Bay Networks IBM and 3COM Meet Early Milestones in Network Interoperability Alliance (NIA); NIA Announces New Members, Establishment of Independent Interoperability Testing Lab and Results of Initial Tests.

SANTA CLARA, Calif--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 19, 1996--The founding members of the Network Interoperability Alliance (NIA) Bay Networks, IBM and 3Com Corporation today announced that the NIA has achieved several early milestones following its formation in May, 1996.

The Alliance announced that four additional companies, all significant players in the networking field, will join the NIA, and a new NIA independent testing laboratory established at the University of New Hampshire has released the results of the first network interoperability tests.

Support for the NIA Grows

Xylan Corporation, Madge Networks, US Robotics and First Virtual Corporation announced today their intentions to join the NIA. These companies all subscribe to the NIA's tenets that interoperability will help customers simplify the building of networks by promoting open and common standards for networking products. These companies will participate in the NIA testing program and support the common standards which the Alliance is promoting and adopting.

Interoperability Laboratory Established

In August, the NIA established an interoperability testing program at the University of New Hampshire's Interoperability Laboratory (IOL). The NIA test bed is dedicated to conformance testing of networking products to ensure their interoperability in actual customer environments. Last week, Bay Networks, IBM and 3Com completed initial testing spanning multiple platforms, physical media, operating systems and network protocols. According to industry market consultant Nick Lippis, "The NIA testing, which was conducted at UNH is the most comprehensive, multivendor, multi-technology, interoperability demonstration that the industry has showcased for ATM LAN Emulation and RFC 1577 (Classic IP over ATM)."

Going beyond typical multivendor interoperability tests, which traditionally focus solely on basic connectivity using tools such as ping, NIA tests used actual application traffic, including web-based browser to server traffic and network file sharing to facilitate testing.

NIA Next Steps

With the initial interoperability testing complete, the NIA is now working on additional testing and collaboration to simplify building multivendor switched networks. The NIA's future work will focus on the following areas:

1. Interoperability Testing: The NIA's lab test bed will be expanded to allow for system-level network management testing (RMON2, IEEE standard VLANs), ATM I-PNNI switch connectivity testing and Token Ring over ATM.

2. Applications: Work closely with industry applications vendors to deliver applications that are aware of networks supporting end-to-end Quality of Service.

3. Management Tools: Evaluate new management technologies including Java(a) and Active-X(a) as potential tools for managing multivendor switched networks.

About the NIA

The NIA was formed to help customers simplify, standardize and enhance the design and deployment of local area networks (LANs) through open, common product interoperability specifications and testing. Recognizing the confusing variety of device specifications, technologies and standards, the NIA is promoting common and open specifications and standards to make it easier for customers to build more fully integrated networks spanning LANs, routing, and switching.

To promote interoperability in multivendor networks, the NIA is recommending a key subset of open standards to help customers simplify the building of networks. Four areas where the NIA is focusing its initial efforts are:

1) supporting the installed base and future developments of desktops and servers; 2) supporting Ethernet and Token Ring shared media hubs as edge networking devices within the NIA system framework; 3) core switching with high functionality and scalability; and 4) simplification of network management including the use of common management tools.

The NIA initially implemented standards which adopt the key strengths of BaySIS(a) from Bay Networks, Switched Virtual Networking (SVN) with Multiprotocol Switched Services (MSS)(a) from IBM and Transcend Networking framework from 3Com to help customers build more fully integrated solutions. As with other industry standards such as Ethernet, the framework is open for others to adopt. Key specifications and technologies are the commonly used and standard zero-hop routing, IEEE802.1 p and q standards, and Integrated Private Network to Network Interface (I-PNNI).

Further information from each company supporting the NIA can be obtained from the company's individual websites or by contacting the companies directly.

The NIA, founded in May 1996, is an alliance of information and networking industry companies formed to help customers simplify the building of networks by promoting open, common, interoperability standards for networking products. The NIA's Interoperability Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire is chartered with testing industry products to ensure they work in concert with other network components. Within its first six months of operation, the NIA has attracted a membership of seven companies, all with significant positions in the networking field. For more information visit the NIA Website at http://www.NIA_alliance.com.

Bay Networks, Inc. is a worldwide leader in the internetworking market, providing a full line of products that serve enterprises, workgroups, small offices, and mobile workers. The company offers market-leading LAN and ATM switches, hubs, routers, remote and Internet access solutions, and network management applications, all unified by the BaySIS architecture. For further information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.Baynetworks.com.

IBM's Networking Hardware Division (NHD) develops and manufactures leading-edge networking technologies and products. Headquartered in Research Triangle Park, NC, NHD also provides consultation, education, service, and support worldwide to help customers achieve their business objectives. For further information, visit the company,s Web site at http://www.Raleigh.IBM.com

3Com Corporation has helped more than 33 million people gain access to critical information through high-speed networks. Designed to serve large enterprises, service providers, small offices and homes, 3Com products provide a scaleable architecture to meet the present and future connectivity needs of today's users. With research and development on three continents, 3Com is one of the data networking industry's largest and fastest growing companies. For further information, visit the company,s World Wide Web site at http://www.3Com.com. -0-

(a) Note to Editors: 3Com is a registered trademark and Transcend Networking is a trademark of 3Com Corporation. Java is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems Corporation. Active X is registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the properties of their respective holders.

CONTACT: Bay Networks

Chris Carleton, 508/436-3706

or

IBM

Tom Belz, 919/254-1128

or

3Com Corporation

Leslie Davis, 408/764-7187