Analog Devices Acquires MediaLight, Inc. to Extend ADSL Solution
to PC Desktop
Complements ADSL technology developed by Aware, Inc.
NORWOOD, Mass., Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Analog Devices, Inc. today
announced the purchase of MediaLight, Inc., a market-leading innovator of
personal computer telecommunications interface products using Asymmetric
Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) technology. MediaLight will become part of
Analog Devices' Communications Division.
The acquisition fully extends Analog Devices' ADSL offering from the
telephone companies' central office directly to the users' computer, for the
highest speed Internet access available. ADSL allows data transmission over
existing telephone lines at 8 Mbps, or 60 times faster than ISDN and 200 times
faster than 33.6 kbps voice-channel modems. Interest in high-speed Internet
access is spurring demand for ADSL.
MediaLight, a privately held firm based in Toronto, Canada, has broken new
ground in ADSL-related communications since its founding in 1994. Among its
numerous and notable "firsts" is an advanced ADSL connection management system
for ATM and Frame Relay running under either Windows 95 or Windows NT
operating systems. This connection management system features a highly
effective graphical user interface (GUI). In addition, the company is a
leader in offering PPP and IP over ATM, HDLC or Frame Relay technology.
"By combining MediaLight's efforts in PC interface for ADSL with the work
Analog Devices is doing with its software and technology development partner
Aware, we are now able to offer a more complete solution to data
communications, telecommunications and PC equipment manufacturers," said Russ
Johnsen, vice president and general manager of Analog Devices' Communications
Division. "We will provide a proven and effective solution, comprised of a
complete reference design of DMT-based hardware, software, networking protocol
interface and drivers that all work in the PC. Also, MediaLight-developed
interface circuitry will complement the ADI/Aware ADSL chipset, improving
system costs and time-to-market effectiveness."
Analog Devices' is a driving force in advancing DMT standards-based ADSL,
having recently begun shipping in production volumes the AD20msp910 ADSL
chipset.
"We have joined with Analog Devices to develop a family of world-beating
products and systems that will excite the mass markets for emerging
communications technologies like ADSL and cable modems," said Michael
Mooradian, founder and president of MediaLight. "Both organizations share a
philosophy toward building successful products around standards. This
attention to standards ensures end-to-end interoperability, far fewer problems
encountered by service providers, and more productive and trouble-free user
experiences."
About Analog Devices
With sales of $1.2 billion for fiscal 1997, Analog Devices (NYSE:ADI) is a
leading manufacturer of precision high-performance integrated circuits used in
analog and digital signal processing applications. Analog's Communications
Division focuses on products for wireless and broadband wired communications
applications. Headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts, the company employs
approximately 7,500 people worldwide and has manufacturing facilities in
Massachusetts, California, North Carolina, Ireland, the Philippines and
Taiwan.
About MediaLight
Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, MediaLight, Inc. is a leader in
developing system-level hardware and software solutions for ADSL personal
computer interface. The company created the world's first PC Network Interface
Card (NIC) for ADSL, with accompanying communications protocol software, and
participated in the first ADSL trials conducted with an Internet Service
Provider (UUNET of Canada).
About Aware
Headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts, Aware, Inc. (NASDAQ:AWRE), is a
worldwide leader in xDSL technology with products that enable new broadband
services over the existing telephone network. Aware's products include xDSL
technology, software, development platforms, modules and modems for high-
speed, interactive broadband network applications. Additional information
about Aware can be found on the Internet at aware.com.
Glossary:
ADSL: Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. A name for evolving high-speed
digital signal transmission technology originally developed by Bellcore
and now standardized by ANSI T1.413, ETSI TR238, and ITU G.adsl.
ATM: Asynchronous Transfer Mode. ATM is a high bandwidth, low-delay,
connection-oriented, packet-like switching and multiplexing technique
which will form the basis for future offering of broadband services.
DMT: Discrete Multi-Tone. A standards-based signal processing technology
for driving more than 6 Mbps of video, data, image and voice signals over
existing copper telephone wires.
HDLC: High-level Data Link Control. An ITU-TSS link layer protocol
standard for point-to-point and multi-point communications.
IP: Internet Protocol. This is the most important protocol on which the
Internet is based. IP is a standard describing software that tracks
internetwork addresses for different nodes, routes outgoing messages, and
recognizes incoming addresses. It also allows a packet to traverse
multiple networks on the way to its final destination.
ISDN: Integrated Services Digital Network. ISDN provides data rates up to
1.54 Mbps for telephone switches, computer telephony and voice processing
systems.
NIC: Network Interface Card. The attachment that connects a device to a
network. Usually a PC expansion board, NICs execute the code needed by the
connected device to share a cable or some other media with other stations.
PPP: Point-to-Point Protocol. A protocol that allows a computer to
connect to the Internet using a standard dial-up telephone line and a high
speed modem. Users then enjoy most of the benefits of a direct connection,
including the ability to use graphical front ends such as Mosaic and
Netscape. |
