FORE Systems, ACT Networks Team to Build Flexible, Cost-Effective Multiservice WAN Solutions
New Products Enable Integrated Voice and Data Applications Over Packet Networks
PITTSBURGH and CAMARILLO, Calif., Dec. 9 -- FORE Systems, Inc.
(Nasdaq: FORE), a leading global supplier of multiservice networking solutions, today announced an original equipment manufacturing (OEM) and reseller agreement with ACT Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANET), a leading vendor of integrated voice-data access products. Under the terms of the agreement FORE Systems will market and resell ACT's NetPerformer line of multiservice access products.
The NetPerformer product line enables businesses to implement a broad range of packet-based voice and data networking applications. Specifically, NetPerformer is designed to integrate voice, fax, SNA (Systems Network Architecture), and LAN (Local Area Network) traffic over Frame Relay and emerging public network services, allowing businesses to implement branch, regional, and central site internetworking with a low cost of ownership. Enterprise customers can deploy NetPerformer to cost-effectively extend the
reach of their integrated voice-data backbone networks to their smaller branch offices over ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) or Frame Relay WAN (Wide Area Network) services.
"FORE Systems is pleased to be teaming with ACT Networks, a recognized
leader in packet-based integrated voice and data access solutions," said Neil Viljoen, vice president of product marketing for FORE Systems. "The NetPerformer product range allows customers to extend the benefits of FORE's high capacity multiservice ATM service to their smaller locations. Now customers can deploy a resilient, scalable and high quality integrated voice-data infrastructure throughout their enterprise."
"The agreement between ACT and FORE Systems is strategically beneficial for both companies," commented Mike Zeile, vice president of marketing at ACT Networks. "FORE's leadership in building and supporting intelligent and robust backbone infrastructures combined with ACT's expertise in integrating voice, fax and data onto these industrial-strength backbones will provide customers powerful solutions for implementing large-scale, integrated voice and data
networks."
Services supported by the NetPerformer product line include IP and IPX
routing, SNA networking, voice call routing, voice compression to optimize bandwidth utilization and class of service traffic management for application-based bandwidth management.
FORE Systems will offer the NetPerformer products in combination with its multiservice ATM switches, allowing organizations to build packet-based, integrated voice and data wide area backbone networks encompassing small to large user locations. By consolidating voice and data applications onto Frame Relay and ATM wide area networking services, this solution gives customers the flexibility to select the most cost-effective packet-based WAN service for a given site while eliminating the costs associated with private line facilities.
The NetPerformer products are available immediately from FORE Systems and its authorized distributors.
About ACT Networks
ACT Networks develops, manufactures, and markets multiservice access
products which support a broad range of integrated voice and data networking applications. Service providers and enterprise customers use the Company's products to build multi-service networks that are bandwidth efficient, cost-effective and easy to manage. The Company's award-winning NetPerformer product line (see related ACT press release titled "ACT Networks' NetPerformer
Receives Award", dated 9/29/98) incorporates advanced voice and data compression
algorithms, enhanced switching and traffic management capabilities, and
state-of-the-art hardware and software integration technologies. For more
information about ACT Networks, headquartered in Camarillo, CA, visit the
corporate Website at {hyperlink "http://www.acti.com" |http://www.acti.com}.
About FORE Systems
FORE Systems is a leading global supplier of networking solutions based on
an Intelligent Infrastructure(TM) designed to handle the networked applications
of today and tomorrow.
FORE's Networks of Steel(TM) deliver the increased capacity, reduced
complexity and unparalleled flexibility and scalability necessary to build
networks that last. Thousands of enterprise and service provider customers
worldwide have put FORE Systems' solutions at the heart of their networks.
For more information on FORE's Networks of Steel, call 888-404-0444 or visit
the FORE Systems web site at www.fore.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to
products, partners, customers, future growth and other matters. Please refer to
the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by FORE Systems with the Securities and
Exchange Commission in June, 1998, and the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed
by FORE Systems in August, 1998, and November, 1998, for a discussion of risks
that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements.
All FORE Systems' editorial information and graphics can be found on
NEWSdesk, the high-tech Internet Network at newsdesk.com.
FORE Systems is a registered trademark of FORE Systems, Inc. Intelligent
Infrastructure and Networks of Steel are trademarks of FORE Systems, Inc. All
other brands or product names are trademarks of their respective holders.
-0- 12/09/98
/CONTACT: Rich Borden, Public Relations of FORE Systems, 724-742-7716, or
fax, 724-742-7742, or e-mail, rborden@fore.com/
/Company News On-Call: prnewswire.com or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 329107/
/Web site: newsdesk.com
/Web site: {hyperlink "http://www.acti.com" |http://www.acti.com}/
/Web site: fore.com
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