Force Computers' PMC/860 Meets Needs of Telecom OEMs, Increases Ease of Development for Wireless Infrastructure and IN/AIN Equipment.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 7, 1997--

High Performance E1/T1 Interface

Telecom Controller for SS7, LAPD and V5.x Applications

Force Computers, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Solectron Corp. (NYSE:SLR), announced today the availability of the PMC/860, one of the world's first PMC (PCI Mezzanine Card) modules that includes an E1/T1 interface, TDM (time division multiplexing) telephony bus connectivity and the Motorola PowerQUICC processor.

Composed of a processor subsystem, an I/O subsystem, a switching subsystem and a PCI interface, the PMC/860 provides OEMs with a powerful building block for Signaling System No. 7 (SS7), Link Access Protocol for the D channel (LAPD), V5.x and other applications in the telecom market.

Because the PMC/860 is based on open standards, the high performance E1/T1 interface telecom controller can be used in conjunction with different bus architectures (VME and CompactCPI) and operating systems (Windows NT(TM), Solaris(TM) and Real-Time) to provide OEMs with a wider choice of system configurations and design options.

Optimized for SS7 applications, and supported by leading SS7 stack vendors, the PMC/860 also features a time-slot multiplexer interface to the TDM SCbus with a capacity of 2048 time slots. E1/T1 and SCbus connectivity allow for new configurations and system designs which are not possible with E1/T1-only platforms. And the open standards-based PMC module offers flexibility and scalability. Integrated on a CompactPCI or VME baseboard, the PMC/860 permits easy migration from small to large systems configurations.

Ideal Building Block for Wireless Infrastructure and IN/AIN Applications

OEMs can use the PMC/860 to build base transceiver stations (BTS), base station controllers (BSC), satellite ground stations and other wireless infrastructure systems. In a typical BSC, the PMC/860 would communicate with the mobile switching center via an E1/T1 SS7 link and route the data to the SCbus.

The same or a second PMC/860 would provide the E1/T1 LAPD link to a BTS. In the BTS, the PMC/860 would be used to communicate through the E1/T1 interface to the BSC, process LAPD and distribute the data further internally via the SCbus to radio modem cards. Each PMC/860 can accommodate four SS7 links; one SS7 and 30 data links; or 64 LAPD links.

The PMC/860 also provides a compact, high density solution for building Intelligent Network (IN) and Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) products and services. The PMC/860 makes it easy for the OEM to design and configure systems for use in such applications as Intelligent Peripherals (IP), Signaling Service Points (SSP), Signaling Transport Points (STP) and Service Control Points (SCP).

"We want to provide the building blocks that OEMs need to develop IN/AIN and wireless infrastructure products and services in the simplest, most convenient way possible," said Chris Williams, vice president of marketing, Force Computers. "The PMC/860 provides another off-the-shelf component that telecom OEMs can use to reduce their time-to-market."

The endorsement by leading SS7 vendors of PMC/860-based solutions solidifies the PMC/860's position in the market and supports Force Computers' strategy to increase its share of the telecom market by offering products that help OEM developers of telecom applications increase their productivity. (See related press releases from the vendors.)

"With such a variety of operating systems and bus architectures to choose from, developers will quickly see that Force provides OEMs with the opportunity to tailor applications to their requirements," said Williams.

"The PMC/860 was developed in response to the OEM's need to decrease substantially the time required to bring IN/AIN components and services to market," said Mathias Renner, telecom product marketing manager, Force Computers. "The result will be more products in less time with greater performance. Because we are giving our customers what they need to succeed, we all come out winning."

The PMC/860 is available now and priced under US$1900.

Force Computers Inc.

Force Computers Inc., a Solectron Corp. subsidiary, was founded in 1981 and is a leading supplier of open, scalable system and embedded computer platforms for communication and control applications. With over 16 years of experience, the processor-independent company delivers products based on SPARC, PowerPC, 68K and Pentium technologies and has built its solid reputation by addressing the specific requirements its OEM customers in the embedded computer market worldwide. End-user equipment using Force products include: switch control systems, telecommunications network management systems, industrial control systems, radar and simulation systems.

Force Computers is an ISO 9001 certified company with corporate headquarters located in San Jose. European headquarters are located in Munich, Germany and Japanese headquarters are located in Tokyo, Japan. Sales, service and support are provided worldwide via direct offices and a network of distributors and representatives. -0-

All SPARC trademarks are used under license and are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International Inc. in the United States and other countries. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based upon an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems Inc. WindowsNT is a trademark or registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and in other countries.

CompactPCI is a trademark or registered trademark of PICMG (PCI Industrial Computers Manufacturers Group). All other product names as mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective companies.

CONTACT: Force Computers

Mia Bradway, 408/369-6276

www.forcecomputers.com