Edward & Pat: >>As of now, USRX does NOT have any working ADSL modem.<< Not true!
U.S. ROBOTICS DEBUTS DSL PRODUCTS
New Product Line is the Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) Choice for Telefonica I&D and CS Telecom
Demonstrated at CeBIT Exposition
Hannover, Germany, March 12, 1997_ U.S. Robotics (NASDAQ: USRX) today announced its first two products for DSL remote access solution, and demonstrated them at the CeBIT Exposition. The products, designed for telephone service providers, small business offices, and consumers provide high-speed, cost-effective remote access to corporate LANs and the Internet over standard telephone lines.
DSL is an emerging technology that provides high-bandwidth remote access to networks over standard copper telephone lines. DSL promises to make Internet and corporate intranet access many time faster than dial-up modems. Telecom service providers are beginning to offer DSL services to small businesses, corporate branch offices telecommuters, and consumers. The U.S. Robotics DSL remote access solution comprises equipment for both ends of a digital subscriber line.
The company also announced an alliance with French systems integration giant CS Telecom, a subsidiary of the Groupe Compagnie des Signaux, as well as an endorsement from Spanish PTT Telefonica I&D.
"Our initial products will support the telecom service providers' user trials while the market forms. As they scale up, we will soon move aggressively to drive costs down, as has been our forte for previous modem standards," said Asghar Mostafa, vice president and general manager of U.S. Robotics' Broadband Access Communications Division. "We're also planning to develop a rate-adaptable hybrid 56k/ADSL modem that will be upgradeable and widely compatible," adds Ron Westernik, vice president of marketing for the division.
For end-users: VIPER-DSL
Initially targeted at the Remote Office/Branch Office (ROBO) and Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) markets as well as residential telecommuter users, the VIPER-DSL is a RADSL-to-Ethernet router that supports multiple users on an Ethernet LAN. Housed in the familiar U.S. Robotics compact desktop modem package, the new products are powered by Carrierless Amplitude and Phase (CAP) modulation RADSL chipsets from GlobeSpan Technologies Inc.
The VIPER-DSL works with an external voiceband "Plain Old Telephone Service" (POTS) splitter, also supplied by U.S. Robotics, allowing users to transfer data while using the same line for voice conversations simultaneously. POTS splitters are passive low-pass filters that isolate the telephones from interference.
Software for the VIPER-DSL is upgradeable: it is stored on FLASH RAM, and telephone service providers or U.S. Robotics can download new versions of the software over the DSL. Transfer speeds are 1.5 Mbps downstream and 384 Kbps upstream, and U.S. Robotics will provide customers a free software update in the second quarter of 1997 to enable speeds of 6Mbps downstream and 640 Kbps upstream. The product can also be configured for symmetric speeds such as 640 Kbps upstream and downstream.
To ensure that the product is easy to install and set up, U.S. Robotics also includes a software "wizard," an elegant GUI application that guides the user through a simple configuration process.
For Telecom Service Providers: RADSL Access Concentrators
The new two-port rate adaptive AxCELL cardset uses U.S. Robotics' flagship Total Control chassis to provide a RADSL access concentrator for the Central Office (CO) environment. The Total Control platform is a leading remote access solution, used worldwide by service providers and corporations for dial-up Internet and corporate intranet access.
The initial RADSL access concentrator configuration supports up to 32 ports per chassis, housing up to 16 dual-port AxCELL cardsets in the Total Control chassis. These 10BaseT Ethernet lines are concentrated with an Ethernet switch, such as a U.S. Robotics' TOTALswitchO. The system can interoperate with a U.S. Robotics NETServer, which provides a V.35 interface to Frame Relay networks, or with a third-party router.
To support network element management, the AxCELL cardset has an SNMP agent. U. S. Robotics provides its Access Router Manager, a GUI software manager that runs on a network-attached PC or UNIX workstation. From this management console, the system manager can configure and manage not only the AxCELL units, but also the U. S. Robotics end-user's VIPER-DSL modems attached across the DSL. AxCELL also works with third party management systems.
