Mike, From yesterday, and I did see the little $100 million 3 year network deployment announced by Cisco...
Worldstar and Ascend Align to DeployNext-Generation Network Across the U.S.
May 11, 1999 06:58 AM
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 1999--
Company Leverages Expertise of Ascend GIS Division for Design and Rapid, Time to Market Service Introduction in 31 States
Ascend Communications, Inc. ASND , a leader in wide area networking (WAN) and Intelligent Network (IN) solutions for providers and users of the next-generation public network, today announced that WorldStar Telecommunications, Inc. (WorldStar) has formed a strategic relationship with the company to rapidly deploy a next-generation network across the U.S. To help WorldStar maximize the business opportunities associated with this new service introduction in 31 states, the company also signed a multi-year contract with Ascend's Global Integration Services (GIS) division to help deliver "time to market" solutions and to provide lifecycle network services, which involves network planning, design, implementation and management.
In order to meet an aggressive nine-month service rollout, WorldStar is leveraging the expertise and knowledge of Ascend's GIS division for the delivery of turnkey services. There is a premium on expertise in the marketplace and the winners in the communications revolution will be those who are first to market with new, next-generation services. Ascend is designing and building the WorldStar Network Operations Center (NOC) in New York, providing complete Engineering, Furnishing and Installation (EF&I). Other key GIS capabilities essential to the long-term success of WorldStar include network design and engineering, network management, training and support, and on-site NOC support.
"WorldStar is building a global high-capacity, IP-optimized network to deliver turnkey Internet products, services and packaged solutions to ISPs, carriers and businesses," said Mickey Kalra, CEO, WorldStar Telecommunications, Inc. "Our strategic relationship with Ascend and its Global Integration Services division has enabled us to identify the right network architecture to meet our needs and to move forward quickly with our service offering plans. Without the expertise of Ascend's GIS division combined with their leading-edge network solutions, we could not meet our aggressive 31 state U.S. roll-out in under nine months."
Based in Uniondale, New York, WorldStar is a next-generation telecommunications provider expanding into the exploding, global Internet services arena, with initial services being launched in the U.S. to other carriers, Internet service providers (ISPs) and Fortune 500 businesses. As part of this coast to coast network roll-out, WorldStar has standardized on the Ascend carrier-class MAX TNT(TM) WAN Access Switch, the MAX(TM) 6000, the B-STDX 9000(TM) and CBX 500(TM) Multiservice switches, and NavisCore(TM) and NavisXtend(TM). WorldStar's next-generation network will offer advanced Internet protocol (IP) transport, edge and value-added services for its customers. Some of the value added services will include Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), Voice over IP (VoIP), dedicated, dial-up and wireless Internet access; Web hosting, E-Commerce, and video services.
WorldStar has already begun deployment of the Ascend switches in 10 cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle, with initial service availability scheduled for June 1999. By December 31, 1999, WorldStar expects to have services deployed in 21 additional U.S. cities and have 250 Points of Presence (POPs).
"We're excited to be working with WorldStar on such an aggressive next-generation network service introduction," said Michael Graham-Hyde, vice president of Services, Marketing and Sales, the Americas, GIS division, Ascend Communications. "Our mission starts off with a focus on quickly rolling-out time to market solutions to get the network operational so startup service providers like WorldStar can start marketing and selling services. But our relationship doesn't end here because we will continually focus on providing WorldStar with GIS' lifecycle network services, which are centered on improving and expanding services as business growth demands."
Global Expansion and Additional Strategic Relationships
WorldStar's operations are being organized into four geographic operating segments--the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia. The company plans to open fully redundant Network Operation Centers in Europe by September 1999, and Asia by December 31, 1999. WorldStar will have 250 more POPs operational by the end of the year in Canada, Europe and Asia. Connecting the company's global operations and 500 POPs, WorldStar has entered into a number of strategic relationships with fiber optic telecommunications providers for high-capacity, Quality of Service (QoS) worldwide. WorldStar has signed long-term contracts with companies such as Level 3 Communications, Inc. for high-speed, backbone transmission across fiber optic links between major cities and countries. Additionally, collocation agreements have been signed with Level 3 to enable WorldStar to house its customer's business-critical servers in secure off-site facilities.
About WorldStar
Founded in New York in 1998, WorldStar Telecom, Inc. is a long distance carrier building a global next-generation Internet protocol (IP) network. Beginning June 30, 1999, WorldStar will deliver, under its 3w.com brand, value-added services to other carriers, Internet service providers (ISPs) and enterprise customers. Some of the services scheduled to be delivered include native asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) transport services, wholesale networking services, VoIP, E-commerce and Web hosting services.
WorldStar's principal executive offices are located at 50 Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, Uniondale, New York 11553, phone is 516-390-4716 and fax is 516-390-4685.
About Ascend Communications
Ascend Communications, Inc. ASND develops, manufactures, sells and services wide area networking solutions for telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers and corporate customers worldwide.
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. For Investor Relations, please call our communications hotline at 800-648-3059 or 760-704-4423 (outside the US & Canada). Additional investor information can also be accessed on our Web site at: 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.
In January 1999, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement") with Lucent Technologies, Inc. ("Lucent"), pursuant to which, each outstanding share of Ascend common stock will be exchanged for 0.825 shares of Lucent common stock and each outstanding option or warrant to purchase Ascend common stock will be converted into an option or warrant to purchase Lucent common stock (adjusted for the exchange ratio).
In February 1999, Lucent announced a two-for-one stock split, payable on April 1, 1999, to shareholders of record as of March 5, 1999. Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, the exchange ratio will be adjusted for the effect of this stock split and any similar changes in the capitalization of Lucent.
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.
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