|
ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 18, 1998--
Ascend's CBX 500 ATM Switch is the Newest Carrier-class ATM
Switch to Pass GTE Standardization Testing
Ascend Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASND), today announced that GTE Network
Services, a unit of GTE Corp., has certified the Ascend CBX 500 Multiservice
ATM switch for deployment throughout GTE's nationwide network. To date, GTE
Network Services has deployed the CBX 500s in 15 cities around the U.S., and
will continue to install additional units in the future.
GTE conducted a rigorous technical evaluation that lasted well over one
year. Of the ATM switches that were evaluated, the Ascend ATM switches were
chosen based on pricing, scalability, integration, feature set and
performance.
"We don't rely on third-party reports or vendor specifications to tell us if
a product will perform in the GTE network infrastructure," said Jim Delaney,
broadband standardization manager for GTE Network Services. The CBX 500 not
only passed all of our tests, but it also did not receive a single
Engineering Evaluation Report, which is our problem report to the vendor.
This is highly unusual for a product of this complexity."
GTE required that any ATM switch selected had to perform as a best-of-breed
ATM switch, as well as show tight integration with its Frame Relay network.
GTE has also validated end-to-end network management under its existing
management architecture.
"The CBX 500 is extremely well-designed for carrier networks. It helps us
keep our costs down and, at the same time, improve our services to
customers," said Joe Lardieri, GTE's service product manager, for GTE
Network Services. We're using the CBX 500 switches to serve as the backbone
for scaling our Frame Relay network, in addition to offering native ATM
services. Ascend has made end-to-end network and service management simple,
which inevitably reduces our overhead and enables us to activate services
for customers more quickly. All of that has tremendous value for us in a
highly competitive market."
In addition to the CBX 500 switches, GTE has 140 B-STDX 9000 Multiservice
Frame Relay switches in its network. The B-STDX 9000s are connected to the
CBX 500 backbone network. GTE's entire network is managed by Ascend's family
of Navis end-to-end service and network management products.
"Our certification by GTE is extremely gratifying," said Jeff Kiel, senior
manager of product marketing for Ascend's Core Systems Division. "It is both
a major contract award and independent product testing validation of the
highest order. Additionally, GTE is utilizing virtually every capability we
designed in the CBX 500, which is very exciting for us."
About Ascend Communications
Ascend Communications, Inc. develops, manufactures, services and sells wide
area networking solutions for telecommunications carriers, Internet service
providers, and corporate customers worldwide. For more information about
Ascend and its products, please visit the Ascend web site at www.ascend.com,
or send e-mail to info@ascend.com.
Ascend is headquartered at One Ascend Plaza, 1701 Harbor Bay Parkway,
Alameda, CA 94502-3002. Phone: 800/ASCEND4; Fax: 510/814-2300.
About GTE
With 1997 revenues of more than $23 billion, GTE is one of the world's
largest telecommunications companies and a leading provider of integrated
telecommunications services. In the U.S., GTE provides local services in 28
states and wireless services ranging from dial-up Internet access for
residential and small business consumers to Web-based applications for
Fortune 500 companies; as well as video services in selected markets.
Additional information about GTE can be found on the Internet at
gte.com.
CONTACT: Ascend Communications, Inc.
Lucia F. Graziano, 978/952-1291
lucia.graziano@ascend.com
or
Gallagher PR
Jeannette Bitz, 510/747-2058
jbitz@ascend.com
*** end of story ***
|
