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

To: jeff wheatley who wrote (29402)	1/5/1998 10:57:00 AM
From: Tech97	Respond to of 61433

Williams Communications Selects Ascend ATM Core Switches for Nationwide Carrier-Class Network TULSA, Okla., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Williams (NYSE: WMB - news) announced today that it will purchase Ascend's recently announced GX 550 ATM core switches, which feature the Industry's first ''smart core,'' for its carrier-class network. Williams has also purchased Ascend's CBX 500 Multiservice ATM and B-STDX 9000 Multiservice Frame Relay switches, as well as Navis network and service management products. The value of the agreement was placed at $150 million. ''What we are announcing today is more than just an equipment purchase,'' said Joe Turcotte, vice president of Engineering and Operations for Williams Network. ''This purchase of Ascend equipment is a strategic statement for Williams, underscoring its commitment to providing our customers a scalable broadband infrastructure. Williams' carrier-class network with these Ascend switches will give our wholesale customers a greater variety of speeds to accommodate their bandwidth needs, as well as faster access onto the network as their needs grow.'' The new Ascend GX 550 switches combine the scalability and capacity of a core switch with the intelligence, service capability and cost-effectiveness of an edge switch. Through this network platform, Williams will be able to cost-effectively deliver the features and functions necessary to meet growing volumes of data traffic. ''In addition to adding speed and capacity to the backbone, the GX 550 provides the necessary high-availability levels which are critical to the wholesale market,'' said Turcotte. Williams has installed the GX 550 in its labs and is the first beta test site for the switch. ''In testing, the GX 550 was up and passing live data in less than one hour,'' Turcotte said. ''Williams has placed themselves, squarely in the forefront of the new age of public networks, and there is no question that this network will be a showcase for both companies,'' said Dan Smith, Ascend executive vice president and general manager, Core Systems Division. ''We're very proud to be such an integral part of this venture. ''The Williams Network will provide industry-best scalability in multiple dimensions including ports, circuits, nodes, trunks and speeds,'' Smith said. ''Through platforms that can support over two million connections, extensive buffering of over 10 million cell buffers and speeds ranging from sub-DSO to OC-48/STM-16, the Williams network can support customers' future network growth while increasing overall performance.'' The Williams current cell switching infrastructure of OC-12 core capacity will be able to cost-effectively deliver OC-48 core capacity switching, as well as advanced multi-class; and multimedia services, by the end of 1998. About Williams Williams, through its subsidiaries, is the nation's largest-volume transporter of natural gas and provides a full range of traditional and leading-edge energy and communications services. Its communications enterprises include nationwide single-source business communications systems integration; international video satellite and fiber-optic transmission; multipoint video- and audio-conferencing; satellite business applications; enhanced fax services: interactive technical training, on-demand distance learning, and Internet and telemarketing services. Company information is available at wilcom.com and twc.com. About Ascend Communications Ascend Communications, Inc. develops, manufactures and sells wide area networking solutions for telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers and corporate customers worldwide. For more information about Ascend and its products, please visit the Ascend web site at ascend.com or e-mail info@ascend.com. Ascend is headquaurtered at One Ascend Plaza, 1701 Harbor Bay Parkway, Alameda, CA 94502 Phone: 800-ASCEND4; Fax: 510-814-2300. SOURCE: Williams