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

To: Gary Korn who wrote (1269)	3/9/1998 8:41:00 AM
From: Hope	Respond to of 1629

Ascend Announces Program to Deliver Network Management to Customers With Purchase of NavisAccess Release 4.1, Customers Receive Complementary Software Options for All Ascend Access Devices ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 9, 1998-- Ascend Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASND - news) today announced that customers can purchase an enhanced version of Ascend's NavisAccess platform management software and receive complementary upgrades for their existing Ascend MAX and MAX TNT devices. The enhanced version of NavisAccess includes a suite of new remote access performance reports, a DS1 application for real-time T1 and E1 line status and statistics, a user audit trail report to keep track of user actions on the system, support for the HPUX operating system, and other enhancements. Ascend will demonstrate the new capabilities of NavisAccess at ISPCon, March 17-19 (Baltimore, MD, Booth number 442). When customers purchase NavisAccess 4.1, they will receive complementary NavisAccess Software Options for any Pipeline routers(I), Ascend MAX and MAX TNT WAN access switches, and GRF multigigabit router they own(II). This represents a considerable savings for customer's -device management software costs which range between $250 for a MAX 200Plus up to $4,995 for a GRF 400. Introduced in May 1997, NavisAccess is the only end-to-end (access and IP backbone switch), multi-vendor network management product designed for carriers, Internet service providers, and corporations. NavisAccess manages Ascend's True Access Operating System (TAOS), the industry's first comprehensive access software architecture, which Ascend also introduced this week. ''NavisAccess is the only software that can help customers maintain visibility and control over their constantly expanding remote access networks,'' said Ravi Gulati, general manager of Ascend's Network Management Division. ''With this program, customers not only save on their initial investment, they continue to save in operational costs with the automation, reporting, and troubleshooting capabilities of our network management software.'' This special limited time offer applies to customers who purchase the NavisAccess platform management software between March 1, 1998 and May 31, 1998. Pricing and Availability The Software Option, which will be available free of charge between March 1, 1998 and May 31, 1998, provides a license to manage Ascend devices with NavisAccess. After May 31, device software will be sold on a per-device basis, ranging from $250 for a MAX 200Plus to $4,995 for a GRF 400. To be eligible, customers must purchase NavisAccess management platform software, which is available at discounted prices in five versions: Windows NT, Solaris standalone, HP OpenView on Solaris, HPUX standalone, and HP OpenView on HPUX. A 30-day evaluation copy of the NavisAccess management platform software, including online help and electronic documentation, is also available. Information on downloading the evaluation software or ordering the CD is available on the Ascend web site. (I) Ascend's Pipeline 50, 75, 85 and 130 products are also fully manageable with NavisAccess platform software, but do not require separate device software. Device software is required for the Pipeline 220. (II) Applies to equipment shipped up to May 31, 1998. 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 www.ascend.com, or e-mail info@ascend.com. Ascend is headquartered at One Ascend Plaza, 1701 Harbor Bay Parkway, Alameda, Calif., 94502. Phone 800/ASCEND4; Fax 510/814-2300.

To: Gary Korn who wrote (1269)	3/9/1998 8:49:00 AM
From: Hope	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1629

