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Technology Stocks : Westell WSTL -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Michael F. Donadio who wrote (20341)	9/12/2000 9:25:27 AM
From: Michael F. Donadio	Respond to of 21342

Here's the news release on Webshare: ********************************************************************************************************** biz.yahoo.com Tuesday September 12, 9:16 am Eastern Time Press Release Westell Announces WebShare: the First Low-Cost Residential Gateway Solution WebShare Allows Multiple Users to Share One DSL Connection AURORA, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 12, 2000--Westell Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:WSTL - news) through its Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) Business Unit, a leading provider of DSL technology, announced today that it has unveiled its first low-cost residential gateway solution for consumers and small businesses. WebShare(TM) is the first software solution that turns an existing Westell WireSpeed(TM) modem into a residential gateway and enables up to 64 users to share a single Westell WireSpeed Ethernet DSL modem, providing a cost-effective broadband solution for small businesses and home users with multiple PCs. Westell's new WebShare utilizes Westell's ``WireSpeed Flex'' hardware modem architecture, which allows its WireSpeed Ethernet modems to be utilized in multiple application environments, and its PPPoE (point-to-point protocol over Ethernet) software to deliver multi-user connectivity. Combined with an Ethernet WireSpeed DSL modem and an affordable Ethernet hub, WebShare is a simple, low-cost and ideal solution to a problem faced by a growing number of residential and small business users in configuring multiple PCs for broadband Internet access. Eliminating the expense of adding a dedicated DSL connection for each PC or a separate gateway device, the Westell WebShare software is a fast, simple and low-cost way to share the performance - and spread the cost - among multiple home or small business users. ``More than 20 percent of PC households currently have multiple PCs, a number that is expected to grow with the dramatic price reduction in PC hardware and the emergence of a new generation of `plug-and-play' home networking solutions,'' said Mike Santiago, Vice President and General Manager, Westell CPE Business Unit. ``We believe WebShare is a clear demonstration of our leadership, innovation and the value of our desktop modem products. With hundreds of thousands, and soon to be millions, of Westell modems already installed, consumers and small businesses can take advantage of our WireSpeed Flex architecture to instantly convert their existing Westell WireSpeed modem into a residential gateway.'' The introduction of WebShare software and WireSpeed Flex architecture is the latest step in Westell's initiative to broaden its already global ADSL market leadership. Among the easiest to install and most reliable DSL products on the market today, Westell's WireSpeed brings the benefits of broadband to small business and residential customers by delivering a new generation of desktop DSL solutions built around the company's WireSpeed Flex DSL modem technology. The company recently unveiled a line of plug-and-play USB DSL modems, expanding the opportunities for deploying DSL in the home and SOHO markets. Relying on two widely accepted standards, Ethernet and PPP, Westell's WebShare implementation requires virtually no more knowledge on the part of the end user other than that required for standard dial-up Internet access. Leveraging these two standards with the WebShare software allows multiple users to gain shared access to a single WireSpeed DSL modem with only the addition of a low-cost 10baseT Ethernet hub. Unlike other sharing models requiring a costly Internet router or a PC configured as a dedicated router, WebShare is cost-efficient and user-friendly. The Westell solution even eliminates the expense of requiring each user to load PPPoE software shims on their individual PCs. Instead, only a single copy of WebShare is required for the entire network. The software is loaded into a WireSpeed DSL modem, which is connected to a 10baseT Ethernet hub, and immediately supports multiple users on a single DSL connection. Setup is fast and easy. Users simply connect all PCs and the WireSpeed DSL Ethernet modem to the Ethernet hub, then run the included setup wizard to install the WebShare software on the modem. Users then simply access the high-speed DSL connection just as they would their normal dial-up access. In addition, WebShare requires no major changes in the operational model for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and carriers. By implementing PPPoE-enabled WebShare, a service provider can leverage their existing dial-up infrastructure to support broadband users. Each user will authenticate using the existing PPP scheme RADIUS (Remote Authorization Dial-In User Services), providing a platform for billing and accounting. Westell's WebShare software is available now at a list price of $99 at the Westell On-Line store ( www.westell.com ). The company is also offering its WireSpeed DSL modems pre-loaded with WebShare for $373. ***************************************************************************************************************** All the best, Michael