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To: Gary Korn who wrote (502)	11/10/1997 9:53:00 AM
From: Gary Korn	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1629

(COMTEX) Diamond Multimedia Announces the SupraSonic II Modem; Breakt Diamond Multimedia Announces the SupraSonic II Modem; Breakthrough Technology Provides the Fastest Analog Internet Connection Available VANCOUVER, WASH. (Nov. 10) BUSINESS WIRE -Nov. 10, 1997--Diamond Multimedia Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:DIMD), a leader in the Internet multimedia market, Monday announced the SupraSonic II dual-line modem, featuring the company's new Shotgun technology, which utilizes two ordinary phone lines to double the transmit and receive speeds of a single-line modem. With plans to ship its SupraSonic II in the first quarter of 1998, Diamond Multimedia intends to be one of the first to market an analog modem with the ability to receive data at speeds up to 112 kilobits per second (Kbps). The SupraSonic II modem incorporates Diamond Multimedia's new Shotgun technology developed by the company's award-winning modem engineering team. Shotgun bonds two phone lines, seamlessly increasing the bandwidth potential of a modem's transmission speed. The new technology utilizes Ascend Communications' Multichannel Plus Protocol (MP+), which has been included in its product line since 1993 and is widely available via Ascend's large installed base of MAX WAN access switches. With the increase in speed performance, Diamond Multimedia is targeting consumer and professional Internet users, as well as small office/home office (SOHO) users, with access to multiple telephone lines. At this time, more than 25 million U.S. households have two or more phone lines, a trend industry researchers attribute primarily to the growing Internet phenomenon. The number of homes with multiple lines is expected to reach 30 million by 2000, according to New York-based market research firm IDC/LINK. "Internet users demand increases in access speed to keep pace with advances in multimedia Web content," said Jim Cady, vice president and general manager of Diamond Multimedia's Communications Division. "The SupraSonic II answers the need for speed, delivering up to 112K Internet access on two analog lines." Keep Your Second Line Free Diamond's Shotgun software features voice priority and bandwidth-on-demand. Voice priority monitors the second line for incoming and outgoing calls. When a voice call is detected, the line is dropped, freeing it for voice use. The data connection on the first line remains uninterrupted. This allows users to take phone calls at all times while staying connected to the Internet. "It's likely that the two lines per household will have separate functions -- one for family, one for work," said Cady. "Voice priority maximizes Internet access speeds without compromising voice calls." Bandwidth-on-demand monitors Internet traffic and connects and disconnects the second phone line, depending on the amount of data sent or received. "The bandwidth-on-demand feature makes this usable by the consumer market, as well as by the small office," said Lisa Pelgrim, senior analyst at Dataquest. "It allows users to make use of their idle analog lines, without giving up phone service." Internet Service Providers Diamond Multimedia and Ascend Communications intend to launch Internet Service Provider (ISP) trials for Shotgun technology during the fourth quarter of 1997. Consumers can visit Diamond's Web site (www.diamondmm.com) for the latest information and a list of ISPs supporting Shotgun technology. Free Software Upgrade with SupraExpress 56K Modems Diamond Multimedia intends to begin bundling Shotgun software with new SupraExpress 56 modems during the first quarter of 1998 (which may allow the SupraExpress 56 to be connected at the same time as another modem on the same PC for additional bandwidth on two analog phone lines). The company plans to provide existing SupraExpress 56 customers with a free Shotgun software upgrade via Diamond's Web site, when available. Pricing and Availability Diamond Multimedia intends to ship the SupraSonic II in Nort +852-2375-9021 Support information line for communications: 800/774-4965 Product support (voice), multimedia: 408/325-7100; communications: 541/967-2450; Europe (Germany) +49-8151-266-330; Europe (UK) +44-1189-444444; ISDN support center 408/325-7110; Fire GL support center 408/325-7120; TDD/TTY support 541/967-2451 Product support (fax), multimedia: 408/325-7171; communications: 541/967-2401; Europe (Germany) +49-8151-266-331; Europe (UK): +44-1189-444445; 800/468-5846; communications: 800/727-8772 Investor relations: 408/325-7476; 888/474-3463 (U.S. and Canada) 24-Hour fax-on-demand service, all products: 800/380-0030 FTP sites: ftp.diamondmm.com; or Supra: ftp.supra.com BBS: 541/967-2444 (to 33.6 Kbps) or 408/383-0551 (ISDN); Europe (Germany) BBS at +49-8151-266333 (to 28.8 Kbps) or +49-8151-266334 (ISDN); Europe (UK) at +44-1189-444415 (to 33.6 Kbps) NOTE: SupraSonic, Shotgun, Monster 3D and Supra are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc. Viper is a Registered Trademark of Directed Electronics Inc., Used under License. All other trademarks referenced are the service mark, trademark or registered trademark of their respective manufacturers. This announcement relates to products whose launch are in the United States of America. The product name contents, prices and availability may differ elsewhere in the world according to local factors and requirements. Though this modem is capable of 112 Kbps download performance, line impairments, public telephone infrastructure and other external technological factors currently prevent the maximum 112 Kbps connections. Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this news release, such as statements relating to the company's ability to successfully exploit technological and market developments, the timing and success of new product introductions by the company and its competitors, and the company's ability to invest in new technologies and to enhance its existing systems are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the impact of competitive products and pricing and alternative technological advances, the timely and successful development and market acceptance of new products and upgrades to existing products, and other risks as detailed from time to time in Diamond Multimedia's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including its most recent Forms 10-K and 10-Q. -0- RJ/la* LF/la MEM/la CONTACT: Faiola Davis Public Relations Norma Velvikis or Sara Faiola, 213/933-4959

