Cayman Systems and Assured Digital Partner to Offer Scalable Remote/Branch Office Access Solutions.

STONEHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 1, 1999--

Engineering, Marketing Agreement To Deliver Plug And Play VPN For SOHO/ROBO And Enterprise Networks. Plans Include Joint Development Of

Low-Cost Server To Extend Dynamic VPN Benefits To SOHO Market

To accelerate IT managers extension of Virtual Private Network (VPN) capabilities to their remote and branch offices, Cayman Systems and Assured Digital, Inc. are teaming together to deliver the industry's first interoperable solution between VPN and Internet access equipment vendors. This partnership will combine the security and automation features of ADI's leading VPN solution with Cayman's industry leading Internet access equipment.

Specifically, Cayman, a leading provider of broadband access routers for small and home offices, and ADI, the industry leader in dynamic VPN switching solutions, have entered into a joint engineering and marketing agreement. Initial capability is available now that enables IPsec, the secure Internet tunneling technique used by most VPN manufacturers, to pass through NAT (Network Address Translation), the network isolation technology used by most broadband service providers. The Cayman/ADI solution for this vexing interoperability problem between IPsec and NAT is being offered to the networking community as a whole through the IETF process. Beyond this important initial step, Cayman and ADI are integrating elements of the ADI security solution into the Cayman family of affordable Internet Access Routers.

The new Cayman/ADI solution will be embedded inside Cayman's Broadband Gateways including the 3220-H, that can be used to provide Ethernet-to-ADSL connectivity for small business customers by service providers such as Pacific Bell, SBC, SNET, Ameritech and Bell South. Like remote/branch offices of corporate networks, such businesses already have a LAN in place and are seeking a simple, one-box Ethernet-to-Internet connection to a broadband service, such as Cayman's ADSL 3220H.

According to Eric Zines, Industry Analyst at Telechoice, "The marriage of broadband access and scalable, standards-based security is a critical next step in enterprise networking strategies. The lack of solutions that securely connect branch offices to centralized resources at broadband speeds--and at a reasonable price point--has long been a major issue for network managers. These solutions are key to enabling network and application convergence and in enabling a whole new market to take advantage of the benefits of extranets."

"By partnering with Assured Digital, our gateway devices can be a standalone VPN Server for small offices and integrate into a larger Enterprise VPN, said Bill Murphy, Director of Product Marketing for Cayman Systems. "Integrating Assured-Digital's automated VPN provisioning into our products matches our zero configuration philosophy."

"Assured Digital, Inc., is pleased to be partnering with an innovation leader such as Cayman Systems. This partnership furthers ADI's goal of putting security everywhere in the network. ADI's position as a leading VPN provider is enhanced by having a much larger deployed footprint in the SOHO market," said Scott Hilton, Vice President of Product Management for ADI.

Both companies have demonstrated initial interoperability. Availability and pricing information are expected within the next 90 days.

Cayman Systems is the customer premise equipment provider of choice for service providers that sell to home and small office markets. Cayman's Zero-Configuration(tm) routers and turnkey support programs enable cable companies, CLECs, ISPs, ILECs, and RBOCs to easily deliver Ethernet-to-Internet xDSL and broadband solutions for their small office customers. Founded in 1987, Cayman Systems is a privately held company based in Stoneham, Mass. Just named Small Company of the Year by the Massachusetts Telecommunications Council, Cayman has forged alliances or partnerships with such industry leaders as Nortel, Nokia, Alcatel, Comcast, MediaOne and Pacific Bell. For information, contact Bill Murphy, at [phone], Ext. 152. Or visit Cayman Systems on the World Wide Web at www.cayman.com.

Assured Digital, Inc. (ADI), based in Littleton, Mass., was founded in 1997 to develop and market a family of secure networking products for companies to leverage public and private IP networks. Innovation in operational automation, dynamic network connectivity and enhanced security, make ADI the first company to deliver a complete, automated product solution for Dynamic VPN Switching. ADI offers a complete line of Dynamic VPN Switches that are best in industry price/performance. Additional information is available by visiting ADI on the World Wide Web at www.assured-digital.com.

Cayman Systems, 2E500, 2E500H, ADSL 3220, ADSL 3220H, Zero-Configuration, Swift-IP and the Cayman Systems logo are trademarks of Cayman Systems, Inc. All other trademarks, brand and product names are the property of their respective holders. Assured Digital, ADI-4500, ADI-1000, ADI-100 and AOS are trademarks of Assured Digital, Inc. All other brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.