Asante Enables Web Development Via Virtual Network With Macs, PCs and Linux; Vialogix and Ron Chapple Studios Share Network Between North Carolina and Hawaii.

Business/Technology Editors

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 22, 2000

Asante Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASNT.OB) announced that it has helped Vialogix, a web development company, build a shared network with Ron Chapple Studios --a photography studio. The two companies share a network that connects offices in North Carolina and Hawaii. Large, high-resolution photographs are sent across the country and the Pacific Ocean, creating a virtual office that spans over 5,000 miles.

Moving From Darkroom to Digital

The common bond between companies is Ron Chapple. Chapple owns and operates Ron Chapple Studios and he's also a co-founder of Vialogix. Ron's partner in Vialogix is Rob Norris, a self-made technical guru whom Chapple once hired to "take him from darkroom to digital." Those are the words of Norris who claims to have constructed a network that allows him and his partner to live in the virtual office.

"In 1992, Ron had a small building with maybe three or four Macintoshes," said Norris. "But with the PhotoShop files we were managing, we discovered right away that we needed the kind of bandwidth that our LocalTalk connections couldn't support."

Norris said they began installing an Ethernet network to operate on a bigger backbone, one that would provide 10BaseT throughput. What happened next? "The company grew. Our file sizes grew. Our employee base grew. The number of machines we had grew. We had to go to Fast Ethernet 100BaseT." According to Norris, the company did some major upgrading during that time frame. They installed their own servers along with the Asante switches they needed to share very large graphics files.

Soon after, Chapple decided to relocate to Maui. The next challenge for Vialogix was to set up a network that would connect their offices across several time zones and allow their work to continue "as usual."

Moving Many Megs

To serve the needs of Ron Chapple Studios, they built a customized online database of high-resolution photographs. "Those can be huge files," said Norris. "We've installed Asante IntraSwitch 100BaseT Fast Ethernet equipment on both sides of the Pacific and our bandwidth capabilities have been amazing. On average, we move from 200 to 500 megs an hour just using the Internet cloud between Charlotte and Maui."

Going Into Gigabit Territory With Asante

From the very beginning, the companies have depended solely on Asante for their hubs and switches. "We've been believers since the first little hub we installed," said Norris. "We have never had a problem with an Asante switch. Their technology scales to meet our needs as we grow and we've always had good technical support. We simply trust them."

Today there are over 60 PCs, Macs, and Linux machines running on the Vialogix network. Leased T1 lines deliver high throughput capabilities into their offices in both Charlotte and Maui. In addition to running five Fast Ethernet switches, Vialogix has also begun testing a FriendlyNET FS7108 Switch, one of Asante's newest Gigabit Ethernet switches that features a Gigabit uplink.

About Asante

Asante Technologies is the leading provider of network solutions for small offices/home offices, education (K-12 and higher education) and enterprises. The Company's FriendlyNET products simplify networking and provide Internet access for mobile and office professionals. The Company's Advanced Systems products support multi-service applications for large enterprises. For additional information, visit www.asante.com or call 800/662-9686 for FriendlyNET products or 800/303-9121 for Advanced Systems products.

Asante, IntraSwitch, and FriendlyNET are trademarks of Asante Technologies. All other brand names and products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.