Newbridge Networks and GTE to Accelerate Roll-out of
Videoconferencing in the Hacienda La Puente School District's
Network
KANATA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 8, 1998--Newbridge (TSE:NNC. - news; NYSE:NN - news) Newbridge
Solution Offers Superior Quality Videoconferencing, Enabling More Students to Participate in Shared Projects, Regardless
of Their Location
Newbridge Networks today announced that GTE has selected the Siemens / Newbridge MainStreetXpress(TM) 36170
Multiservices Switching platform for deployment in support of the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District's network,
which enables interactive distance learning in California. The Newbridge(R) solution enables Hacienda students to benefit
from fully-integrated, superior-quality videoconferencing at a growing number of sites simultaneously over a single
network.
The Hacienda school district, located southeast of Los Angeles and comprised of 44 schools, serves a mixed
socio-economic array of thousands of students - from young children to mature adults. The area's first interactive
''classroom without walls'', created in 1996, was made possible by GTE and the Newbridge(R) VIVID(TM) switched
routing solution. The VIVID solution, which provides Layer 3 switching with unmatchable scalability and centralized
management capabilities, is fast, powerful, reliable and flexible - essential qualities for delay-sensitive applications such as
video-based education. With the VIVID solution already deployed at numerous sites throughout the Hacienda school
district, including its administrative and community locations, the need to integrate these locations into a flexible and robust
distance learning environment has been addressed by GTE with the MainStreetXpress 36170 Multiservices Switching
platform.
''Newbridge and GTE have a good understanding of our requirements,'' said Michael Droe, Director of Network and
Computer Services for the Hacienda La Puente School District. ''For example, the Newbridge solution enables us to
deliver superior-quality video to multiple sites simultaneously. Children today have grown up with Nintendo and
television, and anything less than broadcast quality would be something they wouldn't want to look at.''
Newbridge was selected to provide the switching platform for Hacienda's videoconferencing needs because of its
capability to offer a high-speed, scalable asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) solution that can simultaneously transmit
superior-quality video, voice and data. In addition, the Newbridge VIVID switched routing solution works as a
multi-service router connecting 44 sites and delivering over 6000 Ethernet, Fast Ethernet and ATM ports across the entire
school district.
As Hacienda's network has grown, so has the demand for even higher-bandwidth applications. Hacienda's desire to
become a full-fledged educational service provider made it necessary to obtain greater flexibility for communicating among
multiple sites. GTE and the Newbridge solution have enabled students in different grades at a variety of schools to work
on shared projects. By using video to connect the schools into a virtual family, the expense of busing students to one
location can be avoided and resources can be shared by all students, regardless of their location.
''The Newbridge product is a key element of the overall service solution that we are delivering to the Hacienda La Puente
School District,'' said Joe Lardieri, ATM product manager, GTE. ''Together, we are helping to bring information that is
often difficult to obtain closer to the fingertips of students in the school district.''
''Hacienda is building a visionary learning environment,'' said Stu Aaron, Assistant Vice President, Enterprise Marketing,
Newbridge Networks. ''Newbridge is delighted to be part of what will clearly become the pre-eminent model for education
today, and well into the next millenium.''
Hacienda's future plans include expanding their ''virtual'' classrooms into 39 schools located in the Los Angeles area, as
well as connecting two public libraries and seven additional sites to its network for correctional education.
With 1997 revenues of more than US$23 billion, GTE is one of the world's largest telecommunications companies and a
leading provider of integrated telecommunications services. In the United States, GTE provides local service in 28 states
and wireless service in 17 states; nationwide long-distance and internetworking services, ranging from dial-up Internet
access for residential and small business consumers, to Web-based applications for Fortune 500 companies; and video
service in selected markets. Additional information about GTE can be found on the Internet at gte.com.
Newbridge Networks (NYSE: NN - news; TSE: NNC - news) designs, manufactures, markets and services networking
solutions to organizations in more than 100 countries. Newbridge leverages its relationship with 16 Affiliate companies
and strategic alliances with Siemens and 3Com Corporation to deliver seamless, end-to-end solutions. Newbridge
customers include the world's 250 largest telecommunications service providers and more than 10,000 corporations,
government organizations and other institutions. Founded in 1986, the Company employs more than 6,000 people on five
continents. News and information are available at www.newbridge.com.
Newbridge, logo are registered trademarks of Newbridge Networks Corporation.
MainStreetXpress is a trademark used by the Siemens / Newbridge alliance for comprehensive solutions in broadband
communication. No agency relationship, partnership, or joint ownership of a legal entity is to be inferred or implied by the
term alliance.
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