Ariel Unveils Easy-To-Use V.90 Multi-Port Remote Access Solution for Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server and Windows NT Server.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 21, 1998--

PCI Card Provides Four to Eight Ports of 56-kbps Remote Access

for Small and Medium Offices

Ariel Corp. (Nasdaq:ADSP) announces the RSA400, an easy-to-install, cost-effective, single-slot, PCI-based remote access solution for small and medium offices.

The RSA400 makes it easy for small and medium businesses to add Internet access, remote access, online services access, and shared fax services to their networks. The RSA400 runs under Microsoft (Nasdaq:MSFT) BackOffice Small Business Server and Windows NT Server, giving PC OEMs and "white box" manufactures an out-of-the-box solution for adding up to eight ports of V.90-compatible 56-kbps dial-in and dial-out access to PC servers.

"Our entry into the SOMO (Small Office Medium Office) market represents a continuation of our strategy to establish ourselves as the leading supplier of server-based, open systems remote access products," said Ariel RSA400 Product Manager Don Rodriguez. "We're still the only vendor shipping high-density central-site V.90 modem pools for open systems platforms, and now we're applying our expertise to lower density analog 56K products. This addition to our server-based RAS portfolio gives PC OEMs and white box manufacturers the turnkey RAS technology needed to quickly service the fast-growing SOMO market."

"Small to medium size organizations need affordable and reliable communications solutions just as much as larger organizations do -- maybe more so," said Kevin Kean, group product manager for Windows NT Server Communications at Microsoft Corp. "Windows NT Server is designed to meet these needs for remote users, remote offices, and other networking solutions in the most open, easy-to-use way. We're pleased that Ariel has chosen to take advantage of these capabilities in its new RSA400 system."

The RSA400 is a Plug-and-Play, multi-function modem pool that gives PCs running Microsoft's Small Business Server or Windows NT Server the physical connections needed for V.90-compatible 56K remote dial-in, local area network (LAN) dial-out, internet access, and facsimile. Available with either four or eight V.90-compatible 56K ports, the RSA400 is also scaleable, enabling office managers to accommodate increased remote access demand by installing additional RSA400 cards.

The RSA400 supports FAX and modem sharing, giving multiple users transparent access to both inbound and outbound FAX and data communications. The RSA400 also supports multi-link channel aggregation, which enables multiple 56K channels to be combined to form a single high-speed channel. For example, combining eight RSA400 channels enables clients to access the Internet at speeds of up to 448 kbps.

The RSA400 is the easiest PC-based multi-port remote access solution to install, integrate and administer. To install the RSA400, simply plug it into an available PCI slot and connect it to ordinary telephone lines.

The Windows Wizard software installation process is just as easy, automatically detecting and configuring the board. Simply select the modem type and assign it to available COM ports within the Windows NT control panel.

All told, an office manager familiar with printer or modem card installation can install and configure the RSA400 in less than 10 minutes. And once installed, standard Small Business Server and Windows NT facilities make it easy to administer the RSA400, either locally via the LAN, or remotely via a modem.

The RSA400 leverages the Routing and Remote Access Services (RAS) that are built into Small Business Server and Windows NT Server 4.0. Among these services are multi-protocol routing, domains, directories, and multilink PPP channel aggregation. To maximize security, the RSA400 also leverages built-in Windows authentication and security features such as PAP/CHAP and Callback, as well as popular third party authentication systems such as SecureID.

The RSA400 comes with drivers that enables it to run "out of the box" under Small Business Server and Windows NT Server 4.0. Also available is a Driver Development Kit (DDK) that makes it easy for OEMs to install the RSA400 under other operating systems such as Unix.

Manufacturer's suggested retail pricing starts at $1195 for the four-port RSA400, and $1995 for the eight-port version. The product is available immediately to OEM customers.

More on Ariel

Ariel Corp. (Nasdaq:ADSP) offers the most cost effective and highest density remote access data solutions for open systems platforms. Ariel's Open RAS products are used in medium and large enterprises, ISPs, and small/medium offices to support telecommuting and provide remote access to the Internet, corporate Intranets and Extranets, online services, and unified messaging.

Ariel's central-site modem pools are also used in transaction processing equipment to provide remote database access for applications such as credit card verification and forms retrieval.

Ariel's high-density modem pools are available in ISA Bus, PCI Bus, and Compact PCI (cPCI) form factors, support up to 60 ports of 56K, V.34, and ISDN remote access, and connect to T1, E1, ISDN, and POTS lines.

Ariel is the only company currently shipping high-density V.90-compatible 56K central-site modem cards for open systems PC and Unix platforms. The company's Open RAS products are used by leading RAS OEMs, system integrators, ISPs, transaction processing equipment suppliers, and end users worldwide, including Cabletron, Compaq, RAScom, Attachmate, TNS, and Barnes and Noble.

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