To: Sector Investor who wrote (1387 ) 4/17/1998 3:09:00 PM From: Narotham Reddy Respond to of 1629
LCI International to expand data network with Ascend Presswire - April 17, 1998 14:40 LCI ASND V%M2 P%M2PR M2 PRESSWIRE-17 April 1998-ASCEND: LCI International to expand data network with Ascend (C)1994-98 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD -- Company to purchase Ascend Frame Relay and ATM technology LCI International (NYSE:LCI), one of the nation's leading providers of telecommunications services to large and national account customers, announced today that as part of the company's previously stated network expansion plans it has signed an agreement to purchase frame relay and ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) switching equipment from Ascend Communications, Inc., (NASDAQ:ASND). LCI executives said the company will be adding Ascend carrier-class B-STDX 9000 Multiservice Frame Relay and CBX 500 Multiservice ATM switches to its nationwide backbone, which will significantly enhance the company's domestic and international data service offerings. "LCI's sales of frame relay services have almost tripled since the beginning of this year, which reflects not only the company's success in the marketplace, but the overall trend in the data services industry. Consistent with LCI's 1998 strategic business plan, the company is placing a greater emphasis on data services and making investments in new technologies," said Lawrence J. Bouman, LCI's senior vice president of engineering, operations and technology. "The selection of Ascend equipment provides LCI with additional resources to support the company's current growth, in addition to providing us with an enhanced platform for future frame relay and ATM services -- including switched virtual circuits and expanded Web-based network management and reporting tools for LCI's frame relay service." LCI is a facilities-based provider of telecommunications services with a coast-to-coast fiber-optic network. The company offers business customers a comprehensive suite of data services including Internet, private-line and international frame relay. LCI's FramePlus frame relay service connects to more international locations than any other major U.S. provider and offers a customizable Web-based monitoring tool to help customers efficiently manage their network resources. LCI will be deploying the new switches in major business markets throughout the U.S. and expects to complete the project by the end of the third quarter of this year. Officials also said the company intends to make additional enhancements to the LCI data platform throughout 1998. "We are very pleased to be working with LCI on this project," said Dan Smith, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Core Systems Division, Ascend Communications, Inc. "By adding the B-STDX 9000 and CBX 500 switches, LCI is poised and ready to meet the growing needs of the data services marketplace." LCI International, Inc. (NYSE:LCI), one of the nation's fastest-growing telecommunications carriers, provides a full array of worldwide voice and data transmission services to businesses, residential customers and other carriers through its 4,500-mile fiber-optic network which is planned to be 8,500 miles by the end of the year. The company also currently provides local telephone service to commercial customers in more than 40 U.S. markets. LCI International, Inc. is headquartered in McLean, Va., with offices in more than 60 locations, including national network control and customer service centers, and regional operations in various locations throughout the United States. 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 send e-mail to info@ascend.com. Ascend is headquartered at One Ascend Plaza, 1701 Harbor Bay Parkway, Alameda, Calif. 94502; phone is 800/ASCEND4 and fax is 510-814-2300. Ascend is headquartered at One Ascend Plaza 1701 Harbor Bay Parkway Alameda, California 94502 Phone: 800/ASCEND4 Fax: 510/814-2300 E-mail: info@ascend.com CONTACT: Lucia F. Graziano, Ascend Communications Tel: +1 978 952 1291