Ascend Announces Interoperability With Microsoft's NetMeeting 3.

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 1999--

Ascend Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASND), a leader in wide area networking (WAN) and Intelligent Network (IN) solutions for providers and users of the next-generation public network, announced today that Microsoft's (Nasdaq:MSFT) forthcoming Windows(R) NetMeeting(R) 3 conferencing software and Ascend's MultiVoice(TM) for the MAX(TM) and MAX TNT(TM) Voice over IP (VoIP) solution, are interoperable.

Windows NetMeeting is a software application that enables PC-to-public switch telephone network (PSTN) or PSTN-to-PC phone calls over the Internet and other managed Internet protocol (IP) networks. This solution will allow PC users to be notified and answer an incoming voice call while connected to the Internet using a single telephone line.

With Windows NetMeeting and Ascend's VoIP platform, users will be able to place a phone call between a PSTN phone and a desktop PC enabled with Windows NetMeeting. The Ascend VoIP gateway converts the PSTN call at the edge of the IP network to IP packets and routes the call to the Windows NetMeeting user.

Ascend's MultiVoice strategy is a comprehensive architecture for delivering voice and fax over IP, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and Frame Relay. Integral to the solution is "Absolute" Quality of Service (QoS) that allows service providers to deliver voice and fax over a data infrastructure with the same 'toll-quality' that users expect today from the public network. Ascend's VoIP solution includes the industry-leading MAX remote access concentrator, carrier-class MAX TNT WAN access switch, and the MultiVoice Access Manager.

"With the success of Windows NetMeeting, our customers are asking us to provide support for a broad set of IP to PSTN gateways," said Jawad Khaki, general manager of Windows Networking and Embedded Products, Microsoft Corp. "We are excited that by supporting and adhering to industry standards, Microsoft and Ascend have enabled interoperability between NetMeeting and the Ascend MAX, MAX TNT and MultiVoice Access Manager."

"As the global market leader in remote access concentrators, Ascend's MAX and MAX TNT gateways deliver a highly reliable, flexible and scalable solution, and our open architecture allows rapid deployment of applications to meet the evolving needs of service providers," said Richard Slezak, vice president of Product Management and Business Development for Ascend's Enterprise Networking Division. "Our integration of Windows NetMeeting with Ascend's VoIP platforms delivers a product solution that allows service providers to offer new revenue generating services to their customers."

About Ascend Communications

Ascend Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASND) develops, manufactures, sells and services wide area networking solutions for telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers and corporate customers worldwide.

For more information about Ascend and its products, please visit the Ascend Web site at www.ascend.com, or send e-mail to [e-mail]. For Investor Relations, please call our communications hotline at 800/648-3059 or 760/704-4423 (outside the US & Canada). Additional investor information can also be accessed on our Web site at: http://www.ascend.com/investor/. Ascend is headquartered at One Ascend Plaza, 1701 Harbor Bay Parkway, Alameda, Calif. 94502; phone is 800/ASCEND4 and fax is 510/814-2300.

In January 1999, the company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement") with Lucent Technologies, Inc. ("Lucent"), pursuant to which, each outstanding share of Ascend common stock will be exchanged for 0.825 shares of Lucent common stock and each outstanding option or warrant to purchase Ascend common stock will be converted into an option or warrant to purchase Lucent common stock (adjusted for the exchange ratio).

In February 1999, Lucent announced a two-for-one stock split, payable on

April 1, 1999, to shareholders of record as of March 5, 1999. Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, the exchange ratio will be adjusted for the effect of this stock split and any similar changes in the capitalization of Lucent.

This release, other than historical financial information, contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual future events or results. For instance, factors which could cause actual events or results to differ from anticipated events or results include the rate of development of new and enhanced technology by Ascend and its competitors, the integration of new businesses, the introduction and market acceptance of new products by Ascend and its competitors, competitive pricing actions and marketing programs, among others. Readers are referred to the documents filed by Ascend Communications with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the most recent reports on forms 10-K and 10-Q, which identify important risk factors which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.