The Telecoms' DSL-Rollout Challenge
Telephone companies are already beginning to roll out DSL services to businesses and consumers. Market researchers at Dataquest predict there will be 510,000 DSL lines worldwide by the end of 1998 and 5.8 million lines by the end of 1999.
In 1996, telephone companies conducted technical trials of DSL. This year, service rollouts are shifting to market trials in preparation for full deployment. To prepare for this demand, telcos must develop a large "service factory", meaning they must extend their capabilities in operations, marketing, service, billing and provisioning. For example, they must provision customers with the proper modems for their DSL systems and attend to configuration.
According to industry analysts, U.S. Robotics is poised to fulfill demand for DSL products. "U.S. Robotics is well-positioned to play a leading role in the nascent DSL market through its ability to leverage the technical, marketing and distribution expertise it has developed as a major player in the dynamic, competitive remote access market," said Tim Burke, a data communications analyst at The Yankee Group. "U.S. Robotics' size and product-line diversity also provide the critical financial stability required to allow this market to develop, which many of its competitors in the DSL arena lack."
Customer/Technical Partnerships
U.S. Robotics has entered into several technical partnerships and customer alliances for its new DSL product line. U.S. Robotics has equipped both its telecom- and user-side modems with a RADSL chipset from GlobeSpan Technologies Inc. GlobeSpan is the leading supplier of CAP-based chipsets, with over 90% of all worldwide ADSL deployments to date. "We are very pleased that U.S. Robotics has chosen GlobeSpan CAP chipsets to power their new RADSL products. The cost-effectiveness, widespread availability, and proven performance of GlobeSpan chipsets make them a natural choice for industry leaders like U.S. Robotics that are poised to fill the huge demand for ADSL equipment," said Jim Michaels, GlobeSpan vice president of marketing and business development.
CS Telecom, the largest integrator of enterprise network and telecommunications solutions in France, has selected US Robotics DSL products. The firms have jointly formed an alliance to go after ADSL trials and rollouts aggressively. The alliance couples US Robotics' strength in DSL CPE and First Stage concentrators to CS Telecom's ATM and Frame Relay technology. "We chose U.S. Robotics because of our combination of strengths and sameness of vision," said Yazid Sabegh, president and CEO of CS Telecom, "Together, we have the reach to bring ADSL to Europe and beyond."
Customer Endorsement
Telefonica is Spain's Public Telephone and Telegraph (PTT) company, and is working with U.S. Robotics in technical and market trials for ADSL in 1997. According to Eliseo Sanchez, general manager of Telefonica I&D, "Taking into account U. S. Robotics' DSL access solutions and their strength in distribution and support, Telefonica is interested in the integration of these DSL products for the development of its Information Services access infrastructure."
Pricing and Availability
The multi-user VIPER-DSL user modem has a suggested U.S. list price of $495, and external POTS splitter for VIPER-DSL has a suggested U.S. list price of $50 per line. The AxCELL dual channel RADSL cardset has a suggested U.S. list price of $775, and the external POTS splitter for AxCELL has a suggested U.S. list price of $50 per ADSL port. Besides Telefonica I&D and CS Telecom, the products are currently in Beta test with three service providers in the U.S, and will be. generally available in early May, 1997.
About U.S. Robotics
U.S. Robotics, headquartered in Skokie, IL, USA, is one of the world's leading suppliers of products and systems that provide access to information. Via its innovations, users gain access to, manage and share data, fax and voice information. The company designs, manufacturers, markets and supports a broad range of products, including remote access services, enterprise communications systems, LAN switching desktop/mobile client products, modems, and telephony products that connect computers and other equipment over analog, digital and switched cellular networks. U.S. Robotics customers include Internet service providers, regional Bell operating companies and a wide range of other large corporations, businesses,institutions and individuals. The company's 1996 sales were (U.S.) $1.98 billion. |
