Several Days ago I mentioned that 3Com, among the other providers of Remote Access gear, would be supporting VoIP.
Here's a release that begins to speak to their capabilities in their Total Control devices.
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3Com Releases Total Control V.90 Upgrades for ISPs
Worldwide; More Than Three-Million Total Control Ports
Globally; Can Now Upgrade to the New 56K V.90 Standard
Via Simple Software Downloads
April 1, 1998 SANTA CLARA, Calif. 3Com Corporation
(NASDAQ:COMS) today announced the availability of
56K V.90 software for its Total Control(tm) multi-service
platform, the industry's leading remote access
concentrator used by Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
Nearly 1,500 ISPs worldwide, serving almost 12,000 cities
with more than three-million Total Control ports, can now
upgrade their 56K x2(tm) systems to the new ITU V.90
standard.
With this software release, 3Com delivers the first and
only end-to-end V.90 solution for both consumers and
their ISPs, enabling them to enjoy new applications like
Voice Over IP (VOIP).
"The release of V.90 code for the Total Control platform
rounds out 3Com's 56K V.90 offering, underscoring our
unique ability to provide a hassle-free V.90 solution at
both ends of the Internet connection," said Ross Manire,
senior vice president, 3Com Carrier Systems. "The
software upgrade to the new standard will enable ISPs
worldwide to provide more users with faster transfer
rates and an improved experience on the Web."
"Upgrading to the V.90 standard for the Total Control
platform is a huge step forward for 56K technology,"
said Rose Klimovich, product line director, AT&T
WorldNet Service. "Subscribers to AT&T WorldNet
Service will greatly benefit from reliable Internet access
at higher speeds. "
"Our roll out of the V.90 standard for the IBM Global
Network is well under way and will be completed very
quickly because our unique Local Interface Gateways
use both 3Com and IBM technology that make it easy to
upgrade our network with software downloads," said
Gary Weis, general manager, managed data network
services and networking technology, IBM Global
Services. "Our global deployment of V.90 will provide
our customers with easy, fast and reliable access to their
e-business applications and to connect intranets,
extranets or the Internet for the price of a local phone call
from almost anywhere they work or travel."
Total Control platforms, like all 3Com V.90 products, can
provide ISPs with a universally interoperable system that
is backward compatible, supporting V.90, x2 technology,
and all previous modulation standards. 3Com's extensive
experience in digital signal processing (DSP) technology
provides ISPs with a seamless software download
capability.
"Upgrading our Total Control system to V.90 enables
CyberGate to provide customers with all of the
advantages of the new 56K standard and expand our
customer base without affecting x2 service," said Casey
Cook, Dial Up Product Manager for CyberGate Inc. in
Deerfield Beach, FL. "We expect demand to increase as
more users discover next-generation Internet
applications such as video and audio streaming using a
V.90 56K connection."
"Virgin Net applauds 3Com's strong desire to bring V.90
standard compatibility to the marketplace," said Dan
Stevenson, Channel Manager at Virgin Net. "We're
anxious to deploy this new standard so our customers
can experience lightning fast Internet access using V.90
standard modems. The Total Control platform is leading
the way to deployment of the 56 Kbps standard."
Similar to 3Com x2 desktop modems, Total Control
systems are software upgradable. ISPs with 3Com
platforms can transition to V.90 without replacing
hardware and with little or no service interruption,
resulting in considerable cost savings.
"We fully intend to be the first nationwide ISP to fully
deploy 3Com's V.90 upgrade to our Total Control
systems," said Philip Midkiff, president of Web America
Network, the first national Internet service provider to
install 100 percent x2 technology. "We chose 3Com's x2
technology from the start because we had confidence
that it would be the most reliable, hassle-free way to meet
our subscribers high-speed, high-quality service
expectations. We expect upgrading our Total Control
system to V.90 will be an easy way to make our service
attractive to an even broader market."
"We chose 3Com's Total Control architecture in 1995
because we thought it to be a superior technology.
When the x2 technology became available, we made a
simple software upgrade to install the new technology,"
said Mike McQuary, president and chief operating
officer of MindSpring Enterprises, Inc., a leading national
Internet service provider. "We are already testing the
V.90 standard in several cities and anticipate a smooth
rollout in the MindSpring owned-and-operated
points-of-presence later this spring."
"The new V.90 standard for 56 Kbps downloads is a
testament to 3Com's leadership in the data
communications marketplace," said Nigel Walley,
Marketing Director at NTL. "The new standard is an
exciting development, one on which our customers will
capitalize through faster Internet and remote access. NTL
will be deploying the V.90 standard with its 3Com Total
Control systems fairly quickly because of the software
upgradability of this top-of-the-line networking
equipment."
The release of V.90 software for Total Control platforms
will extend 3Com's industry lead in both performance and
market share. A study published in the March 1998 issue
of Boardwatch Magazine confirmed 3Com's 56K
products outperform competitors' products by a
substantial margin.
The Boardwatch study examined call connect rates of 90
U.S.-based Internet service providers and average
modem connect rates. The average connect rate for
K56Flex ports was 30,849 bps while the average connect
rate for x2 ports was 45,192 bps, a 46 percent faster
connect rate. More than 145,000 calls were made to 450
points of presence across the United States during the
5pm to 9pm period for dial-up Internet service.
"Basically, the x2 ISPs had a huge advantage with
regards to connect speed," wrote Boardwatch Editor
Jack Rickard. And the disparities among 56K modems
will continue. "They may interoperate, at some speed
between 2,400 bps and 52 Kbps, but you will most likely
get the best performance using a modem and technology
that matches the one supported by your ISP. And at
least initially, significantly better performance will be
available from the 3Com U.S. Robotics V.90 products."
"The Boardwatch tests highlight 3Com's expertise and
experience in modem and DSP technology," said Manire.
"Our customers are now migrating their Total
Control-based networks to the V.90 standard, but just as
importantly, they also have the capability of deploying
other value-added services, such as Voice over IP, in
their existing systems--a value proposition that only
3Com can assert."
Further confirming 3Com's leadership in the industry, a
report released in February 1998 by Dataquest, a market
research unit of Gartner Group Inc., showed 3Com with
1997's top revenue market share for access concentrators
at 37.7 percent. Reports from other leading research
firms, including Dell'Oro Group, IDC and In-Stat, also
show 3Com with the leading revenue market share for
access concentrators for 1997.
CONTACT: 3Com Public Relations (Trade Press) | Philip
Anast, 847/797-6576 | philip_anast@mw.3com.com | or |
Coltrin & Associates (Business Press) | Brad Thatcher,
212/221-1616 | brad_thatcher@coltrin.com |
