3Com Releases Total Control V.90 Upgrades for ISPs Worldwide
More Than Three-Million Total Control Ports Globally
Can Now Upgrade to the New 56K V.90 Standard Via Simple Software Downloads
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 1998--3Com Corporation (NASDAQ:COMS - news) today
announced the availability of 56K V.90 software for its Total Control(tm) multi-service platform, the industry's
leading remote access concentrator used by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Nearly 1,500 ISPs worldwide,
serving almost 12,000 cities with more than three-million Total Control ports, can now upgrade their 56K x2(tm)
systems to the new ITU V.90 standard.
With this software release, 3Com delivers the first and only end-to-end V.90 solution for both consumers and their
ISPs, enabling them to enjoy new applications like Voice Over IP (VOIP).
''The release of V.90 code for the Total Control platform rounds out 3Com's 56K V.90 offering, underscoring our
unique ability to provide a hassle-free V.90 solution at both ends of the Internet connection,'' said Ross Manire,
senior vice president, 3Com Carrier Systems. ''The software upgrade to the new standard will enable ISPs
worldwide to provide more users with faster transfer rates and an improved experience on the Web.''
''Upgrading to the V.90 standard for the Total Control platform is a huge step forward for 56K technology,'' said
Rose Klimovich, product line director, AT&T WorldNet Service. ''Subscribers to AT&T WorldNet Service will
greatly benefit from reliable Internet access at higher speeds.''
''Our roll out of the V.90 standard for the IBM Global Network is well under way and will be completed very
quickly because our unique Local Interface Gateways use both 3Com and IBM technology that make it easy to
upgrade our network with software downloads,'' said Gary Weis, general manager, managed data network services
and networking technology, IBM Global Services. ''Our global deployment of V.90 will provide our customers
with easy, fast and reliable access to their e-business applications and to connect intranets, extranets or the
Internet for the price of a local phone call from almost anywhere they work or travel.''
Total Control platforms, like all 3Com V.90 products, can provide ISPs with a universally interoperable system that
is backward compatible, supporting V.90, x2 technology, and all previous modulation standards. 3Com's extensive
experience in digital signal processing (DSP) technology provides ISPs with a seamless software download
capability.
''Upgrading our Total Control system to V.90 enables CyberGate to provide customers with all of the advantages
of the new 56K standard and expand our customer base without affecting x2 service,'' said Casey Cook, Dial Up
Product Manager for CyberGate Inc. in Deerfield Beach, FL. ''We expect demand to increase as more users
discover next-generation Internet applications such as video and audio streaming using a V.90 56K connection.''
''Virgin Net applauds 3Com's strong desire to bring V.90 standard compatibility to the marketplace,'' said Dan
Stevenson, Channel Manager at Virgin Net. ''We're anxious to deploy this new standard so our customers can
experience lightning fast Internet access using V.90 standard modems. The Total Control platform is leading the
way to deployment of the 56 Kbps standard.''
Similar to 3Com x2 desktop modems, Total Control systems are software upgradable. ISPs with 3Com platforms
can transition to V.90 without replacing hardware and with little or no service interruption, resulting in
considerable cost savings.
''We fully intend to be the first nationwide ISP to fully deploy 3Com's V.90 upgrade to our Total Control systems,''
said Philip Midkiff, president of Web America Network, the first national Internet service provider to install 100
percent x2 technology. ''We chose 3Com's x2 technology from the start because we had confidence that it would
be the most reliable, hassle-free way to meet our subscribers high-speed, high-quality service expectations. We
expect upgrading our Total Control system to V.90 will be an easy way to make our service attractive to an even
broader market.''
''We chose 3Com's Total Control architecture in 1995 because we thought it to be a superior technology. When
the x2 technology became available, we made a simple software upgrade to install the new technology,'' said Mike
McQuary, president and chief operating officer of MindSpring Enterprises, Inc., a leading national Internet service
provider. ''We are already testing the V.90 standard in several cities and anticipate a smooth rollout in the
MindSpring owned-and-operated points-of-presence later this spring.''
''The new V.90 standard for 56 Kbps downloads is a testament to 3Com's leadership in the data communications
marketplace,'' said Nigel Walley, Marketing Director at NTL. ''The new standard is an exciting development, one
on which our customers will capitalize through faster Internet and remote access. NTL will be deploying the V.90
standard with its 3Com Total Control systems fairly quickly because of the software upgradability of this
top-of-the-line networking equipment.''
The release of V.90 software for Total Control platforms will extend 3Com's industry lead in both performance and
market share. A study published in the March 1998 issue of Boardwatch Magazine confirmed 3Com's 56K
products outperform competitors' products by a substantial margin.
The Boardwatch study examined call connect rates of 90 U.S.-based Internet service providers and average
modem connect rates. The average connect rate for K56Flex ports was 30,849 bps while the average connect rate
for x2 ports was 45,192 bps, a 46 percent faster connect rate. More than 145,000 calls were made to 450 points of
presence across the United States during the 5pm to 9pm period for dial-up Internet service.
''Basically, the x2 ISPs had a huge advantage with regards to connect speed,'' wrote Boardwatch Editor Jack
Rickard. And the disparities among 56K modems will continue. ''They may interoperate, at some speed between
2,400 bps and 52 Kbps, but you will most likely get the best performance using a modem and technology that
matches the one supported by your ISP. And at least initially, significantly better performance will be available
from the 3Com U.S. Robotics V.90 products.''
''The Boardwatch tests highlight 3Com's expertise and experience in modem and DSP technology,'' said Manire.
''Our customers are now migrating their Total Control-based networks to the V.90 standard, but just as
importantly, they also have the capability of deploying other value-added services, such as Voice over IP, in their
existing systems--a value proposition that only 3Com can assert.''
Further confirming 3Com's leadership in the industry, a report released in February 1998 by Dataquest, a market
research unit of Gartner Group Inc. [Nasdaq:GART - news], showed 3Com with 1997's top revenue market share
for access concentrators at 37.7 percent. Reports from other leading research firms, including Dell'Oro Group, IDC
and In-Stat, also show 3Com with the leading revenue market share for access concentrators for 1997. |
