25th COMNET Conference & Expo to Provide Sneak Preview of Communications Networking Landscape for Coming Year.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

COMNET 2003

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 21, 2003

Event will offer educational content tailored for today's business

concerns as well as face-to-face interaction with top vendors

IDG World Expo, the leading producer of world-class tradeshows, conferences and events for IT markets, today announced details of next week's COMNET Conference & Expo, the largest East Coast event focusing on the most pressing issues in communications networking. COMNET 2003 will feature more than 60 educational sessions and the opportunity to meet one-on-one with the industry's leading vendors, including ADTRAN, Agilent, Canon, CIENA, Compuware, Fluke, Foundry, Graybar and Tyco.

COMNET will take place at Washington, D.C.'s Washington Convention Center, January 27-30, 2003. The COMNET conference program runs January 27-29, and the expo floor will be open January 28-30.

COMNET will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a new look and new content to give participants a more customized event experience. This year's COMNET will include spotlight areas on the show floor for security, wireless and convergence, as well as a presentation theater on the show floor featuring real-world case studies and demonstrations on these focused topics.

COMNET exhibitors will unveil scores of new, innovative products for businesses of all sizes. Companies planning to make product announcements at COMNET include:

Allot Communications (booth 645) will announce two new entry-level NetEnforcer(R) models to help enterprise IT professionals manage problems associated with the increasing network congestion resulting from peer-to-peer applications and streaming video files and improving the performance of mission critical applications.

AltiGen Communications, Inc. (booth 1127) will introduce AltiServ1 IP PBX and AltiServ2 IP PBX, all-IP phone system packages targeted at small and mid-sized customer-centric businesses, including real estate, professional services, medical clinics, manufacturers, mid-sized financial institutions and schools.

Metrobility Optical Systems (booth 1138) will unveil several new line protection and restoration (LPR) models for Gigabit Ethernet and additions to its Radiance Optical Ethernet System for metro access.

NavCom Technology, Inc. (booth 753) will demonstrate Safari Network SR-7100 Mark II, its new mobile wireless broadband network radio that integrates both fixed and mobile communications requirements into one seamless network.

NetMon2 (booth 247) will showcase NetMonSecure Appliance, a network management product featuring Real-Time Console (RTC), which tracks and correlates the status of devices and applications.

NetPredict (booth 444) will announce rev 1.7 for NetPredictor(R), which monitors network traffic to identify the delays in applications that run across WANs, and NetCalibrator(TM), which captures detailed packet information to perform a statistical analysis of application performance.

Red Hawk/CDT (booth 333) will announce an update to its PowerSense Power over Ethernet Hub Family, which will offer support for most popular brands of 24 Volt IP Phones.

Teledex LLC (booth 929) will showcase its IP250D VoIP telephone, named Best IP Endpoint Device of the year by the editors of Communications Convergence Magazine, featuring support for multiple protocols, a full speakerphone, easy setup and manageability, and cutting edge industrial design.

TeleGea, Inc. (booth 432) will introduce Service Delivery Assurance(TM), which provides powerful capabilities to rapidly create and deploy communications services and assure their delivery with unprecedented visibility.

COMNET 2003 will also feature the debut of the National Convergence Summit, which will provide two days of intense education and training for IT leaders who want to proactively take advantage of today's top convergence technologies. The Summit was designed to help IT leaders understand the benefits of deploying convergence technology through real-world examples, and will feature information-packed sessions focusing on convergence for carriers, the enterprise, contact centers and collaboration technologies. The Summit will feature sessions presented by top executives from companies driving the future of this industry, including AT&T, Avaya, BellSouth, Cisco, IBM, Siemens and WebEx.

COMNET's conference program will address issues and questions relating to the top technologies for enterprise IT leaders, including Web services, wireless, voice over IP (VoIP), security, storage and network infrastructure. Conference sessions and tutorials will provide valuable knowledge for attendees looking for unbiased, in-depth education on critical enterprise technologies. IDG World Expo has recruited the industry's most notable experts to present their perspectives, drawing from case studies and extensive experience to provide practical advice on the best use of the technology available today.

Keynotes and feature presentations will offer all attendees an opportunity to learn what 2003 holds for communications networking from the industry's most respected experts. Featured speakers include:

-- Daniel J. Mehan, Ph.D, CIO of the Federal Aviation Administration, who will present the opening keynote, "Using Multiple Protection Layers to Provide Cyber Security."

-- Steve Gomo, CFO of Network Appliance, Inc., who will discuss "Meeting Tomorrow's Storage Needs in the Growing Enterprise."

-- John Schwarz, president and COO of Symantec, who will present a keynote address entitled, "Meeting Security Challenges Within the Enterprise."

-- John Gallant, president and editorial director of Network World, who will moderate the "Web Services Showdown" featuring panelists Neil Charney of Microsoft, Adam Bosworth of BEA Systems, Bob Sutor of IBM, and Ted Farrell of Oracle.

-- Richard Wiley, senior partner at Wiley, Rein & Fielding LLP, who will present his 25th COMNET Town Meeting, "The 'Low Down' on 'High-Tech' Communications Policy and Regulation" featuring Kevin Kayes of the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation; Michael Gallagher of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration; James Bradford Ramsay of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners; and Bryan Tramont of the Federal Communications Commission.

"Today's IT leaders need a forum to explore the most effective solutions to help their businesses weather the storm during these tough times," said Charlie Greco, president and CEO of IDG World Expo. "This year's COMNET will provide an intelligent yet 'in the trenches' look at the most pressing issues facing enterprise communications networking. Our attendees will benefit from one-on-one interaction with the industry's most respected experts, as well as the opportunity to learn valuable lessons from their peers."

For more information on COMNET 2003 or to register for the event, visit www.comnetexpo.com.

About COMNET Conference & Expo 2003

COMNET Conference & Expo, produced by IDG World Expo, is a catalyst for buyers and sellers in the communications networking industry to connect with the newest technologies and meet the experts driving the industry to a prosperous future. COMNET empowers network executives, service providers, carriers, suppliers/resellers and government agencies to make informed technology decisions for their network infrastructure at the beginning of each year. COMNET 2003 is a prime opportunity to learn from successful implementations of new technologies, with a special focus on security, web services, storage and wireless infrastructure. For more information, please visit www.comnetexpo.com.

About IDG World Expo

IDG World Expo (www.idgworldexpo.com) produces IT-focused tradeshows, conferences and events for professionals seeking world-class education, peer-to-peer networking and one-stop comparison shopping. As the leading IT event management company, IDG World Expo leverages its experience and knowledge of IT-focused events and conferences, enabling technology companies to capture the attention and loyalty of influential buyers. IDG World Expo's portfolio of conferences and events includes Macworld Conference & Expo, LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, Bio-ITWorld Conference & Expo, COMNET Conference & Expo, Integrated Security Conference & Expo and BiometricsWorld Conference & Expo. IDG World Expo is a business unit of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research and event company.

About IDG

IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers and offers online users the largest network of technology-specific sites around the world through IDG.net (www.idg.net), which comprises more than 330 targeted Web sites in 80 countries. IDG is also a leading producer of 168 computer-related events worldwide, and IDG's research company, IDC, provides global market intelligence and advice through 51 offices in 43 countries. Company information is available at www.idg.com.