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
01:00 p.m Mar 31, 1998 Eastern
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 1998--3Com
Corporation (NASDAQ:COMS) 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., 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. 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 large enterprises, small and medium enterprises,
carriers, and network service providers, and consumers 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.
(See also: businesswire.com)
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