StockDon...I'd like to hear your thoughts on this if you have any. TIA
"Turnstone Introduces the Smart Splitter(TM) SX500, Enabling Loop Management For Residential DSL Services Monday, October 30, 2000
Smart Splitter SX500 Represents Industry's Highest-Density, Lowest-Cost Platform Combining Splitter and Loop Management Functionality
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Turnstone Systems (Nasdaq: TSTN) today introduced the Smart Splitter SX500, a unique, patent-pending product that dramatically reduces costs of deploying loop management for residential digital subscriber line (DSL) services. Unlike traditional passive splitters that can hinder a service provider's ability to access and accurately test copper loops, Turnstone's Smart Splitter SX500 integrates metallic access with the splitter function, enabling comprehensive, remote testing of DSL services deployed over existing "Plain Old Telephone Service" (POTS) lines. This architecture eliminates the need for additional metallic access products on the facility side of the splitter, greatly reducing a service provider's overall costs. The Turnstone solution is ideal for incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) deploying DSL over POTS lines, for voice competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) deploying DSL and POTS services and for CLECs deploying line sharing. Future releases of the Smart Splitter SX500 will provide comprehensive, remote testing for DSL deployed over Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) circuits, as well. "Providers of residential DSL are on the lookout for tools that hold down operational costs as they scale deployments," said Adam Guglielmo, DSL analyst with TeleChoice, Inc. "Combining splitter and loop-management functionality in a single platform would assist ILEC and CLEC deployment in the residential market, especially as line sharing moves forward." The Smart Splitter SX500 supports up to 576 splitters in a single shelf and includes multiple test access ports that can be controlled by any test solution using standard TL1 commands, including Turnstone's Copper CrossConnect(R) CX100 loop management platform. "While our Copper CrossConnect CX100 solution was designed from the ground up for providing loop management in unbundled copper environments, the Smart Splitter SX500 was designed from the ground up to provide the optimal loop management solution for high-volume, DSL-over-POTS applications," said Eric Andrews, vice president of marketing with Turnstone. "We believe the Smart Splitter SX500 will provide significant value to ILECs, CLECs or any service provider deploying residential DSL services." At a cost comparable to that of the passive splitters being deployed today, service providers can use the Smart Splitter SX500 to provision customers more quickly and maintain a higher quality of service. Because it enables a cost-effective remote-testing solution that can fully examine all components of the DSL circuit, the new Turnstone solution helps eliminate many of the truck rolls and human labor that could otherwise torpedo the business case for deploying residential DSL. By providing full, unencumbered access to the facility-side of the loop for testing, the Smart Splitter SX500 helps service providers overcome limitations of existing POTS testing solutions to fully qualify copper loops for DSL service. In addition, the Smart Splitter SX500 enables testing towards the DSL access multiplexer (DSLAM) equipment or the voice equipment to enhance troubleshooting and fault-isolation capability, such as common human error in cabling. As the Smart Splitter SX500 eliminates the need for deploying additional metallic access devices on each subscriber line, the Turnstone solution provides the maximum remote testing capability for the lowest cost. The Smart Splitter SX500's 23-inch, rack-mount, modular platform has 24 line card slots. A 19-inch platform includes 19 card slots. The initial cards for the Smart Splitter SX500 include the SP50 processor card and the SL24 line card. Each SL24 line card supports 24 splitters that are fully compliant with ANSI T1.413 Annex E and include standard MLT signatures. The Smart Splitter SX500 is a robust platform designed to preserve the POTS line at all costs. All cards are hot-swappable, and the removal of any card does not disrupt the POTS lines cabled through the system. In the event of power failure or loss of control, the Smart Splitter SX500 falls back to operating as a standard passive splitter, again to ensure that POTS service is not disrupted. Furthermore, when Turnstone's test solution is used, all lines are checked to ensure there is no call in progress before performing any disruptive test. The Smart Splitter SX500 is currently in trials and will be available in volume in December 2000.
About Turnstone Turnstone Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of hardware and software products that enable local exchange carriers to rapidly deploy and efficiently maintain DSL services. Turnstone's flagship product, the Copper CrossConnect(R) CX100, is a loop management platform that is deployed in central offices to enable automation and remote control of physical layer tasks related to DSL installation, qualification and maintenance. Turnstone's Smart Splitter(TM) SX500 platform enables comprehensive loop management solutions for residential DSL services. Turnstone's CrossWorks(TM) software enables service providers to integrate these loop management functions into back-office Operational Support Systems (OSS), enhancing their ability to efficiently scale their DSL service offerings to meet demand. Turnstone is based in Santa Clara, California, and has sales offices worldwide. For more information about Turnstone, visit www.turnstone.com, email info@turnstone.com or phone the toll-free number 877-8-COPPER.
The foregoing statements concerning the Smart Splitter SX500 and its functionality, cost, availability and deployment are forward-looking. These forward-looking statements involve future events that involve risks and uncertainties that could affect Turnstone's ability to achieve its operating results. Further information on potential factors that could affect Turnstone, its business, and its financial results are detailed in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission made from time to time by Turnstone, including its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended June 30, 2000, and March 31, 2000, and its Registration Statement on Form S-1. Turnstone undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
CONTACT: Cathy Palmen Interprose PR 408-268-8112 cathy_palmen@interprosepr.com
or
Eric Andrews Turnstone Systems, Inc. 408-907-1543 eandrews@turnstone.com " |