Netrail Selects Ascend Multiservice Switches and High-End Routing Equipment to Expand High-Performance, High-Speed Network
Business Wire - August 10, 1998 08:27
%ASCEND-COMMUNICATIONS ASND %CALIFORNIA %GEORGIA %TELECOMMUNICATIONS %COMED %COMPUTERS %ELECTRONICS %INTERACTIVE %MULTIMEDIA %INTERNET %PRODUCT V%BW P%BW
ALAMEDA, Calif. and ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 10, 1998-- Ascend Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASND), a leader in wide area networking (WAN) solutions for providers and users of the Public Network, and Netrail, Inc. today announced that Netrail, a Tier-One Internet Service Provider, will deploy Ascend's Multiservice CBX 500 ATM and B-STDX 9000 Frame Relay switches and GRF 400 and 1600 multigigabit routers to expand its network to an additional 27 major cities across the U.S.
Speed and performance were the biggest deciding factors in Netrail's selection of Ascend equipment for its network. Netrail also cited Ascend's ability to provide "Absolute" QoS for voice and data services. Among other key factors in Netrail's selection of Ascend were reliability, cost per city and the ability to bridge from Frame Relay to ATM without disrupting the network.
"In building tomorrow's backbone today, we were looking for raw, unadulterated speed and the highest performance and capacity products we could get. Ascend fills the bill. The GRF is the fastest router we can get our hands on now -- it provides a much faster connection for Internet backbones than competitive products," said Dave Diaz, Netrail's Chief Technology Officer. "Our aim is to eliminate potential bottlenecks, and overall, Ascend enables us to deploy clear channel circuits and light our backbone with the highest capacity switches."
The newly purchased Ascend multiservice switches and multigigabit routers will be used to expand the initial Netrail network which consists of Ascend B-STDX 9000 Frame Relay switches and GRF multigigabit routers across six cities.
Netrail is upgrading the current six-city Frame Relay backbone with CBX 500 multiservice switches which will allow it to deploy Voice over IP services in the near future. In addition, it will deploy a GRF 1600 multigigabit router, a CBX 500 ATM switch, and a B-STDX 9000 Frame Relay switch in each of the 27 additional cities. Netrail will move to an OC-3 ATM backbone between all the routers and switches in the network and provide T1 and T3 access to downstream Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and Web hosting over the expanded network.
"We are delighted that Netrail is choosing our multiservice switches and high-speed routers to expand its network," said Hassan Ahmed, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Core Systems Division, Ascend Communications. "The growing numbers of service providers selecting Ascend carrier class WAN products underscores our ability to deliver the speed, performance, "Absolute" QoS and service management that are critical success factors for today's new public network infrastructure."
Netrail plans to expand the first build of its network at the rate of about one city every ten days. The company also is planning an additional second build which likely will cover 20 more cities with additional Ascend technology.
According to Dataquest's 1997 year-end statistics for the WAN networking market, Ascend maintained the number one position in Frame Relay sales in North America. 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.
As one of only eight Tier-One ISPs, Netrail is authorized to peer directly with other ISPs, thus eliminating latency and minimizing hop count. Tier-One status also enables Netrail to provide its customers with direct access to other backbone networks by eliminating access points.
About Netrail
Netrail, Inc. is a privately held IP focused carrier providing a wide spectrum of data services targeted at the Corporate Enterprise market. Netrail operates a nationwide, facilities based ATM network and offers dedicated, private dial and secure colocation services as well as customized Internet centric solutions in markets that will expand to forty metropolitan areas by year end 1998. Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, Netrail was incorporated in 1994 and is one of eight Tier One Providers. Colo facilities: Atlanta-NAP, Miami, Arlington, Chicago, San Francisco. Call 888-NETRAIL for further information.
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 Julie Asher, Alexander Communications, jasher@alexandercom.com: Investors and financial analysts, please contact Kristina Graziano, (510) 747-2345, 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 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.
CONTACT: Ascend Communications, Alameda
Mike Robinson, 978/952-1576
michael.robinson@ascend.com
or
Alexander Communications
Julie Asher, 404/897-2300
jasher@alexandercom.com
or
Netrail, Inc., Atlanta
David Diaz, 888-NETRAIL
davediaz@netrail.net
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