3Com's Voice Solution Makes the Grade With America's Leading Educational Testing Firm.

Business/Technology Editors

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 2001

Measurement Inc. Cost-effectively Manages Evaluation of Four

Million Tests Nationwide Using 3Com's Networked Telephony Solution

3Com Corporation (Nasdaq:COMS) today announced that Measurement Inc. (MI) is using the new 3Com(R) SuperStack(R) 3 NBX(R) Networked Telephony Solution to cut costs, further its growth and strengthen its leadership in test scoring for education and business. The Durham, N.C.-based firm relies on the innovative voice solution to streamline communications among the 5,000 part-time employees who grade millions of tests each year.

Founded in 1980, MI utilizes thousands of active and retired teachers and other skilled workers to grade tests and essay exams. These tests include standardized state exams that measure the academic proficiency of K-12 students and employee performance evaluations for businesses. The firm's customers are departments of education and local education boards in 27 states, companies and other organizations. MI has 250 full-time employees and operates scoring centers, in Tampa FL, Baltimore MD, Grand Rapids, MI and seven other locations.

Using 3Com's voice solution, MI utilizes the Internet to transmit phone calls between its headquarters and key testing centers, substantially reducing its $9,000 monthly long-distance charges. The simple-to-use platform enables the firm to manage its phone services easily without costly service calls. In addition, the SuperStack 3 NBX solution allows the company to route calls more effectively to its Durham call center for better customer service.

"We're a growing company that relies heavily on phones to manage the logistics of test scoring, so the SuperStack 3 NBX platform is an ideal fit," said Ben Webber, property acquisition manager, Measurement Inc. "In addition to economizing on long-distance calls, we eliminated the thousand dollars we paid every month for service contracts on our former phone system. Now, we can rapidly move, add and change phones ourselves without outside technicians -- an important cost-savings for an expanding company like ours with so many part-time employees."

Power Without Complexity

3Com's SuperStack 3 NBX system greatly simplifies the administration of MI's business-class phone services. Based on familiar Ethernet networking instead of the complex technologies of telephone solutions, the 3Com solution lets the firm self-manage all of its voice services. Using the system's intuitive Web-based NetSet(TM) administration utility, MI's IS staff effortlessly configures and monitors phone services. Even employees can easily tailor NBX phones and voice mailboxes to their exact needs.

"The NBX system gives us the power of very sophisticated PBX systems without the complexity," said Webber. "Its administration is a breeze. The time and money we once spent maintaining our legacy phone system is now invested in our core business."

The SuperStack 3 NBX solution also provides an array of productivity-enhancing business features, such as integrated voice- and e-mail and computer telephony integration (CTI). MI, for example, relies on the hunt group capability of the NBX system to efficiently route calls from customers, employees and potential employees to its 10-seat call center. Using the system's call detail reporting, the firm easily tracks the volume of calls to the call center, enabling it to add additional agents when necessary to ensure responsive service.

Scalable Telephony on the LAN 

MI's use of 3Com voice solutions began last year when it expanded its headquarters and renovated a nearby warehouse to accommodate its rapid growth. Previously using a legacy PBX system, which was very costly to manage, the company installed two 3Com NBX 100 chassis, each supporting up to 200 users. In anticipation of further growth, however, MI recently replaced these chassis with the new, higher-capacity SuperStack 3 NBX platform.

Presently, MI has 264 NBX phones installed throughout its enterprise. Using handsets that operate as network devices, like PCs and printers, company employees simply add or move phones by plugging them into any network port.

To ensure fast, reliable networking, MI's LAN is powered by 16 3Com SuperStack 3 Switch 3300 switches and other 3Com Fast Ethernet and Ethernet switching systems. The company also uses 3Com EtherLink(R) 10/100 PCI network interface cards (NICs) in 220 desktops to provide users with optimal connectivity to the network.

"We now have a phone system that will support our growth well into the future, while providing simple management and powerful features that make us more efficient and lower our costs," concluded Webber. "3Com solutions give us the communication infrastructure we need to sustain and extend our leadership in the field of test scoring."

About 3Com Corporation

3Com simplifies how people connect to information and services through easy-to-use connectivity products and solutions for people and businesses. The company also provides access infrastructures and IP services platforms for network service providers. For further information, visit www.3com.com or the press site at www.3com.com/pressbox.

3Com, NBX, SuperStack and EtherLink are registered trademarks and NetSet is a trademark of 3Com Corporation. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.