Data Communications and InternetWeek Editors Name Cabletron's SSA 700 A Winner in the Best of Show Award Program At NetWorld+Interop 99 Atlanta.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 15, 1999--

Cabletron's SmartSwitch Access (SSA) 700 was named a winner in the WAN and remote access equipment category of the Best of Show Awards competition by CMP's Data Communications and InternetWeek editors.

The SSA 700 was introduced in June of 1999. With the SSA 700, Cabletron is the first in the industry to deliver end-to-end, application-aware remote access across dial-up PPP connections, thereby enabling advanced security policies and accounting across intranets, extranets and the Internet. By providing visibility into actual IP application "flows" in enterprise and service provider environments, the SSA 700:

-- Allows Layer 4 security and accounting policies to be applied in real-time on a per-flow, per-user basis;

-- Allows organizations to deploy secure, accountable extranet access to increase revenue opportunities and improve business processes; and

-- Allows organizations to more effectively control remote access resource utilization and plan for future infrastructure deployment.

In addition to providing granular visibility into business-critical IP applications that drive remote access usage, Cabletron's SSA 700 family is fully compatible with both T1/E1 ISDN PRI and channelized E1 services, allowing broader deployment of advanced dial access services in international markets.

The Best of Show Product Awards Program is designed to help end-users evaluate the new product offerings which debut at NetWorld+Interop 99 Atlanta. The editors of Data Communications and InternetWeek, two of CMP Media's premier networking publications, scour the industry and show floor evaluating hundreds of new products, selecting winners in 9 categories and named SSA 700 the winner of the WAN and remote access equipment category. The BEST OF SHOW Awards Program helps networking professionals determine which new products are most unique and innovative in their quest to provide excellence in networking. The SSA 700 was singled out to receive this honor from a field of more than 250 entries.

"The Best of Show award is another indication that Cabletron is committed to delivering the best solutions to its customers worldwide," said Piyush Patel, chairman and CEO of Cabletron Systems. "As our customers continue to use their networks as a competitive advantage, we'll support them with products like the SSA 700."

"All of the winners were chosen based on a rigorous evaluation process," said Lee Keough, editor-in-chief for Data Communications and head of the editorial judging team for the Best of Show Awards. "We picked Cabletron's SSA 700 because we believe it's one of the most innovative solutions in the WAN and remote access equipment category."

CMP Media's Data Communications is the only global networking magazine written for network architects who build, design and operate multi-site, mission critical networks. In addition, the data.com web site delivers daily news feeds, industry updates, and dynamic, interactive features. WebInsight, our weekly newsletter, delivers highlights and links, soundbyte interviews, poll results and highlights, and Tariff Track, a weekly summary of actual rates and trends in network services.

CMP Media's InternetWeek (http://www.internetwk.com) is the news and analysis source for 215,000 IS/network managers applying Internet technologies to transform enterprise networks. In the most recent Simmons and Intelliquest readership studies, Internet Week was the best-read and had the highest reader loyalty of all networking newspapers.

About NetWorld+Interop:

NetWorld+Interop provides networking, Internet and telecommunications professional buyers with a uniquely comprehensive forum for education and hands-on products and services in order to make critical purchase decisions. It's this focus on advanced, multi-vendor, multi-protocol, multi-service interoperability technologies and solutions that makes NetWorld+Interop the definitive networking event. For more information about NetWorld+Interop 99 Las Vegas, visit www.interop.com.

About Cabletron Systems

Cabletron Systems, a premier provider of world-class networking solutions, delivers reliable network access and communications to millions of people worldwide. With scaleable products designed for Global 1000 enterprise networks, service providers and small businesses, Cabletron is the e-business communications specialist in the Internet economy. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange for more than a decade under the symbol CS, Cabletron is an S&P 500 index company. Cabletron's web site can be reached on the Internet at http://www.cabletron.com.