Alcatel Brings Silicon Valley Wide Area Networking Curriculum to Life.

ASHBURN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3, 1997--

University of California students explore Frame Relay and

ATM technologies in first-of-its-kind Internetwork Lab with

Alcatel networking equipment

Students at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) Extension will benefit from hands-on experience with today's leading edge technology in one of the country's first-of-its-kind laboratories, thanks to Alcatel Data Networks.

Alcatel Data Networks is sponsoring the University's Internetwork Laboratory which will play an integral role in the education of 5,200 students enrolled annually at the UCSC Extension Network Management and Network Engineering Certificate Program. Prior to the creation of this Lab, the program's courses were exclusively lecture-based.

Students of the UCSC Program are highly-educated Silicon Valley area professionals. Over 70% already have obtained Bachelor's degrees, 40% hold Master's degrees, and another 10% have achieved Ph.D's. These students are seeking instruction on state-of-the-art technology to enhance their ability to apply what they learn to improve the networking infrastructures at their places of employment now and in the future. The students will achieve this actively by exploring the unique capabilities of one of the industry's leading networking switches, the Alcatel 1100 HSS Multiservice Switch(R).

The addition of the Alcatel 1100 HSS to the Internetwork Lab will also enable new course offerings. Students will conduct protocol development and analysis as well as performance analysis using the Alcatel 1100 HSS in new courses such as Internet Infrastructure and Access Technologies, WAN Protocols and Architectures, Frame Relay Design and Implementation, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Switch Fabric, ATM Internetworking, and TCP/IP Internetworking.

Additionally, UCSC students working towards a Master's in Network Engineering degree, offered in conjunction with the Extension program, will also benefit from this lab.

"We are very excited that Alcatel Data Networks is our partner in creating this first-of-its-kind Internetwork Laboratory, an essential component of our Wide Area Networking curriculum," said Kenneth Madison, director of hardware and systems engineering for the UCSC Extension. "The Alcatel 1100 HSS, the cornerstone of the lab, satisfies our students' thirst for first-hand experience on a state-of-the-art, multiservice platform. The Alcatel 1100 HSS gives us the flexibility to offer concentrated experience with Frame Relay initially and add ATM in the near future."

"The UCSC Extension's networking technology program is unmatched in the country," said Jean-Luc Abaziou, president and chief operating officer of Alcatel Data Networks. "Alcatel Data Networks' sponsorship will enhance the practical experience of thousands of students each year with advanced technologies such as Frame Relay. With the Alcatel 1100 HSS, the next generation of networking engineers will have a first-rate foundation in multiservice networking, which is important for the future of the entire industry."

The Alcatel 1100 HSS Multiservice Network Switch provides both native ATM and Frame Relay switching. It is the only switch of its kind being delivered today that has independent Frame Relay and ATM switching, with interworking between the two, offering unparalleled broadband networking options. The multiservice switch supports high-bandwidth backbone applications, such as LAN interconnection, circuit emulation, voice, and video. RateMaster(R), a patented, proactive traffic control system, provides maximum trunk utilization and optimized network performance.

Alcatel Data Networks is a leading provider of data communications solutions for public and private networks throughout the world. The company, which is headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia, has built more than 400 major data networks worldwide, including 65 national carrier networks. Alcatel Data Networks is a joint venture company of Alcatel Alsthom, one of the world's largest manufacturers of communications equipment, and Sprint, the first all-digital network operator and provider of one of the world's largest Frame Relay network services. Alcatel Alsthom (ALA) and Sprint (FON) are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Company news and product information are available at Alcatel Data Networks' World Wide Web site: http://www.adn.alcatel.com . -0-

Note to Editors: 1100 HSS and Ratemaster are registered trademarks of Alcatel Data Networks.

CONTACT: Alcatel Data Networks

Kristin Duskin-Gadd, 703/724-2824

[e-mail]