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Technology Stocks : 3Com Corporation (COMS) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: E_K_S who wrote (30491)	5/3/1999 1:14:00 PM
From: Richard P. Roberts	Respond to of 45548

05/03 12:16 VPNs Go Wireless: 3Com Adds Tunneling To CDMA Data Networks VPNs Go Wireless: 3Com Adds Tunneling To CDMA Data Networks SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 3, 1999--3Com Corporation (NASDAQ:COMS) announced today that it has enhanced its multi-service network infrastructure equipment to enable the deployment of wireless virtual private network (VPN) services. The Interworking Function (IWF) within 3Com's Total Control(R) multi-service access platform now supports the IETF-standard Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) and the Microsoft(R) Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP). Secure tunneling support in the IWF enables wireless service providers running Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)-based data networks to expand the reach of business customers' wired VPNs to mobile workers who need to access remote data at times when there is no phone jack handy. For example, using a wireless handset, mobile sales forces can directly and securely access product, pricing and inventory information residing in their corporate intranets, send and receive email and tap into resources across the public Internet without incurring any public switched telephone network (PSTN) toll charges. They can also plug the handset into a laptop -- in effect, using it as a modem -- to access corporate client/server applications, send faxes, or simply gain the benefit of a larger display for text- and graphics-based information. "Wireless VPNs enable PCS carriers to expand their portfolios with enhanced data services that complement popular wired VPN offerings while creating new sources of carrier revenue," said Ben Cardwell, Director of Wireless Product Management, 3Com Carrier Systems. CDMA is a standard spread-spectrum technology used in the deployment of mobile personal communications services (PCS) networks. It enables service providers to integrate voice and data access services to subscribers at lower price points than running separate networks. 3Com is world's leading maker of CDMA data interworking equipment. Where and How the Tunneling Protocols Work In 3Com's new CDMA tunneling implementation, L2TP and PPTP encapsulate a subscriber's data traffic into a secure virtual connection between the wireless network and the customer's "host" network -- the Internet or a corporate network. Using L2TP or PPTP, the host network can definitively verify whether the user has access privileges to the host network. No modifications to the client device are required. End users are identified as members of the VPN by the access telephone number they dial. The IWF sends the call through an L2TP or PPTP tunnel over the Internet to the host network, which authenticates the user based on username and password. Wireless Access Eliminates PSTN Hassles The Quick Net Connect feature of the IWF gateway software connects the wireless network directly to the Internet, resulting in an all-digital connection that bypasses the PSTN and its associated connect times and costs. Using a wireless data solution, the mobile subscriber enjoys the benefits of 3- to 5-second call setup times, compared with the 20- to 30-second connect times of landline modems. About 3Com With more than 200 million customers worldwide, 3Com Corporation connects more people to information in more ways than any other networking company. 3Com delivers innovative information access products and network system solutions to large, medium and small enterprises; carriers and network service providers; PC OEMs; and consumers. 3Com -- More connected.(TM) For further information, visit 3Com's World Wide Web site at www.3com.com or the press site at www.3com.com/pressbox. 3Com and Total Control are registered trademarks and More connected. is a trademark of 3Com Corporation. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. --30--cs/sf* CONTACT: 3Com Steven M. Plavny, 847/262-1329 Cell: 847/525-9917 steven:plavny3Com.com or Steven M. Ostrowski, 847/262-1026 Cell: 630/542-3726 URL: businesswire.com (c) 1998 Business Wire