Ascend Unveils Max 800 WAN Access Switch for Complete Dial-up Solution for the Enterprise.

ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 9, 1999--

The Ascend Market-Leading MAX Access Switch Line Adds Flexible,

Reliable MAX 800 Solution for Mobile Corporate Users

Ascend Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASND), a leader in wide-area networking (WAN) and Intelligent Networking (IN) solutions for providers and users of the next-generation public network, today unveiled its MAX(TM) 800 WAN Access Switch, which enables reliable telecommuting, Internet access and branch office connectivity services for enterprise operations. The MAX 800 is the latest addition to the market-leading MAX family of WAN Access Switches and provides the enterprise with a flexible, comprehensive feature set offered by the True Access(R) Operating System (TAOS).

Delivering maximum reliability vital in today's fast-paced business environment, the Ascend MAX 800 is designed to provide optimal dial-up solutions. Designed for small offices or remote offices where information services (IS) support is not always available, the MAX 800 provides easy installation and configuration using the Ascend graphical configuration application NavisConnect(TM).

"When compared to equivalent products, the Ascend MAX 800 offers noted advantages, which in targeted markets can make it the best value in this class of entry-level remote access systems," said Rob Smithers, vice president of technology for Mier Communications. "Ascend's product is one of the few, in grueling lab tests that met or exceeded the reliability and performance of any other RAS system tested. The MAX 800 offered more configuration flexibility in a mixed ISDN and Async modem environment than any other product tested."

The MAX 800 offers the following benefits for the enterprise:

-- Flexibility. Utilizing PCMCIA technology, the MAX 800 supports

both analog and/or ISDN BRI calls, which are the most readily

available public switched telephone network (PSTN) services. The

MAX 800 enables customers to simultaneously use any combination

of telecommuting, modem dial-out and Internet access, and allows

them to configure the most efficient use of available bandwidth.

The flexibility of the MAX 800 allows users to access information

on the Internet with speeds up to 512 kbps, or allows mobile

users and remote offices to access information on an office local

area network (LAN).

-- Cost-efficient. The intelligence of the MAX 800 allows customers

to increase or decrease the available bandwidth as needed by

using the most popular bandwidth control protocols, which results

in cost savings. As enterprise demand for modem dial-out

increases, the MAX 800 offers a cost-efficient alternative to the

high cost of installing phone lines, modems and security

applications.

-- Ease-of-use. The MAX 800 can be managed remotely using

NavisAccess(TM), Ascend's superior network management

application, and can be easily installed and configured using

NavisConnect.

-- Security. With the addition of the optional Ascend

SecureConnect(TM) Firewall, the MAX 800 protects corporate

networks. The Ascend SecureConnect Firewall provides dynamic

firewall technology for field-proven security for the LAN,

deterring hackers or other unwanted users from accessing

sensitive data that may reside in enterprise networks.

-- Compatibility. The MAX 800 supports the most common LAN traffic

types for the enterprise, including Internet Protocol (IP), IPX 

and AppleTalk.

"For small to mid-sized companies with employees needing a reliable ISDN connection or mobile users needing to dial-in with analog modems, the MAX 800 is the ideal solution," said Dana Harrison, product line director for Ascend. "Building off of our market-leading MAX line of WAN access switches, the MAX 800 supplies the essential ingredients of flexibility, scalability, and reliability that corporate customers demand from their remote access environments."

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 U.S. & Canada). Additional investor information can also be accessed on our Web site at: http://www.ascend.com/662.html. Ascend is headquartered at One Ascend Plaza, 1701 Harbor Bay Parkway, Alameda, Calif. 94502; phone is 800/ASCEND4 and fax is 510-814-2300.

The foregoing statements may contain forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from these expectations as a result of factors including, but not limited to, the Company's success in developing, introducing or shipping new products, competition, the mix of distribution channels employed, the Company's dependence on single or limited source suppliers for certain components used in its products, risks inherent in international sales, seasonality and general economic conditions. These and other factors are discussed in Ascend's 10-K, 10-Q and other filings made periodically with the Securities and Exchange Commission.