News on the alcatel front: ASND is ALA's pal
Now...How does it affect AMTX + or -
**********************************************
BW0001 DEC 02,1996 0:02 PACIFIC 03:02 EASTERN
( BW)(ASCEND)(ASND) Alcatel Joins Ascend Communications To Provide
Carrier-Class Internet Multimedia Solutions; Solutions Integrate
Alcatel Technologies With Ascend Internet Access And Remote
Networking Products
Business Editors and High-Tech Writers
PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 2, 1996--Alcatel and Ascend
Communications announced today a partnership whereby Alcatel will
integrate Ascend's full line of Internet access and remote networking
products into Alcatel products and services.
With this agreement, the two companies will provide
telecommunications carriers worldwide with solutions for enhanced
remote access to the Internet and corporate LANs, and offer highly
scalable, high-bandwidth support for sophisticated Internet-based
applications integrating voice, data and video traffic.
The Ascend products include the Pipeline family of remote access
routers and bridges, the MAX family of WAN access switches, and the
GRF family of high performance IP switches.
Alcatel will offer these products as part of a total telecom
solution including powerful network and service management tools.
Alcatel will also integrate Ascend products and technologies into its
asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and asymmetrical digital subscriber
line (ADSL) access product families.
Alcatel is entering into such partnerships to expand its
portfolio of access products included in its full services network
product family. In this respect and pursuant to Ascend's products
goals, the companies will work together to develop enhanced services
and product features.
"This agreement enables Alcatel and Ascend to offer customers an
integrated delivery system with fewer networks elements, which means
faster service provisioning and easier network management," said
Krish Prabhu, president of Alcatel's Broadband Product Group. "With
Ascend's carrier-class products and expertise in this area of
networking, we can expand greatly our Internet-based multimedia
service offerings."
"The growing popularity of the Internet and the increased use of
multimedia on the World Wide Web poses significant performance and
management challenges to carrier networks, and this relationship with
Alcatel will help us to address those needs," said Mory Ejabat,
president and CEO of Ascend Communications. "The combination of
Alcatel's unmatched ADSL and ATM backbone network capability, and
their powerful management systems, provide the perfect complement to
Ascend's expertise in remote networking and IP switching. Together,
Ascend and Alcatel will provide carriers worldwide with a powerful
solution for high-performance integrated networks."
Alcatel, part of Alcatel Alsthom, is a worldwide company,
currently working with partners in over 125 countries on projects
which span the full spectrum of communications systems. With about
87,000 employees, Alcatel is a system integrator in the
telecommunications field. It manufactures advanced digital switches,
transmission systems, broadband products, access products, radio
mobile communications systems, business systems, systems and products
for space and defense, and components. In 1995, these activities
registered total sales of FF 66.9 billion.
Ascend Communications, Inc. is a leading worldwide provider of
remote networking solutions for corporate central sites, Internet
Service Providers' points of presence, remote offices, mobile workers
and telecommuters. Ascend develops, manufactures, markets, sells and
supports products which utilize bandwidth on demand to extend
existing corporate networks for applications such as remote LAN
access, Internet access, telecommuting, SOHO connectivity and
videoconferencing/multimedia access.
--30--eh/sf* jsj
CONTACT: Ascend Communications Inc.
Kevin Gallagher, 510/743-7830 (U.S.)
Alan Bates +44 (0)1932-350-115 (Europe)
or
Alcatel Technologies
Nicolas Brun, 33 (0)1 40 58 55 63 (Paris)
Karen Degroote, +32 3 240-8298 (Belgium)
KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS COMED
INTERACTIVE/MULTIMEDIA/INTERNET
**************************************************
for what it's worth
shrini |
