3Com and RedBack Networks Form Alliance to Focus On Deployment of ADSL.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 9, 1998--3Com Corporation (NASDAQ:COMS) and RedBack Networks today announced an alliance to address DSL deployment strategies that focus on DSL solutions from a systems view. DSL is more than just an access technology - a DSL service requires solutions at the customer premises, at the network termination point, at the edge of the core network and all the way through to the service destination or point-of-presence (POP).

To further this objective of deployable DSL systems, 3Com today announced it has signed a worldwide distribution agreement for RedBack Network's Subscriber Management System(tm) (SMS) 1000 concentrator. The SMS 1000 concentrator is a new type of networking device designed to enhance the scalability of DSL networks.

3Com and RedBack have also agreed to work together to tightly integrate the two companies' DSL products by defining a set of features to provide comprehensive, economical, simple and easily deployable end-to-end DSL network solutions.

"Our agreement with RedBack is one of many steps we are taking to ensure the components that service providers deploy function as a high-performance, easy to deploy and manage system," said Laura Howard, vice president, marketing and business development, xDSL group, 3Com Corporation. "RedBack's SMS 1000 concentrator is an exciting product because it is designed to enable all the benefits of ADSL without requiring the customer to invest in costly and time-consuming network infrastructure upgrades. 3Com and RedBack make a strong alliance because the setup of the DSL connection is done in the CPE and the service setup of the DSL connection can be done in the RedBack concentrator. These two critical components can greatly impact the ease-of-scalability and deployment of ADSL."

By adding RedBack's SMS 1000 concentrator to 3Com's end-to-end ADSL product portfolio, 3Com can now offer service providers a total DSL solution that leverages their existing networks and end-user provisioning models. To the service provider, the combination means easier deployment with higher profitability. To the end user, it means high-speed, dedicated DSL access has now moved from promise to reality.

"With DSL, service providers have the potential of extending their access services to thousands of new users, including consumers in the home," said Larry Blair, vice president of marketing at RedBack Networks. "If they are successful at attracting these new subscribers, they then must accommodate much more significant incoming data rates than they've architected their backbone networks to support. The SMS 1000 concentrator offloads backbone routers of the `high-touch' processing functions, to increase the scalability of the existing infrastructure. And its support of RADIUS configuration and management integrates seamlessly with existing service providers' back-office systems."

How the SMS 1000 Concentrator Works

Under normal circumstances in a growing network, each new high-speed connection requires additional configuration of the routers handling incoming traffic. Routers are typically limited to a maximum of 256 logical connections. When higher levels of user traffic require more virtual circuits (VCs), the service provider must add more routers. This "hands-on" setup approach increases the configuration demands, drives the cost of operations up, slows down deployment, and adds to personnel and management issues.

The SMS 1000 concentrator is designed to handle thousands of subscriber connections simultaneously. It automatically assigns DSL connections to IP using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) or Point to Point Protocol (PPP) dynamic IP addressing and dynamic domain name server assignment. This simpler and faster means of deployment is access provisioning, accounting, and managemeovide user authentication, authorization, and ae-user solutions for small and home businesses, Networks, Inc.

Founded in 1996 and headquarted in Sunnyvale, Calif., RedBack Networks develops netwcan visit its World Wide Web site at http://wwwinformation and resources anytime, anywhere. As one of the world's preeminent suppliers of data, voice and video communications technology, 3Com has delivered networking solutions to more than 200 million customers worldwide. The company provides large enterprise, small and medium enterprise, 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.

3Com, OfficeConnect and U.S. Robotics are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation. RedBack and the Subscriber Management System are trademarks of RedBack Networks, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the companies with which they are associated.

CONTACT: 3Com Public Relations 

Karin Bakis, 978/264-1589

[e-mail]

or

RedBack Networks

Larry Blair, 408/548-3500

[e-mail]