3Com Targets Rapidly Growing Small-to-Medium Enterprise Market With New Affordable Line of Networking Systems.SANTA CLARA Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 5, 1998-- Taps Huge Market with Industry's Broadest Choice of Easy-to-Use Ethernet Solutions for Price-Sensitive Users; Unmanaged Hubs A network hub that does not support management queries or commands. Typically an Ethernet hub, it serves as a central connecting point only. Contrast with managed hub. to Layer 3 Gigabit Switches Complementing its position as a leader in sophisticated, large enterprise networking The networking infrastructure in a large enterprise with multiple computer systems and networks of different types is extraordinarily complex. Due to the myriad of interfaces that are required, much of what goes on has little to do with the real data processing of the payroll and orders. systems and building on its market share leading solutions for small-to-medium enterprise (SME (1) (Small and Medium-sized Enterprise) See SMB. (2) (Subject Matter Expert) An individual who is well-versed in the policies and procedures of a particular department or division. ) networks, 3Com Corporation (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :COMS COMS 3Com Corporation (stock symbol) COMS Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist COMS Continuous Opacity Monitoring Systems COMS City of Manchester Stadium (UK) ) announced a new family of SuperStack(r) II products -- plus enhancements to its current lines -- aimed at the fast-growing $10 billion SME networking market. With this new line of price/performance leading systems supported by powerful worldwide distribution channels that have made it the overall market share leader in Ethernet systems, 3Com is aggressively targeting the growing market of price-sensitive customers who demand low-cost, easy-to-implement, high quality networking solutions. This expanding class of buyers includes companies with 25 to 500 computer users who are rapidly adopting networks to share information, tap business through the Internet and deploy new productivity enhancing multimedia and real-time voice/video business applications. Included in today's announcement is the entirely new SuperStack II Baseline family of switches and hubs offering affordable, plug-and-play solutions for price-sensitive, entry-level users who do not require the management capabilities available in higher-end 3Com(r) systems for larger enterprises. The new product family breaks price barriers with new industry-leading price points up to 20% below competing solution including 10/100 switching for as low as $99 US list per user. The SuperStack II Baseline solutions can be networked with more powerful, feature rich 3Com SuperStack II and Core Builder(TM) systems, geared toward larger business enterprises. Also announced are SuperStack II Layer 3 10/100 and 1000 Mbps switches, sporting more sophisticated "Layer 3" functionality for power users. These products offer industry-leading price performance with full wire-speed Gigabit Ethernet An Ethernet standard that transmits at 1 Gbps. Used mostly to connect high-end workstations and servers as well as for network backbones, Gigabit Ethernet transmits full duplex from point to point using switches and half duplex in a shared environment (CSMA/CD) using a hub. for $1,875 US list price per port. "We continue to lead the industry in bringing the latest technologies to cost-conscious users at prices they can afford," said Edgar Masri, senior vice president of 3Com's Small to Medium Enterprise Business Unit. "Our new stackable Layer 3 switches provide smaller organizations with an affordably priced, right-sized core networking and power-user solution that works with our market-leading SuperStack II workgroup switches A network switch designed for LAN traffic within an enterprise. Contrast with carrier-class switch. . Our new SuperStack II Baseline family allows entry-level users to purchase simpler, yet reliable systems that get them instantly connected." Simplicity and Affordability of New SuperStack II Baseline Family 3Com is extending the reach of its market share leading networking solutions to wider markets with the new low-cost, entry-level, unmanaged, unstackable SuperStack II Baseline family of hubs and switches. Now users can purchase fast-fix, reliable, basic connectivity solutions from a top-tier networking vendor, without compromising quality. US list prices start from just $17 US list price per port for Ethernet hubs A device that all lines on an Ethernet segment are plugged into. 10Base-T and 100Base-T Ethernets are star networks and require a hub for operation. The earlier 10Base5 and 10Base2 Ethernets are bus networks, but are often wired into a star configuration using a central hub for improved and $58 US list price per port for 10/100 autosensing hubs. 3Com's SuperStack II Baseline family of hubs and switches also offers the reassurance of a Lifetime Limited Warranty Limited warranty A warranty with certain conditions and limitations on the parts covered, type of damage covered, and/or time period for which the agreement is good. . SuperStack II Switches deliver "Best in Class" performance and scalability 3Com's existing SuperStack II system continues to meet the needs of mainstream networks, where performance, flexibility and control are key requirements. These fully managed, 10/100/1000 Mbps stackable solutions deliver transparent migration to higher-speed technologies as part of a strategic purchase program to build networks that meet both current and future requirements. In a recent competitive test of Layer 2 switches in real world configurations, 3Com's SuperStack II switching solutions were certified "UP TO SPEC" by The Tolly Group. The "UP TO SPEC" certification assures end-users that equipment performs in accordance with vendor specifications and serves as a valuable resource for end-user product selection. 