3Com and IBM Extend Alliance to Include New Switching Modules for IBM 8260 and 3Com ONcore Systems; To Offer Businesses Leading-Edge, High Function Switching Networks.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. and RESEARCH TRIANGLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- July 29, 1996--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) ) and IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) today announced that they have expanded their existing joint development and distribution agreement, enabling IBM to add the full suite of 3Com's ONcore High Function Switching modules to the IBM 8260 Intelligent Switching Hub A device that acts as a central switch or PBX, connecting one line to another. In a local area network (LAN), a switching hub gives any two stations on the network the full bandwidth of the line. . These enhancements specifically address the needs of large enterprises who are migrating their mission critical corporate "backbone" networks from conventional local area network (LAN (Local Area Network) A communications network that serves users within a confined geographical area. The "clients" are the user's workstations typically running Windows, although Mac and Linux clients are also used. ) technology to state-of-the-art packet switching and ATM. This meets critical user needs to increase their headquarters' backbone network performance to handle demanding new applications such as video, multi-media, database, and intranet and Internet connection. 3Com and IBM have jointly developed the 8260 and ONcore system features for both companies' widely installed and fast-growing customer bases. According to the expanded agreement, IBM will now be able to provide its customers with the new suite of 3Com High Function Switching modules that are fully integrated with the IBM 8260 system, delivering high performance Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) Often pronounced "fiddy," it was a LAN and MAN access method that had its heyday in the mid-1990s. FDDI was an ANSI standard token passing network that transmitted 100 Mbps over optical fiber up to 10 kilometers. switching capability. High Function Switching is an innovation providing the industry's highest degree of network control, fault tolerance, and migration required in the central core of business-critical networks. "3Com and IBM have strengthened their alliance to give ONcore system and 8260 customers access to the most advanced performance-enhancing technologies needed for their mission-critical, core networking environments," said Ron Sege, vice president and general manager for 3Com's Integrated Systems Division. "3Com is committed to providing ONcore system and 8260 users with reliable and innovative networking solutions to their business problems. We are pleased with the growth of our business with IBM." "We are committed to continuing our partnership with 3Com, which provides both of us with advanced integrated LAN solutions for enterprise backbone networks," said Lutz Hahne, general manager, IBM Networking Hardware Division. "Together we are demonstrating leadership in meeting the needs of large data centers to smoothly migrate from today's shared media LANs to tomorrow's high performance networks." The ONcore system and 8260 architecture supports a broad range of shared and switched LAN technologies, including Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Token Ring, FDDI and ATM for migration from shared-media to packet-switched LANs to ATM cell-based networks. The relationship spans a broad range of technologies. Recently, the two companies, along with Bay Networks, also joined together to form the Network Interoperability Alliance (NIA NIA National Institute on Aging (NIH) NIA National Indoor Arena (UK) NIA National Intelligence Agency (South Africa and Thailand) NIA National Institute of Accountants ), dedicated to helping customers simplify, standardize and enhance the design and deployment of local area networks through open, common product interoperability specifications and conformance testing. IBM intends to begin shipments of the full suite of 8260 LAN switching modules in the fourth quarter of this year. 3Com Corporation has helped more than 32 million people gain access to critical information through high speed networks. Designed to serve large enterprises, small offices and homes, 3Com products provide a scalable architecture to meet the immediate and long term connectivity needs of today's user. With research and development on three continents, 3Com is one of the data networking industry's largest and fastest growing companies. The company's innovative marketing, sales and support simplify communication, optimize network reliability and protect customer investments. For further information, visit 3Com's World Wide Web site at http://www.3Com.com. For further information about IBM, its products and services, contact the company at www.ibm.com, www.raleigh.ibm.com or call 800/IBM-3333. IBM's Networking Hardware Division (NHD NHD National History Day NHD National Hydrography Dataset NHD Natural Heritage Division NHD Non-Homogeneity Detector NHD National Heritage Database NHD Netscape Hypertext Document ) develops and manufactures world-class networking technologies and products, providing leading-edge computing infrastructures for networked computing, the Internet and intranets. In addition NHD also provides global, end-to-end solutions for ATM, Token Ring, Ethernet, TCP/IP TCP/IP in full Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol Standard Internet communications protocols that allow digital computers to communicate over long distances. , and SNA (Systems Network Architecture) IBM's mainframe network standards introduced in 1974. Originally a centralized architecture with a host computer controlling many terminals, enhancements, such as APPN and APPC (LU 6. networks. Key products include the 8285 Nways Workgroup Switch for cost-effective ATM to the desktop; the 8260 Nways Hub for building ATM, Ethernet, Token Ring, and FDDI mixed LANs; the 2220 Nways Switch series for inexpensively connecting branch office into central networks. Headquartered in Research Triangle Park Research Triangle Park, research, business, medical, and educational complex situated in central North Carolina. It has an area of 6,900 acres (2,795 hectares) and is 8 × 2 mi (13 × 3 km) in size. Named for the triangle formed by Duke Univ. , N.C., NHD also provides consultation, education, service, and support worldwide to help customer achieve their business objectives. -0- Note to Editors: 3Com and ONcore are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders. CONTACT: 3Com Corp. Maureen Liberty, 508/490-5859 Maureen_Liberty@3Com.com Shirley Stacy, 408/764-6301 (Investors) Shirley_Stacy@3Com.com or IBM 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 Tom Belz, 919/254-1128 or Coltrin & Associates Todd Irwin, 212/221-1616 |
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