Alteon Networks and Network Appliance Demonstrate Gigabit Ethernet Connectivity at NetWorld + InterOp Atlanta; Companies Combine to Port Gigabit Ethernet Network Interface Card and Device Driver to High-Speed Data Access Server.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 13, 1996--Alteon Networks, a pioneer in the ultra high-speed networking market, and Network Appliance, a leading supplier of data access servers, will conduct the industry's first public Gigabit Ethernet technology demonstration at the Networld + Interop conference in Atlanta September 18 - 20.

The demonstration will feature high-speed data transfer between a NetApp F540 filer equipped with an Alteon PCI-bus Gigabit Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC) and device driver, and client workstations. The demonstration will take place in Alteon Networks' Booth No. 7475 at Networld + InterOp.

Gigabit Ethernet is a 1,000Mbps Ethernet networking technology designed for network backbone, server network and server connectivity applications. Unlike other very high-speed networking technologies, such as ATM, which require significant investment in equipment and learning a new technology, Gigabit Ethernet provides a smooth and cost-effective migration path for today's Ethernet networks.

"High-speed server connectivity is one of the first major market opportunities for Gigabit Ethernet," said Mark Bryers, Vice President of Engineering and co-founder of Alteon Networks. "Many data intensive network applications already have multiple Fast Ethernet connections to the network server.

"By moving to Gigabit Ethernet, those organizations will enjoy better performance and simplified server and network management. Plus, the move is not disruptive. Gigabit Ethernet is compatible with existing Ethernet equipment, and cost-effective when compared with multiple Fast Ethernet connections. We are very pleased to be working with a leading server supplier such as Network Appliance for this demonstration."

Alteon Networks is a start-up company focused solely on the Gigabit Ethernet market. The company is currently developing a full range of Gigabit Ethernet products, including Fast Ethernet/Gigabit Ethernet switches, network interface cards, as well as device drivers.

The Alteon PCI-bus NIC is based on breakthrough ASIC technology optimized for Gigabit networks. By handling a number of performance-critical tasks with on-board hardware, the NIC is able to offer outstanding throughput, while off-loading the host processor from the interrupt-intensive nature of Gigabit networking.

The NIC also has Adaptive DMA which enables the board to analyze the memory interface of the system it is working in, and modify its data transfer technique to maximize throughput. By minimizing I/O interrupts, the Alteon board is able to far exceed the I/O throughput constraints of traditional Ethernet and Fast Ethernet hardware and device drivers.

"Gigabit Ethernet will be an important capability for Network Appliance's filer customers in 1997," said James Lau, Chief Technology Officer at Network Appliance. "By working with an innovator, such as Alteon Networks, NetApp is getting an early start in supporting Gigabit Ethernet for production environments.

"We have already ported Alteon's device driver to the NetApp F540 filer and we have reached very high performance levels. This demonstration further validates Gigabit Ethernet's ability to provide significant value for network file server customers."

About Alteon Networks

Alteon Networks is a start-up company focused exclusively on providing industry-leading products and end-to-end performance in the rapidly growing Gigabit Ethernet market. The Alteon design team has gained significant high-speed network design experience through the networking pioneer Ultra Network Technologies.

The company has secured venture capital funding from Matrix Partners and Sutter Hill Ventures, and is working to develop key strategic alliances with leading enterprise networking and system suppliers. Alteon is privately held. More information is available on the Internet at www.alteon.com.

About Network Appliance

Network Appliance, Inc. develops and markets multiprotocol filers that deliver shared file service for UNIX, Windows and the World Wide Web. These devices deliver fast, simple, reliable and cost-effective file service for data-intensive network environments. The company pioneered the concept of the "network appliance," an extension of the industry trend toward dedicated, specialized products that perform a single function.

Network Appliance data access servers are based on the company's innovative data access software known as Data ONTAP and standards-compliant hardware. Products are available through the company's direct sales force and resellers worldwide. More information is available on the Internet at http://www.netapp.com. -0-

Note to Editors: WAFL and NetApp are trademarks of Network Appliance. All other products and service are acknowledged to their owners.

Alteon Network and Adaptive DMA are trademarks of Alteon Networks, Inc. All other trademarks are acknowledged to their owners.

CONTACT: Alteon Networks

Steven Strom, 408/574-5506

[e-mail]

or

Network Appliance

Stan DeVaughn, 415/428-5203

[e-mail]

or

Dave & Bairey Communications

Peter Dave, 415/882-9905

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