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Technology Stocks : Aware, Inc. - Hot or cold IPO? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Scrapps who wrote (4247)	9/24/1998 12:46:00 PM
From: Hao Li	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9236

The following is from today's MSNBC.com ! Great news for ADSL! Aware was mentioned as leader of G.Lite !!!!! HERE'S WHAT YOU want - you want to be able to buy a PC, take it out of the box, plug either your phone cord or a coaxial cable into a modem, and get Net access as fast as what you get at work. If you want to use your phone cord, you'll need DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) service from your phone company, and a DSL modem in your computer. Part of Dell's announcement Wednesday was meant for the lucky few who live in an ADSL-ready area (ADSL is a flavor of DSL) served by SBC Communications Inc. That's currently only parts of California. Those Dell customers can have PCs shipped to them with ADSL modems pre-installed. Other PC makers like Gateway and Compaq say they don't yet have plans to offer PCs with DSL modems. It's the second deal Dell has made with a phone company to offer ADSL service - the first, with US West, was announced in May. Modems that work with US West systems will be available before the end of the year. Modems for the SBC flavor won't be available until the first quarter of next year. There are several hurdles to rolling out DSL. The biggest - phone companies need to agree on a standard. There are competing standards now, meaning its possible to purchase a DSL modem, have a DSL line into your home - and still find the modem won't work. That can make consumers skittish. That's why Dell is offering ADSL modems in concert with phone companies, according to a spokesman. Customers who call to order Dell PCs will speak to a sales rep who knows what flavor of DSL is available in what area, and which modem to sell. Aware, Inc. (AWRE) price change $8.25 +0.500 SBC Communications Inc. (SBC) price change $42.50 unch Dell Computer Corporation (DELL) price change $64.50 +0.125 Data: Microsoft Investor and S&P Comstock 20 min.delay "The most important issue is, `Will the service work when it arrives in my home?' We're saying when you get the computer from Dell, you will know the modem will work," said Bill Robbins of Dell. ADSL modems will be more expensive than traditional modems, but prices haven't been set yet. In case you're wondering. Dell modems designed to work with US West (they'll be made by Cisco Systems) won't work with SBC's service (modem manufacturer to be determined) - so you'd better hope you're not transferred. Another, though less imposing, hurdle to DSL deployment is the requirement for consumers to install new equipment in their PCs. As with most PC developments, pre-installation is key to widespread adoption. Early adopters might buy new modems and install them, but average users would rather buy their PCs equipped with new technology. So Dell's offering to ship PCs with ADSL modems installed is a big step, say ADSL advocates. "This is great for the industry," said Kristin Griffin, spokeswoman for Aware Inc., which developed a new flavor of ADSL called DSL-lite. Wednesday's announcement doesn't utilize DSL-lite, according to Dell. "It puts pressure on the manufacturers to get into the product mix." Aware drew industry attention earlier this year when the Universal ADSL Working Group (UAWG) was formed to investigate DSL standards. The group, which includes SBC, Intel, Microsoft, Compaq and US West, recommends a specific kind of ADSL called "splitterless ADSL," which was invented by Aware. (Note: Microsoft is a partner with NBC in the joint venture that operates MSNBC.) SBC Communications says its ADSL service is available to 4.4 million homes and 650,000 businesses in California. It's also running a test of the service in Texas. Dell customers who don't live in those areas - or who call before the modems are available next year - will be stuck with old-fashioned 56K modems.