Comet Labs Introduces Network Products in Americas Rollout Launch U.S. Reseller Program Bypasses Distributors.

Business Editors

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 5, 2000

Comet Labs, based in Irvine, Wednesday targeted the Ethernet and Internet markets with the announcement of a rollout in the U.S., Canada and Latin America for its Comet Family of state-of-the-art LAN and WAN networking products -- routers, switches, hubs and more -- designed for PC and Apple Macintosh environments to "make networking simple."

Comet Labs is a division of a Pan-European corporation founded in 1986. Comet Labs' Americas rollout includes a traditional marketing campaign and a U.S. national reseller partnering program. Comet Labs' products utilize leading-edge technology to connect individuals and networks, enabling people to efficiently share information, files and peripherals, send and receive e-mail, share links to the global Internet, and conduct online chatroom conferences in real-time.

"We provide our channel business partners and their end-user customers with state-of-the art technology embracing various unique and product-specific benefits," said Bert R. Ott, director of Comet Labs. "We offer the highest quality products, backed by superb warranty assurance, at the best possible cost. And our channel organizations are among the best in the business at providing top-level solutions and service."

Key to its U.S. marketing strategy, Comet Labs will bypass traditional large U.S. national distributors. Instead, the company will market its products to end users through its U.S. Reseller Business Partnering Program for independent resellers, VARs, systems integrators and retailers.

"We can double a U.S. business partner's profit dollars as compared with what he would make in the standard channel" said Ott. "In the U.S., the Web has created new choices and opportunities for resellers. eManufacturer-direct' pricing allows resellers to maintain margins in a world in which the Internet is constantly driving prices down on most products."

Comet Labs' marketing rollout in the Americas includes the U.S., Canada and Latin America. When marketing beyond U.S. borders, Comet Labs relies on two-tier stocking distributors to meet the unique needs of customers in individual countries.

Comet Labs offers a wide range of services for all of its products:

-- An optional Next Day Replacement Program

-- Free Technical Support.

-- Training Programs.

-- Extended Warranty.

-- Downloadable software.

-- Answers to Frequently Asked Questions and other

information.

-- A business partner secured intranet.

-- An e-business/e-commerce shopping cart will be available

soon.

-- EDI services will be available soon.

Comet Labs Inc., designs, develops, manufactures, selects, supports, markets, sells and services a family of high-quality, high-performance and cost effective Ethernet and Internet products. With more than 15 years experience in the European networking and Internet markets, Comet Labs offers a range of state-of-the-art LAN and WAN networking products using leading edge technology--routers, switches, hubs, networking kits, network interface cards, print servers, KVM switches, network storage devices, transceivers and converters--designed to "make networking simple."

Comet Labs is located at 10005 Muirlands No. M, Irvine, Calif. 92618. For more information on Comet Labs products and services, call 949/455-7000 (fax [phone]) or 877/992-6638 (toll free within the U.S. and Canada). Visit the company's Web site at http://www.cometlabs.com.