"The joint effort between Siemens and 3Com takes the industry to
the next frontier of communications, and effectively marries the
legacy circuit switched network with the burgeoning data
communications network to deliver new services," said Ross Manire,
senior vice president, 3Com Carrier Systems.
     "The combination of Siemens EWSD switches and 3Com's Total
Control technology will provide telco service providers with the
ability to deploy high-density, scalable, modular systems in their
networks, unmatched by any competitive offerings in the market."
     In January, 3Com successfully launched VOIP capabilities, built
in part on Microsoft(R) Windows NT(R) Server, in its Total Control
multi-service platform, an advanced DSP-based system ranked by global
industry research firms as the world's leading remote access system in
revenue market share.
     Changing the definition of remote access, 3Com's Total Control
multi-service platform is a next generation, fully modular,
carrier-class access system based on 3Com's HiPer(TM) DSP technology
that can deliver value-added services such as voice, fax, video,
virtual private networking and content - all in a single
software-upgradable system. More than three-million Total Control
ports have been deployed to date.
     In addition, 300 providers, offering services to more than 150
million subscribers in 100 countries, use Siemens' EWSD system, making
it the world's leading digital switch and confirming Siemens' long
tradition as the premier supplier of solutions for telecommunications
infrastructure systems.
     "The integration of Total Control technology into Siemens' Class
5 central office switch provides a strategic opportunity for
carrier-class remote access, Voice-Over-IP gateway services and a host
of other Internet supplementary services," said Hans-Eugen Binder,
president of the Switching Networks Business Unit of Siemens Public
Communications Networks Group.
     "Every installed Siemens EWSD switch can be readily upgraded into
a multi-service switch, offering cost reductions for telcos delivering
Internet access services."
     "This initiative further confirms the role of Windows NT as a
standard platform for commercial network services in the emerging
convergence of voice, video and data networks," said Cameron Myhrvold,
vice president, Internet Customer Unit, Microsoft.
     "Microsoft is excited to see 3Com and Siemens using Windows NT
Server to drive the next generation of services within the public
network." The jointly developed Internet gateway and its new services
will be demonstrated at Cebit98 March 19-25 in Hanover, Germany (3Com
Booth--Hall 11, B62, Siemens Booth--Hall 14, H14). The product is
expected to ship this spring.