( BW)(ASCEND)(ASND) Ascend Extends Worldwide Leadership in Frame Relay
with Multiservice Enhancements
Business Editors and Computer Writers
ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 28, 1998--
Market-Leading Frame Relay Switches Extend Multiservice Solutions with ATM and IP Modules,
Enabling Revenue Generating Services
Ascend Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASND), a leader in wide area networking (WAN) solutions
for providers and users of the New Public Network, today announced new features for the company's
market leading B-STDX(tm) 8000 and 9000 Multiservice Frame Relay WAN switches. Supplying
increased capabilities for revenue-generating services and cost saving solutions, the B-STDX
Multiservice switch enhancements include a 12-port T1/E1 Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Module,
a 2-port 10/100 Fast Ethernet Module for IP, support for carrier-class Frame Relay Switched Virtual
Circuits (SVCs), Frame Relay accounting and MultiLink Frame Relay (MLFR).
According to Dataquest's 1997 year-end statistics for the WAN networking market, Ascend maintained
the number one position in Frame Relay sales worldwide. In the recently released report, Ascend
continued to lead the competition, with 38.3 percent revenue market share in Frame Relay, and increased
its revenue in ATM by 247 percent.
"In today's networking environment, the ability to support traditional Frame Relay and ATM services
with new IP services is a key advantage for service providers," said Bob Sullebarger, director, Product
Marketing, Core Systems Division at Ascend. "Supporting Multiservice capabilities with additional ATM
and IP elements will enable our customers to offer high margin services that directly effect their bottom
line. Being a leading provider of carrier-class Frame Relay WAN switching, Ascend is well positioned to
extend that promise to deliver carrier-class ATM and IP services."
Delivering the most widely deployed platform for Public Data Services with millions of ports installed,
Ascend's multifunctional switches are installed in the core of the world's largest service provider's
networks. In 1997, Dataquest, IDC, Vertical Systems Group, and Infonetics Research named Ascend's
B-STDX the market-leading carrier class WAN switch for Frame Relay. With added functionality for the
B-STDX 8000 and 9000 switches, Ascend continues to be the worldwide leader in Multiservice
Platforms for increased revenue-generating capabilities with a low cost of operations.
Cost effective ATM for Multimedia Support
The 12-port T1/E1 ATM Module delivers excellent support for multimedia services, providing
concentration of voice, video, and data over an ATM connection, which translates to cost-effective ATM
connectivity to Ascend's installed base of customers worldwide. This module enables service providers
to cost effectively offer T1/E1 ATM services on the large installed base of B-STDX Multiservice
Platforms. Target applications for the 12-port ATM module include low-speed ATM access and
low-speed ATM trunking.
IP Support Extends Internet Services and QoS
The 2-port 10/100 Ethernet module for IP connectivity requirements enables service providers to easily
offer both Internet hosting services and value-added IP routing and Virtual Private Network (VPN)
services that are inherent in IP Navigator(TM). Ascend's Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) via the
IP Navigator solution offers additional advantages with its software implementation for easy upgrade and
the unique ability to offer absolute QoS for IP services. The 2-port Ethernet module applications include
local connections to LAN devices, efficient aggregation of MAX TNT access users into IP (MPLS)
backbones, Web hosting services, and PPP or Frame Relay access concentration into routed backbone
networks.
Frame Relay SVCs Enable Service Providers to Offer On Demand Services
Ascend is the first WAN switch service provider vendor to support carrier-class Frame Relay
Switched Virtual Circuit services, giving its service provider and enterprise customers the edge in
delivering new Frame Relay services that support dynamic connectivity. Frame Relay SVCs allow service
providers to offer new on-demand Frame Relay services that are optimized for applications such as voice
over Frame Relay, videoconferencing and other intermittent applications.
Flexible Billing Plans with Frame Relay Accounting
The new NavisXtend(tm) Accounting Server allows service providers to bill Frame Relay services
based on the amount of bandwidth the customer actually consumed on their SVC or Permanent Virtual
Circuits or on the length of the SVC call. This technology opens up new possibilities for competitive
billing plans that are more precisely tailored to end-user needs.
Network Cost Savings with Multi-Link Frame Relay
MLFR allows service providers to scale their backbone capacity in a cost-effective manner by bridging
the gap between T1/E1 and T3/E3 trunking by bonding multiple T1/E1 links together. MLFR combines
multiple physical links between two B-STDX switches creating a single greater capacity logical facility.
Ascend's MLFR is a software-based solution, which requires no hardware upgrade to the B-STDX.
MLFR allows service providers to extend their networks into new markets more easily, thus expanding
their addressable customer base.
Service Providers Herald Scalable, Cost Effective B-STDX Multiservice Solutions
"This announcement reaffirms that Ascend understands the realities of our business," said Daniel David,
general manager of IPF.NET. "We are getting tremendous value out of the B-STDX, and Ascend keeps
adding features and functions to the platform that allow us to introduce new services which drive
additional revenue for us."
"We think that MLFR will play a key role for us. We've been looking for a cost-effective way to extend
our Frame Relay service into new markets that we don't currently serve, but were held back by the cost of
DS3/E3 facilities. Ascend's new MLFR support allows us to capture this revenue without incurring a big
jump in our recurring costs," said Mike Johnson, senior director, WAN Engineering of Intermedia
Communications, Inc. "MLFR also allows us to enhance our extensive network to network interface (NNI)
infrastructure already in place. Multiple T1 NNIs can now be enhanced to operate as a single High-Speed
NNI as opposed to individual T1 pipes. This will prove extremely advantageous to our NNI partnerships
and our own DSL infrastructure."
Complete Navis Network Management
Ascend Navis service management products, NavisCore(tm) and NavisXtend(tm), are powerful
network management applications that enable service providers to deliver newer, more competitive
networking services to business and enterprise customers.
Pricing and Availability
MultiLink Frame Relay is available today at no cost as an integral component of B-STDX software. The
2-port Ethernet Module is $25,000 domestic/$26,250 international and will be available Q3, '98. The
NavisXtend Accounting Server is $10,000 per license and is available today. The 12-port T1/E1 ATM
Module is $30,000 domestic/$31,500 international and will be available Q3, '98.
About Ascend Communications
Ascend Communications, Inc. develops, manufactures, sells and services wide area networking
solutions for telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers and corporate customers worldwide.
Press and industry analysts please contact Stephanie Prentice, Alexander Communications, (404)
897-2300 or sprentice@alexandercom.com. Investors and financial analysts, please contact Kristina
Graziano, (510) 747-2345 or kristina.graziano@ascend.com. For all other inquiries please call toll-free:
800/ASCEND4.
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.
The foregoing statements may contain forward looking statements that are based on current expectations
and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from these expectations as a
result of factors including, but not limited to, the Company's success in developing, introducing or shipping
new products, competition, the mix of distribution channels employed, the Company's dependence on
single or limited source suppliers for certain components used in its products, risks inherent in
international sales, seasonality and general economic conditions. These and other factors are discussed in
Ascend's 10-K, 10-Q and other filings made periodically with the Securities and Exchange Commission
--30--jar/sf*
CONTACT: Alexander Communications
Stephanie Prentice, 404/897-2300
sprentice@alexandercom.com
or
Ascend Communications
Mike Robinson, 978/952-1576
michael.robinson@ascend.com
KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA |
