Data Connection announces portable ATM software for signalling and PNNI.

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 19, 1996--Data Connection Limited (DCL), which is acknowledged as the world's leading vendor of portable SNA, Messaging and Directory OEM communications products, today announced that it is extending its highly successful suite to include two Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Signalling and PNNI products - called DC-Signalling and DC-PNNI.

ATM Signalling is the protocol used between ATM devices to set-up calls across an ATM network. DC-Signalling supports the ATM Forum standards UNI 3.0, 3.1 and 4.0 as well as IISP and PNNI Signalling. It also includes the SSCOP/SSCF reliable transport layer, and a Call Control layer for use on a switch to co-ordinate call set-up.

PNNI is the ATM protocol for distributing network topology and reachability information across a network, and then using that information to route calls through the network. DC-PNNI supports the full ATM Forum PNNI specification. Version 1.0 supports a single PNNI Peer Group. Version 2.0 adds support for a full hierarchical PNNI topology, including support for Peer Group Leader and Border Node.

DC-PNNI and DC-Signalling are targeted for use by switch, router, hub and gateway vendors. In addition, DC-Signalling is targeted for operation in network interface cards (NICs) and other end systems. The licensees of this technology benefit from decreased engineering effort, decreased time to market and an easy upgrade route for acquiring new features and functions in the future.

The challenge of providing communications software that will run unchanged in a wide variety environments is a familiar one for Data Connection who have been providing portable communications software products for over thirteen years. Both the DC-Signalling and DC-PNNI products build on Data Connection's pre-existing communications software, and, in particular, take advantage of the sophisticated multi-variant routing and large-scale directory engines developed as part of its APPN and Directory products. The resultant implementations set new standards in the ATM software marketplace for robustness, interoperability, high performance and low data occupancy.

The new ATM products, which are written in C, run within Data Connection's portable operating environment, called the N-BASE. In common with Data Connection's other N-BASE products, DC-Signalling and DC-PNNI are architected to run efficiently and unchanged in environments ranging from single processor-systems running high- performance single-threaded operating systems, to sophisticated multi-processor and fault- tolerant environments. The N-BASE has been ported by many of Data Connection's licensees, including Cisco, Bay Networks, 3Com, Hewlett Packard, Nortel, NCR, Unisys, Cabletron, CrossComm, Hitachi and Attachmate.

"DC-Signalling and DC-PNNI take full advantage of our proven N-BASE architecture to provide extremely high quality and flexible implementations while at the same time avoiding the limitations which are normally intrinsic to portable software packages" said John Palombo, Director of Data Connection's ATM Business Unit. "For example, the N-BASE allows our customers to distribute the functions provided by DC-Signalling and DC-PNNI across their platform in whatever way is best for them, allowing them to increase performance by minimizing processing bottlenecks, and to provide fault tolerance."

"In addition, it is important to us to provide software of the highest quality, which is comprehensively tested before we let it out of the door. Our customers do not need to change a single line of the portable code to get it running correctly and efficiently in their system - the only code they change is in the N-BASE. This minimizes the initial engineering effort to do a portation (there is no need to budget months of effort just to test our code), and makes it very easy to drop-in new releases of the software in the future" he continued.

About Data Connection Limited

Data Connection Limited (DCL) is the leading independent developer and supplier of ATM, SNA, Messaging and Directory portable software technology products, with customers including Hewlett-Packard, IBM Corp., Lotus, Microsoft, and large end-users (such as the banks, government and airlines). Further offerings include data-conferencing and retail software. Data Connection is headquartered in London, UK, with US offices in Virginia. It was founded in 1981 and is privately held. During each of the past 15 years Data Connection's earnings have consistently exceeded 20% of revenue. Last year the company's sales were approximately $20M. -0-

Data Connection is a Trademark of Data Connection Limited (UK) and Data Connection Corporation (US). All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Data Connection Limited

Tony Downes, [e-mail]

or John Palombo, director, ATM Business Unit,

[e-mail]

Phone: 44.181.366-1177

Fax: 44.181.363-4478

WWW: http://www.datcon.co.uk