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To: signist who wrote (6795)	1/20/1998 4:23:00 PM
From: w2j2	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42804

HILLSBORO, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 20, 1998--Intel Corporation today introduced the Intel InBusiness(TM) family of networking products designed to help small businesses with two to 50 users interconnect their PCs and gain Internet access simply and affordably. The products help small businesses share resources, and increase productivity and revenue by communicating more efficiently with employees, customers and suppliers. Intel will host an hour-long web-teleconference regarding this announcement at 9 a.m. PST on Tuesday, Jan. 20. To attend, dial 800/231-9012 or 719/386-9000 beginning at 8:45 a.m. The confirmation number is 416869. At the same time, please log onto the Internet and go to www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/events/sno . The Intel InBusiness products - ranging from $79 to $909 - have been designed from the ground up for the small business owner who has limited time, access to technical expertise or specialized office space to implement networking technology. The Intel InBusiness family includes three 10 megabit-per-second (Mbps) Ethernet hubs, three 100Mbps Fast Ethernet hubs, two Ethernet switches and the Internet Station, an Internet connectivity device. The small business market segment is an important area of growth for Intel, said Frank Gill, Intel executive vice president and general manager of Intel's Small Business and Networking Group. "There are more than 8.6 million small businesses in the United States today. They have the most to gain in terms of competitiveness, efficiency and profitability from implementing networking and Internet technologies," Gill said. "Less than one-third of small businesses in the United States have PCs that can communicate internally and access the Internet. Intel's focus is to provide them with the technology and customer support they need to help manage their business, grow sales and compete effectively." Kyle Westra, president of Westra & Company, a three-person residential appraisal shop in Salt Lake City, Utah, recently installed several of the Intel InBusiness products himself and has seen benefits in productivity and profits. "My Intel InBusiness hub, Internet Station and NetportExpress(TM) print server have enabled me to accomplish tasks that were frustrating for many years, like printing to the color printer that is connected to our office manager's PC and sharing documents and spreadsheets with my staff instead of passing disks around," Westra said. "These products have enabled me to compete with the big firms downtown because now I have the same technology. For this reason alone, the products have paid for themselves again and again." Intel InBusiness Internet Station The Intel InBusiness Internet Station is designed to help small businesses connect multiple users to the Internet simultaneously, thereby reducing the costs associated with Internet access. Multiple users can simultaneously access valuable information and communicate with vendors and customers, using only one phone line and one Internet service provider (ISP) account, potentially saving hundreds of dollars each month when compared to paying for multiple phone lines and ISP accounts. The Internet Station supports both analog (POTS) and ISDN connectivity, enabling businesses to share and improve Internet access performance while utilizing the same equipment as their business grows. The product allows office users to send and receive e-mail messages, and two additional analog PC Card modems can be used for accessing bulletin boards, faxing from desktop computers or accessing commercial online databases. The Internet Station can be installed in minutes from any computer with a web browser using Intel's InstantIP(TM) software, a program that handles the complexity of Internet access and network configuration automatically for the user. "The Intel InBusiness products have given me a new offering to suggest to my small business customers," said Mark Essayian of KME Systems Inc. "And, they are designed in a modular fashion so that I can retain customers and offer them additional products and services as they grow." Easy Set Up The Intel InBusiness products all ship with an easy to understand poster that visually walks the user through the installation process. There are no bulky manuals to pour over or difficult configuration scripts to follow. The Intel InBusiness products are designed to be plugged in and work with a few simple steps. Grows With Changing Business Needs The entire Intel InBusiness product family is designed to grow with a business as its needs change and to help preserve the company's original equipment investment. A special "bridge port," offered on the Plus versions of the Intel InBusiness 8 Port Fast Hub and 8 Port Switch, allows the network to expand as more employees or functionality are added, without special wiring or throwing away the original equipment investment. The products are offered in a variety of speeds and port sizes to help meet the needs of diverse small businesses. For example, small businesses working with many graphically intensive files or sophisticated database applications may be better served with 10Mbps Fast Ethernet switches, whereas businesses needing basic file sharing may only need less expensive 10Mbps Ethernet hubs. Unique Design The products are each about the size of a VCR tape and have the unique SureStack design that allows each device to be stacked conveniently and attractively together horizontally or vertically on a bookshelf, desk, or even mounted to the wall to save space. Intel InBusiness products offer a unique CableKeeper cable management ring that "hooks" cables out of the way. The power button on the front of all Intel InBusiness products allows users to secure the network and conserve power by turning off the network when it is not in use. Support and Warranties Intel offers 90 days of free support and extended support hours for the Intel InBusiness products to meet the unique requirements of the small business owners who needs to do business during normal working hours, and who prefer to set up and configure equipment during off hours. Intel's support hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (PST); and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. (PST). Intel InBusiness hubs and switches have limited lifetime warranties, and the Internet Station has a one year warranty. U.S. List Pricing for the Intel InBusiness(TM) Family Intel InBusiness(TM) Internet Station $499 Intel InBusiness(TM) 5 Port Hub $79 Intel InBusiness(TM) 8 Port Hub $109 Intel InBusiness(TM) 8 Port Hub w/BNC $125 Intel InBusiness(TM) 4 Port Fast Hub $245 Intel InBusiness(TM) 8 Port Fast Hub $445 Intel InBusiness(TM) 8 Port Fast Hub Plus $875 Intel InBusiness(TM) 8 Port Switch $625 Intel InBusiness(TM) 8 Port Switch Plus $909 All Intel networking products are available worldwide through a network of distributors and value-added resellers. Additional product information is available at 800/538-3373 for U.S. and Canadian customers; at (44) 1-793-431-155 for European customers; or at 503/264-7354 for other international customers. Information about Intel's networking products is available at www.intel.com/network/smallbiz and www.intel.com/businesscomputing/small/network .