Growing Texas Reseller Doubles Revenues with 3Com Systems; 3Com Solutions Help Minority-Owned Nsync Services Satisfy Customers' Cost and Performance Needs.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2003

In 1998, Nsync Services, Inc. was founded to capitalize on outsourcing opportunities in the networking industry. Since adding 3Com to its roster of leading network vendors 16 months ago, the minority-owned value added reseller (VAR) has deployed hundreds of 3Com(R) networks to double its sales and become a valued 3Com Gold Systems partner, an honor earned in record time.

"Customer satisfaction is at the core of our success," said Greg Wright, Nsync's president. "Using 3Com's affordable array of innovative switches, networked telephony and wireless systems, we're able to give our customers solutions that completely satisfy their business needs. As a result, we've increased our revenues two-fold in less than the year-and-a-half since we began selling 3Com systems."

With more than 50 years of combined IT management experience, Dallas-based Nsync Services serves a number of major markets nationwide, including Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Washington, DC. The firm provides comprehensive network and applications consulting, design and implementation services for corporations, municipalities, school districts, universities and nonprofit organizations. Today, of the reseller's 200 customers, 90 percent use 3Com systems, and 3Com represents 35 percent of the company's revenue.

"Whether a school needs a voice and data network to enhance students' learning or a city needs a metropolitan area network to improve its services, the power and reliability of 3Com products make them the ideal solution," said Steve Stainback, Nsync's New Orleans district sales manager. "3Com equipment is so simple to install and use, customers recognize the value very quickly."

Stainback also noted that 3Com's competitive pricing and browser-based product management capabilities have also been integral to Nsync's exponential growth. "3Com consistently costs much less than other leading vendors and doesn't require customers to employ costly, full-time specialists on staff to manage its devices. These factors lower the total cost of 3Com ownership to half of what it would be for Cisco and Nortel systems."

Increased Demands for Faster, Affordable Networks

Since June 2001, Nsync has deployed a full suite of 3Com networks for numerous customers seeking to affordably improve operations via faster access to advanced applications. Recently, when the 19th Judicial District Court of Louisiana sought to access trial and operations' data more swiftly, it consulted with Nsync's senior network engineer, Michael Friedkin, about a converged voice and data network to drive a new Web-based judicial database that would raise productivity. Using Friedkin's design, the Court replaced its hubs with a flexible, copper Gigabit Ethernet to the desktop network based on 3Com SuperStack(R) 3 Switch 4924 switches. The District Court has also decided to deploy the 3Com SuperStack 3 NBX(R) Networked Telephony Solution, which will provide premium-quality telephone services over its standards-based Ethernet network, to replace its analog phone system. The district has also recently been conducting beta testing of 3Com's new XRN(TM) switching technology.

"Nsync designed a simple, cost-effective 3Com network," said Freddie Manint, the court's criminal justice information systems director. "With the 3Com LAN, we now speed Gigabit Ethernet links to desktops. This gave us a 70 percent increase in staff productivity, and we did it for 15 percent less than a competitor's Fast Ethernet solution."

Nsync customer Southeastern Louisiana University (SELU) is also benefiting from a 3Com solution. When SELU needed to improve access to Web-based curricula, it sought Nsync's seasoned advice. Subsequently, SELU deployed an easily managed, high-speed 3Com LAN based on Switch 4007, Switch 4005 and SuperStack 3 Switch 4900 Gigabit Ethernet switches as well as a SuperStack 3 Firewall solution to establish secure virtual private network (VPN) links to three remote sites.

"3Com's ultra-reliable products and Nsync's practical designs made upgrading from an ATM network to Gigabit Ethernet a breeze," said Ray DeJean, SELU's IT director. "Now students have much faster access to online courses and monitoring the network is so easy. 3Com's free Network Supervisor management tool enabled us to reduce our IT staff from three to one-and-a-half full time employees."

Nsync's roster of successes continue with clients such as the City of Shreveport, Louisiana which is building a 3Com Gigabit Ethernet metropolitan area network (MAN) to speed municipal services to 340,000 constituents. Also, the Audubon Nature Institute in Louisiana deployed a 3Com LAN based on the new Gigabit Ethernet Switch 4060 switch to drive marketing applications, such as streaming Web shows of lion feedings. Nsync's engineering skills and product knowledge enabled it to design the Institute's 3Com network for the same price a competing VAR had offered to design an outdated legacy network solution.

"The combination of our technical expertise and 3Com's exceptional products position Nsync Services for even greater growth," concluded Wright. "We already sell 3Com almost exclusively in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, West Texas and Arkansas, and we relish going up against the competition to continue to satisfy clients with 3Com's proven superiority."

For more information about Nsync Services, Inc., visit www.nsyncservices.com or call 877-366-7962.

About 3Com Corporation

3Com is a tier-one provider of innovative, practical and high-value networking products for enterprises of all sizes and public sector organizations. 3Com is also a leader in providing Internet protocol (IP) service platforms and access infrastructure for network service providers. For further information, please visit www.3com.com, or the press site www.3com.com/pressbox.

3Com, the 3Com logo, NBX and SuperStack are registered trademarks and XRN is a trademark of 3Com Corporation. All other names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.