Lucent Technologies and Westell to Jointly Market and Sell
ADSL Products
Westell's SuperVision broadband access platform to enable high-speed data
from North America's most widely deployed Digital Loop Carrier Systems
AURORA, Ill., Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Westell Technologies (Nasdaq: WSTL - news)
announced today that it has signed a joint marketing agreement with Lucent Technologies
(NYSE: LU - news). Lucent will now begin marketing Westell's SuperVision(R) Digital
Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) systems, including concentration shelves, line
cards, mux cards, remote ADSL modems and network management systems, enabling
telecommunications service providers to offer high-speed data over copper telephone wires.
Under the agreement, Lucent can market Westell's SuperVision broadband access platform.
Westell's DSLAM systems will be commercially available in the first quarter of 1998. In
addition, the agreement calls for both companies to market and sell Asymmetric Digital
Subscriber Line (ADSL) products developed by Westell for Lucent's SLC(R) Digital Loop
Carrier Systems. The first ADSL enabled SLC Series systems are projected to be available in
the fourth quarter of 1998. Today's announcement is the next step in an agreement announced
earlier this year, when Lucent and Westell first agreed to integrate Westell's ADSL technology
into Lucent's SLC Digital Loop Carrier systems.
Lucent's SLC-2000 and SLC Series 5 digital loop carriers are the most widely deployed
systems in the United States. By combining SLC Systems ADSL-enabled channel units that
interface with Westell's SuperVision ADSL modems, service providers with Lucent's SLC
systems will be able to offer data service at rates up to eight megabits per second (Mbps)
downstream with full rate-adaptive capabilities -- an increase of 200 times over today's
raditional data rates using 28.8 kilobits per second (kbps) modems.
As part of the agreement, Westell will install and support the broadband equipment at the
central office and remote modems at the customer premises. Financial terms and conditions of
the contract were not disclosed.
Lucent Technologies may also use Westell-supplied AccessVision(R) element manager to
provide full network management of each ADSL circuit. AccessVision is a scaleable,
distributed Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) management system that provides a
graphical interface to operators in a central management center. AccessVision's modular open
architecture cost-effectively supports small networks but can accommodate network growth up
to the hundreds of thousands of lines. AccessVision was specifically designed to manage large,
dispersed, multi-product access networks.
''Lucent Technologies is continually looking for ways to help service providers maximize their
investment in our digital loop carrier products so they can meet their customers' demand for
higher bandwidth services,'' said Linda Manchester, Lucent's director of Access Solutions
Strategy and Business Development. ''Integrating the Westell ADSL solution ensures that
service providers will be able to offer high-speed ADSL from a SLC system, thereby avoiding
the expense of installing an overlay network.''
The Lucent/Westell solution requires an ADSL line card and a Westell-developed mux card to
be inserted into a SLC-2000 Access System Metallic Distribution Shelf or SLC Series 5 dual
channel bank assembly. This creates a remote DSLAM inside the remote terminal cabinet. Each
ADSL card provides two ADSL lines and integrated onboard Plain Old Telephone Service
(POTS) splitters.
''This joint marketing agreement with Lucent is an expansion of our earlier development
agreement and a major step forward in the commercial deployment of our DSLAM solution,''
said Marc Hafner, Westell's senior vice president, Business Development and Global
Alliances. ''Westell's SuperVision broadband access platform will complement Lucent's SLC
digital loop carrier systems, allowing both companies to launch a joint marketing effort that
benefits our mutual customers.''
According to the Lucent/Westell marketing agreement, SuperVision will support the
transmission of ATM cells from either a 155 Mbps (SONET/SDH) or 45 Mbps (DS3) ATM
network interface to DSL line modules housed within Lucent's SLC remote terminal cabinets.
The DS-3 signal from the SLC Remote Terminal is transported via a SONET FiberMux to the
host system where it is combined with other DS-3 signals into an OC-3 signal. The OC-3 signal
travels to the ATM Backbone Network.
Westell's SuperVision DSLAM is a flexible platform that serves as a single point of
concentration for ADSL line cards located in the SLC Remote Terminal office. By consolidating
individual DSL access line interfaces into a single high-speed interface to the switching
network, service providers are spared the cost of fully deploying multimedia services such as
high-speed Internet access, video-on-demand and remote LAN access. Westell's consolidation
also reduces equipment costs, saves space and enhances availability by minimizing the potential
points of failure in the network.
Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., designs, builds and delivers a wide
range of public and private networks, communications systems and software, data networking
systems, business telephone systems and microelectronic components. Bell Labs is the research
and development arm for the company. For more information on Lucent Technologies, visit the
company's web site at lucent.com.
Westell Technologies, Inc. is a holding company for Westell, Inc., Conference Plus, Inc. and
Westell WorldWide Services, Inc. Westell, Inc. is a leading worldwide innovator and
manufacturer of xDSL systems and telecommunications access products, with corporate
headquarters in Aurora, Ill. Westell's xDSL products are currently in use or trial by many
customers worldwide, including Ameritech, Bell Atlantic, Bell Canada, BT, GTE, MCI,
Quebec Telephone, SBC, Saskatchewan Telephone, Telecom Italia, US West and leading
Internet service providers. In addition to developing and manufacturing xDSL and non-DSL data
and telecommunications products, Westell, Inc., has established technology relationships with
leading telecommunication, software, computing and semiconductor companies such as
Atlantech Technologies, ATML, DSC Communications, GlobeSpan, Lucent Technologies,
Microsoft, Motorola, Texas Instruments and others.
Conference Plus, Inc. is a multi-point telecommunications service bureau specializing in audio
teleconferencing, multi-point video conferencing, broadcast fax, and multimedia teleconference
services. Westell WorldWide Services, Inc. provides engineering, installation and network
management services to leading network providers as well as turn-key equipment and service
solutions to enterprise customers and service providers. Additional information can be obtained
by visiting Westell's Web site at westell.com.
SuperVision is a registered trademark of Westell Technologies, Inc. SLC is a registered
trademark of Lucent Technologies.
''Safe Harbor'' statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
Certain statements contained herein such as the development and commercial availability of
Westell's ADSL products and the commercial deployment of Westell's DSLAM solution are
forward looking statements. These statements include risks and uncertainties such as those listed
under the ''Risk Factors'' section contained in Westell's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
March 31, 1997. These risks include but are not limited to, product demand and market
acceptance risks, the impact of competitive products and technologies, competitive pricing
pressures, delays in product development and introductions, lack of commercial acceptance for
Westell's products, technological delays or difficulties, and the effect of economic conditions
and trade, legal, social and economic risks.
SOURCE: Westell Technologies |
