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Technology Stocks : Ascend Communications-News Only!!! (ASND) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: joemjo who wrote (514)	11/11/1997 12:19:00 PM
From: Sector Investor	Respond to of 1629

New Broker initiating coverage of Networking Stocks Bernstein rates BAY Outperform, CSCO and ASND Market Perform and NN Underperform. General Comments They say that the networking sector has lost a great deal of momentum through 1997 to date, and they believe that it will take more than one quarter to recover, particularly given the weakness in Asia and in some European markets. They also think that many product categories are in the midst of major technology transitions that have lengthened customer buying cycles and allowed new competitors to enter. They expect the industry to adjust to a new reality of tighter margins, slower growth and lower multiples and they recommend an underweight in this sector until overall networking growth begins to reaccelerate. ASND specific comments: Bernstein says that ASND has lost favor with the investment community and languishes at 52 week lows, with little likelihood of a 4Q rebound. They would become more bullish with evidence of increasing orders, such as announced deals and bookings exceeding billings by 2Q 98, which could drive Ascend's stock price to P/E levels more consistent with the expected 35%+ growth in its core markets. They state that despite its current troubles, ASND is well positioned in major carrier-class equipment categories. It retains more than 28% share in remote access concentrators, with particularly strong positions in the highest growth segments -- i.e. high capacity concentrators and international markets -- and is also the leader in frame relay switches and a strong contender in the ATM multiservices market as a result of its acquisition of Cascade. They believe that the major challenges to performance of the past two quarters have been effectively addressed. Ascend's remote access customers have been upgraded to 56K modem capability with software adhering to the soon to be defined international standard due in 2Q98. Problems with the flagship TNT remote access concentrator have been largely resolved and shipments have begun to major European markets. They give positive comments about CSCC, saying that finally the integration with Cascade is complete, with the first dividends showing in the form of new contracts with NTT and, it is expected, AT&T. As a result, they expect Ascend to return to double digit sequential growth in both sales and earnings in 1998, accelerating strongly into 1999.

To: joemjo who wrote (514)	11/11/1997 3:19:00 PM
From: Maverick	Respond to of 1629

Ascend Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: ASND - news) has supplied a number of its leading network access products to the Microsoft NetOp Partner Solutions Center (NPSC), including the MAX 4004 remote access concentrator; the MAX TNT, the industry's highest-capacity carrier-class WAN access switch; the GRF 400 and GRF 1600 multigigabit routers; and the CBX 500 Multiservice ATM switch. In addition, experts from Ascend will help customers incorporate Ascend products into the turnkey, large-scale networks designed at the center. The company expects that by helping network operators develop and deploy complex systems, the center will help significantly shorten Ascend's sales cycle and improve customer satisfaction. Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO - news), the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, views Microsoft's NetOp Partner Solutions Center as an important facilitator in the deployment of network solutions and networked applications. In September, Microsoft selected Cisco as its strategic networking vendor. As an expansion of the ongoing relationship with Microsoft, Cisco is providing the NPSC with carrier-class access servers, WAN and LAN switching, routing and directory products. Cisco will offer service providers the networking knowledge and experience to quickly and successfully build, manage and deploy optimum network infrastructures to deliver intelligent new network services. News and information are available at cisco.com. Compaq Computer Corp. (NYSE: CPQ - news), as launch sponsor of the NPSC, continues its commitment to enable Internet service providers to prosper on the Internet by offering Web-hosting and value-added services to their customers. Customers at the NPSC can test system functionality in a simulated production environment, using industry-leading hardware and software for confident, rapid deployment in their own installations. The Compaq ProLiant server family, the preferred x86 platform and performance benchmark for Microsoft Windows NT- and Internet Information Server-based Internet services, was chosen for NPSC so customers could exercise ProLiant performance, manageability and scalability -- factors critical to success in the Internet market. Digital Equipment Corp. provided both products and services to the center. In the NPSC Data Center, a Digital GIGAswitch/FDDI connects each of the three laboratories, and a Digital MultiSwitch 900 with four 12-port FDDI concentrators provides 48 ports to the servers and workstations in the lab. This provides high-speed switched networking to the routers for maximum local area bandwidth. Rack-mounted AphaServer 800 and 4100 servers and Prioris servers clustered with StorageWorks UltraSCSI RAID arrays will be used for customer testing of the Microsoft and partner software solutions and updated with the latest equipment. The entire LAN architecture of the NPSC was designed and implemented by Digital's award-winning services organization. In addition, a team of consultants provided project management, systems integration and installation support in helping set up the center. Digital's systems integration Internet consultants will continue to reside in the center to

To: joemjo who wrote (514)	11/11/1997 3:21:00 PM
From: Maverick	Respond to of 1629

NPSC, Part II provide ongoing assistance to visiting customers. Digital Services installed not only its own equipment, but other vendors' products as well. Lucent Technologies Inc. brings extensive knowledge of world-class network service providers to this initiative. This experience means that Lucent is uniquely qualified to integrate the service-provider MCIS systems with their existing systems and procedures to support integrated billing, systems monitoring and service provisioning. Lucent's client base has always included large network service providers; consequently, Lucent knows how to scale services to support millions of users. Lucent also has broad experience in designing, integrating and testing Internet protocol (IP) and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks. By integrating both the MCIS product suite and the underlying network infrastructure, Lucent offers a complete solution to ISPs. NEC Computer Systems will be providing its quad-processor-capable Express5800 RM4000 servers for the NetOP Partner Solutions Center. The quad-capable, high-capacity RM4000 server is built to deliver the performance and capacity demanded of enterprise, telephony, cable and Internet applications. Suited for a broad range of telephony and Internet solutions, the RM4000 will be used in the NPSC by network operators to design and test applications in areas such as Web hosting, electronic commerce and video streaming. Designed to showcase Microsoft products such as Windows NT, BackOffice and Internet Information Server and infrastructure solutions NPSC partners, network operators will take away valuable enterprise, telephony, cable and Internet turnkey solutions. UUNET Technologies Inc. is the world's largest provider of Internet services, offering a comprehensive range of access options, World Wide Web hosting services, security products and consulting services to businesses, professionals and online service providers. The company's network comprises more than 1,000 points of presence (POPs) throughout the United States and in Canada, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as connections to Internet service providers around the world. Founded in 1987, UUNET is recognized as the first commercial Internet service provider and is a subsidiary of WorldCom Inc.