3Com Unveils New Wireless Switch Products for Large-Scale, Secure Enterprise Wireless Deployments.

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. -- 3Com Provides More Details on Blueprint for Integrating Wired and Wireless Networks; Interoperability Allows Enterprise Customers to Choose Best-of-Breed Wireless Deployments

3Com Corporation (Nasdaq: COMS) today announced product details of its new wireless switch solutions for enterprise customers. As part of 3Com's enterprise wireless "blueprint" and forming a complete enterprise wireless offering, the new 3Com(R) wireless switch solutions include an enterprise-class wireless switch, a large enterprise wireless controller, mobility system software, mobility management software and new managed access points (APs). These products combine together to provide higher levels of wireless security and mobility, simplified and centralized management of complex wireless LAN environments, higher network availability, fast roaming with quality of service (QoS) and class of service (CoS), standards-based deployment flexibility, and "pay as you grow" network scalability.

"Our new 3Com wireless switch products represent compelling new choices in the enterprise wireless market by addressing virtually all the issues that CIOs and IT managers face in planning for wireless and wired integration to support mobile users," said Brent Nixon, director of enterprise wireless product management, 3Com. "We are making it easier for enterprise customers to obtain stronger control of their wireless network and streamline the planning. Our approach to enterprise wireless is unique because we offer a pay-as-you-grow model for wireless deployments, and our wireless switch products will work on any Layer 2 or Layer 3 network to ensure that our wireless products work with other vendors' wired networks. Our enterprise wireless blueprint maps out how we are converging wired, wireless, security and voice."

3Com Wireless Switch Solutions Offer Immense Benefits to Enterprise Customers

As 3Com augments its existing enterprise wireless products with the wireless switch systems for wired/wireless integration, 3Com is meeting growing customer demand for scalable, high-performance, centrally managed wireless systems. 3Com's new system solutions address planning, enterprise integration, management, security, wireless radio frequency (RF) coverage with capacity, mobility and potential future capabilities. This is consistent with 3Com's enterprise blueprint that is organized into three main areas - convergence, compatibility and comprehensiveness of standards-based products and services.

3Com has years of proven expertise providing enterprise wireless products to enterprise customers. For example, 3Com has distinguished itself as among the leaders in wireless security, especially with its implementations of Advanced Encryption Security (AES). Today, the company is offering a new choice to new customers and will help existing 3Com wireless customers integrate the new solutions into their networks over time. The new wireless switch solutions include the following products that provide easier planning and deployment of enterprise-class wireless capabilities, comprehensive network and user management, and impressively controlled security.

--User and mobility-aware wireless LAN switch - 3Com Wireless LAN Switch WX1200

--User and mobility-aware wireless controller that enables any Layer 2 switch to be a wireless switch - 3Com Wireless LAN Controller WX4400

--802.11a and b/g "Fit" managed access points with AES encryption - 3Com Wireless LAN Managed Access Point 2750 (AP2750) (The new access points, called "Fit" access points, are different from the existing access points deployed in today's enterprise because the Fit access points off-load the major processing to the wireless switch for centralized control.)

--Wireless mobility system operating system - Mobility System Software (MSS)

--3Com's Wireless switch management software - 3Com Wireless Switch Manager (3WXM)

The new wireless switch products are well suited for enterprises both with central wireless campuses and managed wireless branch offices, higher education and K-12 schools with increasing capacity requirements, healthcare institutions with increasing capacity requirements and public access environments with both public and private access opportunities. The planning for enterprise wireless is easier with these products because the switch manager software can do customized, pre-deployment site plans based on a floor plan. Then an IT manager can install and manage the wireless switch-based network from a centralized desktop computer. The automated and centralized tools help the IT manager reduce operational costs, such as reducing costly upgrades that were previously done by needing to upgrade each access point one-at-a-time in a distributed environment.

Customers looking to support multiple access points (i.e. dozens of wireless access points), a complex, high security environment and future voice over wireless (VoWLAN) plans will obtain a complete enterprise wireless offering that builds on 3Com's end-to-end networking solutions - spanning across wireless, wired LAN, voice and security. The offering will also enable customers to choose a solution that avoids proprietary lock-in into wired network equipment from other vendors. The 3Com wireless switch products will work with any Layer 2 or Layer 3 wired network, demonstrating 3Com's commitment to making best-of-breed solutions easy to own and maintain. Furthermore, customers of the new 3Com wireless switch solutions will have the ability to reduce ongoing administrative costs of managing a wireless network without compromising product features.

The 3Com wireless switch will work with 3Com's Power over Ethernet products, including the SuperStack(R) 3 Switch 4400PWR, and will complement 3Com's infrastructure products, featuring the enterprise-class Switch 7700, Switch 3870 and XRN(R) technology-enabled products. Like 3Com's XRN products, the wireless switch solutions offer resiliency, redundancy and scalable "pay-as-you-grow" options. 3Com's recent advancements in network management will also contribute to giving enterprise customers more control of their network, bolstered by 3Com's new security products. Also, the wireless switch paves the way for voice capabilities to be supported over wireless LANs. 3Com's expertise in IP telephony with the 3Com VCX(TM) V7000 IP Telephony Solution and 3Com NBX(R) Networked Telephony systems set up strong future phases for delivering on the broad aspects of 3Com's enterprise wireless blueprint for long-term success.

Pricing and Availability

The 3Com Wireless LAN Switch Controller WX4400 is priced at $12,999 (US list). The 3Com Wireless Switch WX1200 is priced at $3,299 (US list). The 3Com Wireless LAN Switch Manager Software is priced at $3,999 (US list). The 3Com Wireless LAN Access Point 2750 is priced at $299 (US list). The new wireless switch products are expected to ship in November.

Additional Information

To download the "Top Ten Reasons to Choose the 3Com Wireless Switch System," please visit the following URL. http://www.3com.com/wireless/top10/

Also, the following link is to the August 16th press release that outlined 3Com's enterprise wireless blueprint and aggressive go-to-market plans. www.3com.com/corpinfo/en_US/pressbox/press_release.jsp?INFO_ID=198281

For more information on the product details, you can download the product data sheets at the following URL. www.3com.com/wireless

About 3Com Corporation

3Com is a leading provider of innovative, practical and high-value voice and data networking products, services and solutions for enterprises of all sizes and public sector organizations. For further information, please visit www.3com.com, or the press site www.3com.com/pressbox.

3Com, NBX, SuperStack, XRN and the 3Com logo are registered trademarks and VCX is a trademark of 3Com Corporation. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective holders.