Cabletron To Lead Gigabit Ethernet Market With New Product Line; New Gigabit Ethernet Family Includes Industry's Highest Port Density Switch.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 18, 1996--NetWorld+InterOp booth #1012--Cabletron Systems (NYSE:CS), the leading provider of high-performance switching solutions, today announced that it will be among the first to offer a full line of Gigabit Ethernet switches as part of its award winning SmartSwitch line. Today's announcement launches Cabletron's aggressive plan to lead in Gigabit Ethernet, a market which is expected to top $3 billion by the year 2000 according to Dataquest(a).

The first offering will be a two-port Gigabit Ethernet SmartSwitch for Cabletron's MMAC-Plus family of switching platforms (Product # 9G426- 02). The new switch will be demonstrated at NetWorld+Interop '96 in Atlanta and be available by year end. With the new Gigabit Ethernet SmartSwitch, customers can switch up to 28 separate Gigabit Ethernet segments within a single chassis, making the MMAC-Plus the industry's highest port-density Gigabit Ethernet switching platform.

New Gigabit Ethernet SmartSwitch Offers Industry's Highest Port Density

Through two Gigabit Ethernet ports, the new switch provides high-speed uplink connectivity suitable for linking multiple switching chassis within a data center, as well as connectivity to the wiring closet. The Gigabit Ethernet SmartSwitch can be deployed in Cabletron's MMAC-Plus and recently introduced six-slot MMAC-Plus.

Based on Cabletron's SmartSwitch ASIC technology, the new switch also offers unmatched performance and the industry's highest level of functionality, including:

-- IP Switching -- Multi-protocol Switching -- Broadcast Storm Protection -- Comprehensive broadcast/multicast traffic control -- RMON on every port -- SecureFast Virtual Networking (over 2 million installed ports)

"With its ability to deliver an order of magnitude more bandwidth than Fast Ethernet, at relatively low-cost, Gigabit Ethernet offers an effective compliment to other high-bandwidth technologies," said K. Karl Shimada, vice president of market research for Rising Star Research. "Cabletron is able to give Gigabit Ethernet the kind of connection-oriented, switched virtual circuit quality of service features the market is looking for. Their scaleable MMAC- Plus architecture is a natural for Gigabit Ethernet and it is the only platform which can switch between Gigabit Ethernet and ATM in a single chassis."

Cabletron's Gigabit Ethernet SmartSwitch line, to be introduced over the next 24 months, will include host-interfaces as well as modular and stand-alone switching systems, providing a full range of low-cost, high-bandwidth solutions for wiring closet and data center installations. Through SecureFast, the company's revolutionary virtual networking technology, Cabletron's Gigabit Ethernet products are unique in their support of Quality of Service (QOS) features very similar to those found in ATM. For example, SecureFast establishes priority queuing and classes of service analogous to those defined for ATM by the ATM forum. Cabletron views Gigabit Ethernet as one of the prominent in-building backbone technologies for the future, and as being highly complimentary to ATM installations at the campus and WAN level.

"As companies continue to implement Fast Ethernet to the wiring closet and even the desktop, Gigabit Ethernet technology will quickly establish itself as one of the easiest, most affordable ways to handle those increasing data traffic loads," said Chris Oliver, Cabletron's Director of Engineering and Manufacturing. "When companies want to combine data with voice and video traffic, ATM will continue to be an appropriate solution, especially for cross- campus and WAN traffic."

Virtualizing The Network With SecureFast

All of Cabletron's MMAC platforms and SmartSwitch products support SecureFast Virtual Networking. SecureFast is completely compatible with routed and subnetted networks, allowing customers to significantly improve the performance of existing router architectures while migrating to a virtualized network at their own pace. Virtualized networks offer scaleable, distributed virtual routing, enabling customers to avoid costly upgrades to their existing backbone routers. With over 2 million SecureFast-ready ports installed, Cabletron provides a solution that works today and in the future, regardless of how large or how fast a network grows.

Pricing and Availability

Cabletron's new Gigabit Ethernet SmartSwitch (Product # 9G426-02) module will be available by the end of the year with pricing to be announced.

About Cabletron Systems

Cabletron Systems is the recognized leader in providing high-performance intranetworking solutions, including LAN and ATM switches and advanced network and systems management software. Under its Synthesis product framework, Cabletron markets products throughout the world for linking and managing enterprise-wide networks.

With corporate headquarters in Rochester, NH, Cabletron employs nearly 6,000 people worldwide. Cabletron's common stock is traded over the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CS. Over the last four quarters, the company has reported record revenue of $1.1 billion. -0-

(a)Gigabit Ethernet Forecast: 1997-2000

Cabletron's World Wide Web site can be reached on the Internet at http// www.ctron.com. Cabletron, SecureFast, MMAC, MMAC-Plus and SmartSwitch are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cabletron Systems. All other products or services found in this document are identified by the trademarks or service marks of their respective companies or organizations.

CONTACT: Scott Collins

Cabletron Systems

603/337-1868

[e-mail]