To: Gary Korn who wrote (502)	11/10/1997 3:25:00 PM
From: Maverick	Respond to of 1629

MCI accepts $37 billion takeover bid from WorldCom BY DAVID E. KALISH Associated Press NEW YORK -- MCI Communications Corp. agreed today to be bought by WorldCom Inc. for $37 billion in stock in what would be the largest corporate merger in U.S. history. Boards of both companies unanimously approved the agreement after WorldCom sweetened its offer by more than 20 percent, ending a takeover battle for the nation's second-largest telecommunications company. The new company will be called MCI WorldCom and expects to have more than $30 billion in annual revenue next year. WorldCom's bid leapfrogged a competing $28 billion all-cash offer from GTE Corp. and also beat out a $24 billion merger agreement MCI had with British Telecommunications PLC. Talks with GTE continued through Sunday, MCI Chairman Bert Roberts Jr. said in a news conference in New York. ''GTE is a fine company ... We didn't dismiss it lightly,'' Roberts said today of the rival offer. Nevertheless, he added, ''MCI has made the best possible choice with this alignment with WorldCom. The two companies have complementary strengths.'' British Telecom, which will receive $7 billion in cash from WorldCom for its 20 percent interest in MCI, also agreed to the deal. That gives it a profit of $2.25 billion on its MCI stock. In addition, British Telecom will be paid $465 million because MCI broke its previous contract to merge with BT. WorldCom also would assume $5 billion in MCI debt. The deal would eclipse the largest U.S. merger so far, a $25.6 billion marriage between Bell Atlantic Corp. and Nynex Corp. that was completed in August. The combined MCI WorldCom would be a telecommunications behemoth selling a full range of services, from local and long-distance to Internet service to 22 million customers in the United States and 200 other countries. As such it would fundamentally alter the telecommunications landscape, and also speed up merger talks by other companies adapting to changes in federal rules for competing in long- and local service. WorldCom, currently the No. 4 long-distance phone company, upped its bid to $51 a share in stock for each of MCI's shares, from $41.50 a share early last month. Details were announced by the two companies this morning. As the deal moved forward, WorldCom President and CEO Bernard J. Ebbers said the companies found new ways to save money beyond those considered when WorldCom first proposed its brash takeover bid, but he declined to detail them. ''We have been able to identify significantly greater synergies,'' he said when asked to justify the higher offer by WorldCom. MCI's stock price was up 13 percent, or $4.87 1/2 to $41.75, in late morning trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market, where WorldCom's stock was down 5 percent, or $1.68 3/4 to $31.43 3/4. U.S shares of British Telecom were up 3.3 percent, or $2.56 1/4 a share, at $79.56 1/4 on the New York Stock Exchange.

To: Gary Korn who wrote (502)	11/10/1997 5:23:00 PM
From: Maverick	Respond to of 1629

Internet Access Numbers Explode (10/22/97; 12:20 p.m. EDT) By Margie Semilof, Computer Reseller News Gut instincts that the Internet access market is growing at a frenzied pace are nobody's imagination. According to a study published by consultancy Maloff Group International, from April 1996 to October 1997, the ISP marketplace exploded, growing to $8.4 billion from an estimated $1.9 billion. In March 1994, the ISP market was calculated to be about $50 million, according to Maloff. In 1995, it was estimated at $150 million. At these rates, Maloff Group said it predicts the market should hit $10.8 billion by April 1998 and exceed $14 billion by October 1998. Joel Maloff, president of Maloff Group, in Dexter, Mich., said the figures include ISPs such as Uunet Technologies and GTE Internetworking, as well as content providers such as America Online and CompuServe. Maloff said to reach his figures, he took into account current monthly figures for the number of customers, the price of the services, and, for standard ISPs, the percentage for each product type. Maloff said he believed the wild growth rate coincided with when AT&T jumped into the ISP market in a big way, followed by other super-sized service providers. "They [AT&T] sort of legitimized the market," he said. "Then all the other telcos jumped in. WorldCom started buying up the market, and IBM is quietly growing its Internet access business. That's a lot different than pitching PSINet against Uunet." Maloff said the top ISPs this year have changed from recent years. MCI and AT&T, which were both in the top five in recent years, have fallen back. The top five carriers contributed $5.8 billion compared with $449 million in April 1996, according to the report. The top 10 carriers in terms of dial-up access are AOL, CompuServe, IBM, Microsoft Network, Uunet, Netcom, Concentric, Prodigy, AT&T, and PSINet. Maloff said he is able to identify 20 million dial-up users, but cannot count the millions of users hiding behind corporate T1 lines. "It's easy to see the market is over 40 [million] to 50 million users," he said. "There is also a lot of electronic commerce -- corporations with EDI applications. Intranets and extranets.

To: Gary Korn who wrote (502)	11/10/1997 5:24:00 PM
From: Maverick	Respond to of 1629

Internet Access Numbers Explode, Part II haven't started to drive this market yet." Maloff said the competition between telcos and the Internet won't be about Internet telephony, but rather on plain old access. "The rate of growth on phone services is already declining," he said. "Users aren't talking on the phone. They are sending E-mail or files. All of it is impacting the phone business tremendously." SP market explodes, Part II