3Com Enhances Wireless Solutions for Federal Government; 3Com Agreement with Fortress Technologies Adds FIPS-Certified Security Components to 3Com Wireless LAN Solutions.

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. -- 3Com Corporation (Nasdaq: COMS) today announced that it is offering FIPS-certified security as part of its enterprise-level wireless LAN solutions for the federal government, including the defense department, civilian agencies, military organizations and contractors. To achieve FIPS validation and provide a federal-grade security solution for 3Com's award-winning 802.11a/b/g products, 3Com is collaborating with Fortress Technologies, the leader in wireless security for government agencies. Fortress was selected as a 3Com(R) preferred partner based on the company's extensive history of successfully deploying secure network solutions for the U.S. government and other sensitive application environments that meet Federal Information Processing Standards.

"Adding high-assurance, FIPS-validated security to 3Com wireless systems opens the door for government customers to the benefits of 3Com's broad product portfolio and superior value. Government customers who take advantage of the 3Com/Fortress offering can be assured that they are utilizing proven wireless technology while simultaneously meeting the highest standards of wireless security," said Drew Terry, wireless product manager, 3Com. "3Com solutions also help government customers lower their total cost of ownership and increase productivity, while supporting mobile employees and enabling new applications."

The Department of Defense Directive 8100.2 promotes the use of open standards with commercially available wireless products while establishing the policy for their deployment. All DOD, DHS and civilian agency wireless networks are required to incorporate security measures that protect the infrastructure and integrity of the information traveling across wireless networks.

"The Federal Government continues to raise the bar for secure wireless deployments," said John Dow, vice president of business development at Fortress. "As agencies continue to build on existing investments, they will demand seamless infrastructure and security that not only meets NIST and DOD standards, but that offers the flexibility to scale with their growth. The 3Com/Fortress solution is uniquely positioned to accommodate these needs and is backed by a history of success in the public sector--providing CIOs and administrators with confidence that they can deliver on wireless mandates."

Fortress provides the highest level of security, enabling agencies to secure their wireless LANs in compliance with 8100.2 and the U.S. Army's wireless security policy. Fortress products protect against interception of important network data, viewing of internal network addresses or the interruption of network availability caused by denial-of-service attacks using end-to-end protection and its Three-Factor Authentication approach, which authenticates access at the network, device and user levels.

Fortress' experience serving the government market includes deployments with the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, the Air Force and Marines. The company has also managed large-scale deployments for the Defense Commissary Agency, Defense Medical Logistics Standard and Support and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

3Com will join its award-winning wireless products, including the Wireless LAN Access Point 8750, Access Point 8250 and wireless client products, and the 3Com SuperStack(R) 3 Switch 4400PWR with Fortress Technologies' products into specialized, federal government-oriented solutions. With a similar approach as 3Com of being able to outfit either centralized or distributed wireless networks with scalable and easy-to-use products, Fortress offers solutions for enterprise-wide wireless infrastructures, as well as for clients and user authentication and management.

For more information, please visit the following Web page: www.3com.com/wireless/FIPS

About Fortress Technologies

Fortress Technologies offers flexible, market-proven security to address the risks and vulnerabilities of wireless networks. It is a trusted and easy-to-use security solution that supports and integrates with corporate wired assets and systems to ensure the business integrity demanded by the global 1000, government, financial and health care organizations. Providing the highest level of commercially available wireless security, Fortress meets the government's rigorous standards for wireless network security, under the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS 140) validation program, and is one of the only companies to offer the end-to-end security consistent with the Department of Defense's new directive for wireless devices and use. Fortress Technologies is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, with partners and resellers worldwide. For more information, contact us at [e-mail] or call 813-288-7388.

About 3Com Corporation

3Com is a leading provider of converged voice and data networking solutions for enterprises of all sizes. 3Com offers a broad line of innovative products backed by world-class sales, service and support, which excel at delivering business value for its customers. When customers exercise choice, their choice is 3Com. For further information, please visit www.3com.com, or the press site www.3com.com/pressbox.

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