3Com's SuperStack II switches were compared with the Cisco Catalyst 2916M XL and 1900 and the Bay Networks BayStack 350T-HD and 303 solutions. "In all test scenarios A set of test cases that ensure that the business process flows are tested from end to end. They may be independent tests or a series of tests that follow each other, each dependent on the output of the previous one. The terms "test scenario" and "test case" are often used synonymously. the SuperStack II Switch 3300 and 1100 out-performed the Bay and Cisco products and delivered 100% of the offered traffic." The Tolly Group 1998(1) Layer 3 Switching Acceptance Grows Layer 3 switching functionality in the products announced today provides an affordable way to control the unpredictable traffic in today's small and medium enterprise networks. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Infonetics Research Inc.'s recent study of U.S. medium-sized businesses, 52% of switch-buyers consider Layer 3 switching important. "Companies of all sizes are implementing Layer 3 switching," said Michael Howard
The new Layer 3 SuperStack II Switch 3800 provides wire-speed IP routing at up to 5 million packets per second below $400 US list price per port. In addition, the previously announced SuperStack II Switch 9000 (featuring eight 1000Base-SX ports, wire-speed IP routing at up to 11.9 million packets per second) is now shipping with Layer 3 functionality. Both switches support industry standard IEEE 802.1Q IEEE 802.1Q (also known as VLAN Tagging) was a project in the IEEE 802 standards process to develop a mechanism to allow multiple bridged networks to transparently share the same physical network link without leakage of information between networks (i.e. trunking). IEEE 802. and protocol-based VLANs, with hardware-embedded Class of Service (IEEE 802.1p IEEE 802.1p is a standard that provides traffic class expediting and dynamic multicast filtering. Essentially, it provides a mechanism for implementing Quality of Service (QoS) at the MAC (Media Access Control) level. ) to help users migrating towards multimedia-based, converged networks The integration of the telephone system with IP-based data networks. See softswitch. (networking) converged network - A single network that can carry voice, video and data. carrying voice, video and data traffic over IP. The new stackable Layer 3 solutions complement existing 3Com multi-protocol, multi-technology chassis switches designed for the core of larger networks: the CoreBuilder 3500 Layer 3 high-function switch and the CoreBuilder 9000 chassis systems for Layer 3, ATM and Gigabit Ethernet high-capacity network cores. Pricing and Availability SuperStack II Switch 3800: 24 x 10/100 autosensing ports with one Gigabit Ethernet port (enabled through 1000BASE-SX or LX Gigabit Interface Connector) is priced at US list $399 per port or US list $9,975/system. Planned for shipment May 1998. SuperStack II Switch 9000 is priced at US list $1875 per port or US list $14,995/system. Customers with existing SuperStack II Switch 9000 Layer 2 switches may upgrade to Layer 3 switches via a hardware exchange at no charge under the terms of 3Com's Technology Migration Program. L3 software. Planned for shipment May 1998. SuperStack II Baseline Hubs: 12 port unmanaged Ethernet hubs for US list $22 per port or US List $265 per unit.24 port model for US list $17 per port or US List $415 per unit. Now shipping. SuperStack II Baseline Dual Speed Hubs: 12 port unmanaged 10/100 autosensing ports for US list $75 per port or US List $895 per unit. 24 port model for US list $58 per port or US List $1,395 per unit. Now shipping SuperStack II Baseline Switch: 12 x 10 Mbps plus 2 x 10/100 ports for US list $64 per port or US List $895 per unit. Now shipping. SuperStack II Baseline 10/100 Switch: 12 x 10/100 autosensing ports for US list $133 per port or US List $1,595 per unit, 24 x 10/100 autosensing ports for $99 US per port or US List $2,375 per unit. Planned for shipment May 1998. 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 pre·em·i·nent or pre-em·i·nent adj. Superior to or notable above all others; outstanding. See Synonyms at dominant, noted. [Middle English, from Latin prae suppliers of data, voice and video communications technology Noun 1. communications technology - the activity of designing and constructing and maintaining communication systems engineering, technology - the practical application of science to commerce or industry , 3Com has delivered networking solutions to more than 100 million customers worldwide. The company provides large enterprises, small and medium enterprises, network service providers and carriers, 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. -0- 3Com and SuperStack are registered trademarks and CoreBuilder is a trademark of 3Com Corporation. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. (1)Independently verified by The Tolly Group, 1998 available at: http://www.tolly.com/online_1/testresults/documents/qdoc.cfm?Doc=219 CONTACT: 3Com Public Relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most Julia Kisch +44 (0) 1442 438273 julia_kisch@3mail.3com.com |
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