Ariel Corp. Taps Mapletree Networks In 1.5 Million-Port, Three-Year Program To Develop Next-Generation High-Density Remote Access Products.

CRANBURY, N.J. and WESTWOOD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 4,

1999--

New Multi-Function Products To Meld Ariel Access Architecture (AAA)

and UniPorte Architecture

Ariel Corp. (Nasdaq:ADSP), a leading supplier of open systems remote access solutions, today announced that it is working with Mapletree Networks, specialists in high-density universal access communications products, to develop its next generation of high-density remote access and Internet telephony products. The companies have reached agreement on a three-year pact that provides Ariel with up to 1.5 million ports.

By leveraging Mapletree's UniPorte Architecture, Ariel expects to more than double the port density of its next-generation V.90 and ISDN remote access cards, while adding new Internet telephony features such as fax and voice over Internet Protocol. Ariel's next-generation remote access products will be based upon the Ariel Access Architecture (AAA), a new approach to multi-function driver development that will enable Ariel's products to take full advantage of UniPorte's multi-function capabilities.

"Mapletree's UniPorte Architecture gives us the functional density and advanced features we will need to move forward with our next generation of high-density remote access and Internet telephony products," said Dennis Schneider, senior vice president of worldwide marketing for Ariel. "By combining the best elements of UniPorte and our own Ariel Access Architecture, we believe that we are well positioned to achieve breakthrough economics in our next generation of remote access voice/data/fax products."

"Universal access is the key to integrating existing applications and services into next-generation networks," said Sean Aruda, vice president of sales and marketing for Mapletree Networks. "Together, the UniPorte and AAA Architectures make it easy to build high-density network access products that provide diverse services and can be readily upgraded to support emerging technologies."

Leveraging patent-pending technology, UniPorte is a software-upgradeable architecture for building high-density, low-cost, low-power, multi-service Internet telephony and network access equipment. The UniPorte architecture, which Mapletree incorporates in its own multi-port OEM modules and board-level access products, makes it easy to combine diverse services like modem, fax, ISDN access, fax-over-IP and voice-over-IP on a single platform.

The key to the UniPorte architecture is its combination of high performance hardware and software. The UniPorte architecture marries Analog Devices' (Nasdaq:ADI) low-power DSP technology with high performance RISC processors and ASICs running sophisticated proprietary Mapletree Networks software. The result is a network access subsystem with the highest port density and functionality in the industry. The ability of any port to handle any type of dial-up service means that convergence-ready products can be deployed today which offer the scalability necessary to meet end-user needs while offering the investment protection that they demand.

The Ariel Access Architecture simplifies the design, integration and upgrade of multi-function PCI and CompactPCI network access cards. Leveraging patent-pending PCI bridge, API, and firmware technology, AAA circumvents traditional PCI mapping restrictions, making it easy for OEMs to write modular host drivers that interact with multiple functions on the same card, whether those functions are implemented on a single multi-mode device, or spread across multiple single-mode devices. AAA drivers are not only easier to write and upgrade, but inherently more reliable than the complex monolithic and multitasking host drivers now written for multi-function cards. Once an AAA driver has been written for a given function, it can be reused without modification on any board providing that same function.

More on Ariel

Ariel Corp. (Nasdaq:ADSP) is a leading provider of high-density, remote-access plug-in cards for applications such as Internet access, corporate Intranet/Extranet access, on-line services, telecommuting, transaction processing and unified messaging. Ariel's remote access products make it easy for OEMs and system integrators targeting ISPs, corporate enterprises and other service providers to add high-density remote access to open systems platforms running a variety of popular operating systems, including Windows NT and Linux.

Ariel's high-density remote-access cards provide V.34, V.90-compatible 56K, and basic rate ISDN remote dial-in, LAN dial-out, and Internet back-haul. Available in ISA, PCI and CompactPCI formats, the cards connect to T1, E1, ISDN and POTS lines. Ariel's remote access products run Windows NT and Linux out of the box. An SDK is available for OEMs who want to use Ariel's remote access products with other operating systems.

For more information on Ariel products, please contact Ariel Corp. at 2540 Route 130, Cranbury, NJ 08512. Phone [phone]. Fax [phone]. Email: [e-mail]. World Wide Web: www.ariel.com.

About Mapletree Networks

Mapletree Networks (http://www.mapletreenetworks.com) designs and manufactures voice, data and fax dial-up access technology for OEMs based on the Mapletree Networks UniPorte Architecture. This award-winning technology allows Mapletree to offer products that process any dial-up call type -- data, voice, ISDN or fax -- on any port. Mapletree's UniPorte Architecture enables universal port densities that are four times what the industry can offer today while consuming less than one half the power per port. Founded in 1997 by former executives of Microcom Inc., Mapletree Networks is headquartered in Westwood, Mass., and has a European office in the UK. For more information about Mapletree Networks contact Mapletree Networks Inc., 30 Perwal Street, Westwood, MA 02094; 781/461-4405.

Ariel and PowerPOP are registered trademarks of Ariel Corp. UniPorte is a trademark of Mapletree Networks.