More: Two's Company for 56K Foes
Lucent Technologies and 3Com declared a truce on Tuesday.
The companies, which have released products based on mutually
exclusive 56K-bps modem technologies, announced they have been
conducting field trials of modems based on a tentative 56K standard.
"This is our first step towards creating a marketplace," said Bob Rango,
general manager of Lucent's modem and multimedia group. Lucent and
Rockwell Semiconductor have supported K56flex, one 56K-bps
technology, while 3Com has backed x2, its own 56K technology.
The companies have waged a war of words since the two technologies
were introduced in late 1996. But after the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) failed to produce a draft of a standard
in September 1997, 3Com, Lucent and Rockwell began working
together to sort out their disagreements before the ITU's next meeting,
set for early next month.
The companies in December announced an agreement regarding most
technical issues and declared an ITU draft likely in February.
But, while Lucent and 3Com have apparently buried the hatchet,
Rockwell has remained independent. Neil Clemmons, 3Com's vice
president of marketing, said Rockwell was invited to test its modems
with the other companies, but declined. "We are hopeful they will
participate," Clemmons said.
A Rockwell spokeswoman said the company didn't participate because
until the ITU releases a standard, the two companies "are guessing"
about what the standard will be. "It's basically a non-event," the
spokeswoman said.
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