3Com Proactively Delivers Support Information to Customers' Desktops; State-of-the-Art Web Service Delivery Systems Automatically Keeps Customers Current.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 13, 1998--Ensuring customers have immediate access to the information they need, the 3Com Customer Service Organization today announced the first two components of its Web-based strategy - 3Com Subscription Web Service and 3Com Case Tracker Web Service. Both services ensure direct access to personalized information without cluttering email and fax machines, or exhaustive searches on the Internet. The 3Com Subscription Service is designed to push subscribed information to customers automatically and 3Com Case Tracker Web Service allows customers to view their open cases online.

3Com Subscription Web Service ensures that customers have the latest mission-critical information to run their networks effectively. Users define the information they want pushed to them on a regular basis and the information is automatically posted to their desktops as it becomes available. This innovative information delivery system saves customers time as they no longer need to surf the Web for updated information. Also, customers are assured of promptly receiving essential information critical to their business and network environment.

How the 3Com Subscription Web Service Works

By downloading a software application the user can install a personal interface which appears as an icon on their desktop PC. The icon glows when new information has been added to their requested interface, providing notification without disrupting workflow. The 3Com Subscription Web Service offers a choice of many information types including bug reports, release notes, support tips, and user guides on a variety of products. Users pre-select the products and documents relevant to their network. Data feeds this new electronic delivery system 24 hours a day from a variety of global systems within 3Com, ensuring immediate access to the most current information.

The software application learns and tracks the customer's channel browsing habits and automatically downloads relevant Web pages to the customer's PC, prior to the customer needing to browse them. These pages are stored locally so that they can be browsed much faster. This also allows access to the information even when the customer is not connected to the Web.

3Com Subscription Web Service is available worldwide to service-contracted customers at no charge.

3Com Case Tracker Web Service

3Com also announced today the 3Com Case Tracker Web Service, a web tool for customers to monitor their technical support cases online. 3Com Case Tracker Web Service provides customers with the ability to check the progress of open support cases and add notes from their desktop, at anytime of the day. This flexible system provides a choice of viewing options that enable users to review all cases, all open, all closed, and all closed since a certain date.

This tool enhances the quality of 3Com customer service as it enables customers to make inquiries around the clock, and to add additional information immediately when a related event occurs and details are fresh. It also eliminates the need to make repeated follow up phone calls, thereby increasing the efficiency of both customer and 3Com technical support engineers.

Following an extensive trial by a small group of customers, 3Com Care Case Tracker Web Service is now available worldwide to customers with Guardian, Express, and Premier service contracts and for channel partners with Partner Phone Support or Partner Express contracts. For these users the Case Tracker Web Service and Subscription Web Service are linked, enabling them to receive updates on open technical support cases as they occur.

"These two Web-based services allow 3Com to provide service and support to our customers in a more proactive manner," commented Chu Chang, vice president and general manger of 3Com Enterprise Customer Service division. "These products add to our breadth of customer support offerings, reiterating 3Com's commitment to providing quality, innovative products and services."

Screen shots of 3Com Subscription and Case Tracker Web Services are available upon request.

About 3Com

3Com Corporation enables individuals and organizations worldwide to communicate and share information and resources at anytime from anywhere. As one of the world's preeminent suppliers of data, voice and video communications technology, 3Com has delivered networking solutions to more than 100 million customers worldwide. The company provides large enterprise, small and medium enterprise, carriers and network service providers, and consumers with comprehensive, innovative information access products and system solutions for building intelligent, reliable and high performance local and wide area networks. For further information visit 3Com's World Wide Web site at http://www.3Com.com or the press site at http//www.3Com.com/pressbox.

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Note to Editors:

3Com is a registered trademark, and Express, and Guardian are service marks of 3Com Corporation.

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