Leading Wan Access Vendor Ups the Ante With Industry's First Comprehensive Software Architecture for Access Solutions True Access Operating System Gives Service Providers and Corporations Customizable WAN Access Services ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 9, 1998-- Ascend Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASND - news) today announced the True Access(tm) Operating System, the first comprehensive software architecture for WAN access environments. TAOS combines leading-edge access functionality with the unequaled flexibility that customers have come to expect from the market-leading MAX product line, and leverages years of development work that has gone into making Ascend's WAN access switches the top choice among all types of corporations and network service providers. ''Ascend has a heritage as the industry's leading WAN access solution provider,'' said Kurt Bauer, vice president of product management for Ascend's Access Switching Division. ''While our competitors are busy kludging together disparate technologies to put together WAN access products, Ascend is expanding on the strongest access foundation with next-generation functionality.'' True Access Operating System Components Ascend's True Access Operating System (TAOS) is comprised of two main components: the standard TAOS kernel and optional TAOS extensions. -- True Access Operating System Kernel. The TAOS kernel comes standard on all MAX and MAX TNT WAN access switches and contains the core feature set for mainstream access functionality, including IP routing, modem management, terminal server functionality, authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) support, WAN protocol support, and bandwidth management. The TAOS embedded kernel incorporates all of the robust software that has made the MAX and MAX TNT the leading WAN access switch. According to the Dell 'Oro Group's Q4 1997 Remote Access Concentrator report, Ascend has shipped worldwide 41% of all analog ports and 77% of all ISDN PRI ports. -- True Access Operating System Extensions. TAOS extensions allow service providers and corporations to further customize and enhance their WAN access services. These extensions include: -- Global Digital Access(tm) for ISDN and Frame Relay environments, which includes support for ISDN clients, Frame Relay concentration, and internationally homologated ISDN signaling. -- IntragyCentral, the embedded WAN access switch component of Ascend's Intragy(tm) enterprise access software suite, which provides multiprotocol routing, multiprotocol dial access, transparent bridging, and modem pooling for LAN-based outbound dial and fax. -- SecureConnect(tm), Ascend's state of the art security technology that provides an integrated, dynamic firewall, eliminating the need for separate security hardware. -- Manageability under NavisAccess, the leading management platform for access environments, including NavisAccess Release 4.1 announced March 9. The enhanced version of NavisAccess includes a suite of new remote access performance reports, as well as other enhancements for discovery and mapping, security, accounting, configuration and fault management. Customer who purchase NavisAccess between March 1, 1998 and May 31, 1998 will receive complementary upgrades for their existing Ascend MAX and MAX TNT devices. -- Tunneling support for Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), which provides ISPs with new value-added service offerings and allows corporations to outsource their dial-access networks to these service providers. -- Quality of Service solutions, including videoconferencing support, with Ascend's suite of inverse multiplexing products. -- Future extensions, which will include encrypted tunneling and support for Voice over IP, through the extensibility of the True Access architecture. The unique modular architecture of Ascend's True Access Operating System provides service providers and enterprise customers with unprecedented flexibility when designing their networks. For example, an Internet Service provider can deploy MAX TNT products with the TAOS kernel to provide scalable dial-IP services with AAA services, and add Global Digital Access and Tunneling extensions to provide Frame Relay and VPN services. An enterprise customer can deploy MAX products with Intragy and SecureConnect to provide a completely secure multiprotocol environment with standard, cross-platform client software for mobile users and telecommuters.Pricing and Availability With the announcement of Ascend's True Access Operating System, Ascend is also releasing the first version of TAOS on the MAX and MAX TNT platforms. These include enhancements to both the kernel functionality and new customizable solutions, including extended Virtual Private Networking and enterprise functionality. The TAOS kernel comes standard with all MAX products; pricing for True Access Operating System Extensions is based on the particular customer configuration. Customers should contact their Ascend sales representative for more information. About Ascend Communications, Inc. Ascend Communications, Inc. develops, manufactures, sells and services 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 www.ascend.com, or e-mail info@ascend.com. Ascend is headquartered at One Ascend Plaza, 1701 Harbor Bay Parkway, Alameda, CA 94502. Phone 800/ASCEND4; Fax 510/747-2300.

To: Gary Korn who wrote (1269)	3/10/1998 1:42:00 PM
From: Maverick	Respond to of 1629

Cisco Sees Slower Growth Rates (03/09/98; 12:06 p.m. EST) By Larry Dignan, TechInvestor In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission Monday, Cisco said it sees slower growth rates as sales to small- to midsized businesses outpace its high-end products and Asia remains a question. Cisco [CSCO] reported strong second quarter earnings, but is in a traditionally slow quarter, where backlog is reduced. Wall Street is expecting the San Jose, Calif., networking giant to report third quarter earnings of 44 cents a share. "The company expects that in the future, its net sales may grow at a slower rate than was experienced inprevious periods, and that on a quarter-to-quarter basis, the company's growth in net sales may be significantly lower than its historical quarterly growth rate," Cisco said. "In recent quarters, the sequential sales growth has slowed from prior levels, and a disproportionate share of the sales has occurred in the last month of the quarter. "The sales growth rate for lower-priced access and switching products targeted toward small and medium-sized businesses has increased faster than that of the company's high-end core router products," the company said. "These products typically carry lower average selling prices, and thus have slowed the company's growth rate vs. the second quarter of last year. Some of the company's more established product lines, such as the Cisco 2500 product family, have experienced decelerating growth rates." In addition, Cisco forecast slower sales in Asia, but said the company hasn't been hurt by the financial problems abroad yet. "The company anticipates sales in Asia will remain weak in the near future," Cisco said.

To: Gary Korn who wrote (1269)	3/10/1998 1:44:00 PM
From: Maverick	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1629

Cisco Sees Slower Growth Rates, part II "If the economic conditions in these markets worsen, or if these unfavorable conditions result in a wider regional or global economic slowdown, this may have a material adverse impact on the company's business, operations, and financial condition. The company continues to monitor activity in the region closely," the company said. Europe could also be a problem for Cisco, the company said. Cisco said it recently expanded its operations in Europe and "expects to see an increase in exposures related to non-dollar-denominated sales in several European currencies." The company said it will hedge currencies to minimize fluctuations.