3Com Targets 10/100 Mbps Ethernet Switching Market With New Products, Aggressive Pricing and Warranty Programs.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 1998--

Cost-Effective, High-Performance Local Area Networking Solutions

for Large and Medium Sized Enterprises

Following its January introduction of the industry's broadest line of advanced Ethernet, Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet LAN switches supported by a high-performance stackable architecture, 3Com Corporation (Nasdaq:COMS) today announced a powerful new 10/100 megabit per second (Mbps) stackable switch, innovative high-speed modules, an extended lifetime limited warranty for stackable switches and an aggressive price reduction to its powerful Fast Ethernet stackable switch. These new developments to 3Com's Ethernet/Fast Ethernet/Gigabit Ethernet SuperStack II system give customers more flexibility in designing performance migration into their networks to clear network congestion and deploy new voice/video/data applications. The new +5 Lifetime Limited Warranty will also significantly lower the overall cost-of-ownership of users' network infrastructure.

Responding to users' need for scalable, reliable and affordable Ethernet-based solutions, 3Com today further enhanced its SuperStack II family of switches with:

-- a list price reduction on its SuperStack II Switch 3300 24-port product from $168 to $144 per port -- providing advanced, high performance, stackable capabilities for smooth transition from Ethernet to Gigabit Ethernet networks at the lowest price offered in the industry. Pricing and availability: The switch is currently shipping, has a US list price of $3,595 and includes 24 10/100 Mbps ports and a high-speed matrix port.

-- the new 12-port 10/100 Mbps SuperStack II Switch 3300 -- providing stackable high speed, switched Fast Ethernet connectivity between workgroups and server farms at the industry's lowest price for a 12 port unit.

The new 12-port SuperStack II Switch 3300 supports smooth migration from Ethernet to Fast Ethernet via 10/100 Mbps auto-sensing per port and to higher performance via an optional Gigabit Ethernet module. With its advanced design and functionality, the switch delivers optimum performance with zero packet loss for today's demanding network applications environments. Pricing & Availability: The switch is now available, has a US list price of $2,395 and includes 12 10/100 Mbps ports and a high-speed matrix port.

-- the SuperStack II Switch Matrix Module -- allowing the SuperStack II Switch 1100 and Switch 3300 to be stacked up to four units high to support more than 100 ports. The module has four 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) capacity connections to interconnect each of the four switches so they act as a single high-speed system. This greatly improves performance and simplifies configuration and management. Pricing & Availability: The module is currently shipping and has a US list price of $995.

-- Switch 100BASEFX Dual Modules -- Further enhancing the SuperStack II Switch 1100 and 3300, this two-port module offers two switched Fiber Fast Ethernet connections capable of delivering distances of up to 2 km using standards-compliant technology, including full duplex operation and flow control. By configuring the two fiber ports as a resilient backbone connection, network uptime can be maximized, assuring customers of continuous operation should one connection fail. Pricing & Availability: The module is now shipping and has a US list price of $995.

Additionally, 3Com is offering:

-- a new +5 Lifetime Limited Warranty with Advanced Replacement for its SuperStack II 1100 and 3300 switches, which guarantees that if a switch should fail during the first five years after purchase, 3Com will dispatch a replacement unit, before the faulty unit is returned to 3Com for repair. This easy procedure minimizes downtime and ensures continued network operation. After five years, 3Com's standard Lifetime Limited Warranty applies, covering all major components (except PSU and fan) for the rest of the switch's lifetime.

"3Com is enabling its customers to flexibly improve and future-proof their networks and is giving them the peace of mind that their LAN equipment has the highest quality, backed by an unprecedented, long-term warranty," said Edgar Masri, 3Com vice president. "These new enhancements further bolster 3Com as the leading provider of comprehensive, reliable and affordable Ethernet-based solutions."

Third Party Attests to SuperStack II Product Quality and Lifetime Warranty

According to an Infonetics Research study, User Plans for High Performance LANs 1998, reliability was the second most important backbone switch feature with 77 percent of respondents demanding this feature, while 55 percent of respondents considered reliability a key feature in their workgroup switches.

QualMark Corporation, a leading independent provider of accelerated life-testing services and equipment -- primarily for electronics manufacturers -- tested and certified 3Com's dedication in pursuing the highest levels of design and manufacturing quality in its products.

"We are impressed with 3Com's commitment to subjecting the products they manufacture to extraordinarily stringent tests as required for QHT certification," said Preston Wilson, president and CEO of QualMark Corporation. "This commitment to product quality excellence by 3Com is further demonstrated by its decision to extend the warranty on the Switch II 1100 and Switch 3300 products."

The QHT (or Quality Highly Accelerated Life Testing) program was developed by QualMark as part of a strategic alliance with TUV Product Service. It provides manufacturers with a highly visible indication of product quality and durability to assure consumers that their purchases meet state-of-the-art product durability standards.

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 enterprises, small and medium enterprises, carriers and network service providers, and consumers 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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3Com and SuperStack are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

CONTACT: 3Com Public Relations The Weber Group

Julia Kisch Rebecca Behenna

+ 44 1 44 2 43 82 73 617-520-7057

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