Newbridge(NNC.TO)/3Com(COMS.O) announcement/tie-up (Full text of
press release from Canada NewsWire) 3COM CORPORATION AND
NEWBRIDGE NETWORKS ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC
ALLIANCE TO DELIVER NEXT-GENERATION, END-TO-END NETWORKS
KANATA, Ont., Jan. 26 /CNW/ - Global networking leaders 3Com Corporation (Nasdaq:
COMS) and Newbridge Networks Corporation (NYSE: NN) today announced a long-term
strategic alliance to meet the ever-increasing needs of enterprise customers and cooperate in
the development and deployment of next-generation, end-to-end networks supporting converged
voice, video and data applications. The two companies will leverage their complementary
strengths in local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) technologies to provide
enterprise infrastructures that employ standards-based techniques for network traffic
prioritization and policy control.
The 3Com / Newbridge Alliance is uniquely positioned to define and deliver true end-to-end,
policy-based networks, spanning from desktop to desktop across the workgroup, campus
backbone, enterprise WAN, and public WAN. The alliance will focus on enabling the customer:
- to have tighter control of the enterprise network through policies;
- to purchase complete, converged networks from a single point of contact;
- to take advantage of managed services that carriers offer; and
- to gain access to an open standards framework for building next-generation networks.
As part of the worldwide alliance, 3Com will resell the market-leading ATM WAN switching
system (the MainStreetXpress(TM) 36170(x)), as well as leading WAN network management
software (the MainStreetXpress 46020) to enable customers to deploy complete, end-to-end
networks, including large, private ATM WANs.
Newbridge will resell 3Com's SuperStack(R), CoreBuilder(TM) and AccessBuilder(R) products
in conjunction with its Multiprotocol-over-ATM (MPOA)-based switched routing system to
offer enterprise customers a complete, best-of-breed solution. Moreover, Newbridge will resell
these products for use in carriers' networks.
The two companies have initiated joint development activities, initially focusing on interworking
between their respective LAN and WAN network management applications to enable
policy-based networking.
"This is a terrific development for the industry because of the complementary capabilities of the
two companies," said David Passmore, President, Decisys, Inc. "Customers wanting to build
single-contact, end-to-end LAN/WAN solutions now have another choice."
Convergence Strategy Shapes the End-to-End Networking Landscape
"This alliance addresses 3Com customers' requirements for end-to-end switched infrastructures
that support a combination of data, voice and video traffic, extending the reach from our
customers' large enterprise sites to the branch and small sites," said Janice Roberts, Senior Vice
President, Global Marketing and Business Development, 3Com. "With our industry-leading LAN
and ATM WAN access solutions and the Newbridge ATM WAN solutions, 3Com will provide
customers the best-in-class products, addressing complete LAN/WAN networking
requirements."
"The 3Com / Newbridge Alliance allows Newbridge to better serve its customers' needs for a
complete end-to-end networking solution across their entire enterprise," said Peter Charbonneau,
President and Chief Operating Officer, Newbridge Networks. "By jointly leveraging our core
competencies in enterprise WAN switching, switched routing, and network and service
management with 3Com's expertise in LAN switching and ATM WAN access, we broaden our
portfolio to bolster our switched routing solution. Also, the addition of the 3Com products to our
portfolio enables us to offer our existing Enterprise LAN Distribution customers attractive
options for evolving their networks to meet existing and emerging technology requirements."
The 3Com / Newbridge Alliance extends and deepens the two companies' collaborative
relationship, first announced in October 1997 with the Siemens / Newbridge Carrier Scale
Internetworking(TM) (CSI) program. The alliance includes formal joint reseller agreements,
joint development plans, and joint sales and support programs. It also creates an enviable
research and development force in more than 10 major development centers worldwide.
Consequently, the alliance allows the two companies to focus development efforts and
accelerate the delivery of policy-based solutions.
About 3Com
3Com Corporation enables individuals and organizations worldwide to communicate and share
information and resources at anytime from anywhere. As one of the world's preeminent
suppliers of data, voice and video communications technology, 3Com has delivered networking
solutions to more than 100 million customers worldwide. The company provides enterprises,
network service providers and carriers, small businesses and consumers with comprehensive,
innovative information access products and system solutions for building intelligent, reliable and
high performance local and wide area networks. For further information, visit 3Com's World
Wide Web site at 3com.com, or the press site at 3com.com.
About Newbridge
Newbridge Networks (www.newbridge.com) designs, manufactures, markets and services a
comprehensive family of networking products and systems that delivers the power of multimedia
communications solutions to organizations in more than 100 countries throughout the world.
Newbridge products are the choice of an expanding range of customers which includes the
world's 200 largest telecommunications service providers and more than 10,000 corporations,
government organizations, and other institutions. The company has facilities throughout Canada,
the United States, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia.
Newbridge Networks Corporation is a public company whose common shares are listed for
trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NN) in the United States and on The Toronto Stock
Exchange (NNC) in Canada.
(x) - The Siemens / Newbridge Alliance, which was announced in 1996, was formed to provide
carriers worldwide with the most comprehensive and advanced ATM solution set, including the
MainStreetXpress 36170 and MainStreetXpress 46020.
MainStreetXpress and Carrier Scale Internetworking are trademarks used exclusively by
Newbridge Networks Corporation and Siemens AG under licence for their comprehensive
solutions in broadband communications. No agency relationship, partnership, or joint ownership
of a legal entity is to be inferred or implied by the use of the term alliance. Newbridge is a
trademark of Newbridge Networks Corporation.
3Com, AccessBuilder and SuperStack are registered trademarks and CoreBuilder is a
trademark of 3Com Corporation.
/For further information: Anthony Petrucci, 3Com Public Relations, (978) 264-1886,
anthonypetrucci(at)3com.com; Vivian Kelly, (703) 736-5761, Newbridge Networks Press &
Industry Analysts: viviankelly(at)us.newbridge.com; John Lawlor, (613) 591-3600, Newbridge
Networks Financial Analysts: johnlawlor(at)qmail.newbridge.com/
REUTERS
Copyright 1997, Reuters News Service. All rights reserved. Replication or redistribution of Reuter's content is expressly prohibited without
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