believes it is poised to become Japan's dominant supplier of
building-centric DSL solutions.
Soliton expects the Japanese xDSL equipment market to be a $100 million
market within the next three years. Soliton has established a leadership
position in this market with several early, strategic xDSL product deployments.
In 1998, Stnet (Sikoku Information and Telecommunication Network Company,
Inc.) started deploying SDSL commercial services for the first time in Japan
using the Soliton 2220, an SDSL IP router. Another service provider, Htnet
(Hokuriku Telecommunication Network Company), has been providing Internet
access for schools throughout Japan using the same Soliton router.
Today's announcement demonstrates Interspeed's latest step to expand its
indirect distribution channel targeting the world's leading service providers.
Earlier this month, Interspeed announced a distribution agreement with
Congruent International, which expanded Interspeed's global reseller network.
Soliton and Congruent complement existing relationships with Solunet and
Cabletron, which are leading suppliers of DSL solutions to Internet service
providers, and other telecommunications service providers. Today's
announcement with Soliton also strengthens Interspeed's presence in the
Asia-Pacific Region, building upon Interspeed's reseller relationship in South
Korea with NexComm Systems.
"In Japan, faster Internet access services are required for the Multi-Tenant
Unit (MTU) market, such as Internet-ready apartments, hospitals, and schools.
In-building xDSL deployments make it possible to deliver high speed data
communications over existing copper telephone lines, and this deployment
approach has shown great promise for augmenting cable modem and wireless
access solutions," said Dr. Nobuo Kamata, president of Soliton Systems K.K.
According to Steve Ide, president of Interspeed, "The Japanese market
represents a significant opportunity for Interspeed. Soliton is far more than a
traditional technology distributor. The company is one of Japan's premier
engineering and trading organizations with the relevant resources to help
drive the market for DSL communications. Working closely with our new
partner, Interspeed anticipates it will dramatically expand its presence in
Japan."
About Interspeed's Product Family
Interspeed offers a highly scalable family of DSL Access Routers -- the
Interspeed 1000, Interspeed 500, and Interspeed DART. All three products
include complete DSL aggregation, Layer 2 switching, IP Routing, and VPN
functions in a single device, thus eliminating the need for service providers to
purchase these components separately, and saving significant cost. The
Interspeed DART is the industry's first complete, low-density DSL solution that
enables service providers to deliver high-speed Internet access and other
advanced IP applications to the MTU market. The Interspeed 500 is designed
for larger MTU and Central Office environments, and the Interspeed 1000 is
ideal for larger deployments in central office environments. The three products
are managed with Speedview(TM), a powerful set of administration and
management functions that make installation as simple as "plug and play."
About Soliton
Soliton Systems KK is a leading Japanese network solution vendor and a
value-added reseller of worldwide network vendors such as 3Com, Cisco, HP,
Cabletron, Lotus, and Microsoft. Soliton also develops proprietary products and
systems, including e-care network management software, C-gate user
authentication system, and the VoIP gateway Solphone. Soliton has 400
employees with headquarters in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. For more information,
visit soliton.co.jp.
About Interspeed
Interspeed (www.interspeed.com) designs, develops and markets advanced
high-speed data communications solutions based on digital subscriber line
(DSL) technology. Its products enable data communication service providers,
such as competitive local exchange carriers, Internet service providers, and
owners of multi-tenant units to utilize the existing copper wire infrastructure to
deliver high-speed data access to their customers. Interspeed offers the
industry's only single platform system that integrates the principal components
required to offer DSL service, including signal concentration, routing, switching
and network management. Unlike traditional DSL products, Interspeed's DSL
Access Routers can offer customers a highly scalable and flexible solution at a
lower total cost of ownership.
Note to Investors
This press release contains forward-looking statements that do not give full
weight to all the potential risks, but relate to the Company's plans objectives
and expectations, which are dependent upon a number of factors outside of
the Company's control, including market acceptance of DSL in Japan, the
availability of competing products and technology and technological advances
by competitor's with greater resources. Thus, actual results may differ
materially. Additional information concerning these risks is contained in the
"Risk Factors" section of Interspeed, Inc.'s Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended September 30, 1999 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on December 29, 1999.
For more information, contact:
Ken Osowski
Interspeed
978-688-6164
kosowski@interspeed.com
Jon Bornstein/Sherry Blanchette
Porter Novelli Convergence Group for Interspeed
919-562-6787 / 617-450-4300
jon.bornstein@pnicg.com
sherry.blanchette@pnicg.com
Daisuke Sawada
Soliton Systems K.K.
Product Marketing
daisuke.sawada@soliton.co.jp
tel: +81-3-5360-3825
fax: +81-3-5360-3838
SOURCE Interspeed, Inc. |
