Insurance Holdings of America Launches Ultra-Fast Network For 2000-Plus Sites Using 3Com Gigabit Ethernet, Layer 3 Switching and Wan Routing Systems.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 4, 1998--

Full Range of 3Com Enterprise Systems Drive Mission-Critical Call

Center and Innovative Point-of-Sale Applications for Fast Growing

Insurance Program Franchiser and Services Provider

3Com Corporation (Nasdaq:COMS) today announced that Insurance Holdings of America LLC (IHA), a major franchiser and brokerage services provider to independent insurance agencies and organizations, has standardized its new enterprise network on advanced 3Com(R) systems. The heart of the $4 million network consists of four new 3Com SuperStack(R) II Switch 9300 Gigabit Ethernet switches and multiple redundant CoreBuilder(tm) 3500 Layer 3 switches at IHA's new call center and data center in Oriskany, NY. IHA is also using a local area network (LAN) at its Beverly, MA, headquarters based on 3Com Fast Ethernet switches and a massive frame relay wide area network (WAN) provided by Sprint services and 3Com NETBuilder(R) routers. The WAN will link more than 2,000 nationwide franchisees, all of which will use 3Com OfficeConnect(R) routers and LAN hubs.

Known for developing breakthrough insurance information services using leading-edge technologies, IHA operates two subsidiaries: Insurance Technology Services of America (ITSA) and Consumer Insurance Services of America (CISA). ITSA provides cost-saving products to insurance agents and carriers which ensure accurate rate quotes and easy underwriting integration. CISA's flagship product is GROUPadvantage, a turnkey franchise program that provides insurance agencies, employers and associations with training, marketing and network-driven software developed by ITSA. GROUPadvantage was recently selected by SAM'S Club, the leading nationwide warehouse club, to service the needs of the SAM'S Club Insurance Program.

Fueled by 3Com systems, IHA is now employing a cache of cutting-edge strategic network services designed to expand GROUPadvantage to 3,000 franchisees by year 2000. For example, at SAM'S Club, the 3Com network connects manned sales kiosks to the 340-user Oriskany call center and will ultimately provide videoconferencing with Oriskany-based GROUP advantage representatives for claims and other services.

The call center network supports IHA's computer telephony integration (CTI) system, which is driven by Answersoft's Sixth Sense Server middleware and instantly delivers customer data to the desktops of customer service staff as they field calls from agents and consumers. Long-term, IHA plans to use voice over IP over its WAN to automatically transfer customer calls from the call center to the franchisee servicing that customer.

Call center staff and franchisees also utilize an intranet based on multiple Microsoft IIS Web servers as well as 12 Netfinity servers -- based on the 3Com LAN/WAN -- to complete every kind of insurance transaction, including underwriting, ratings, billings and quotes. The Oriskany network additionally delivers itsaPRISM, ITSA's sophisticated point-of-sale system for insurance agents. Using itsaPRISM, agents rapidly retrieve comparative ratings and third-party data, such as credit reports and motor vehicle records, to more quickly assess and submit risks to insurance carriers. At Beverly, IHA's headquarters LAN delivers Microsoft Exchange for email and scheduling and Microsoft NetMeeting for videoconferencing and shared white-boarding with Oriskany and several IHA regional offices.

"Our mission is to provide insurance agencies with the fastest, most efficient access to policy and customer information and to rapidly service the insurance needs of consumers affiliated with our GROUPadvantage franchises," said Jim Barry, IHA's CIO. "Using 3Com Gigabit Ethernet systems and supporting WAN and remote office solutions, we now have a network architecture that allows us to more effectively achieve our objectives and will help us realize our growth plan now and in the years ahead."

Proven, Cost-Effective Speed

IHA's new network emanated from its need to equip Oriskany and its headquarters with a reliable, high-speed architecture that could provide advanced data and multimedia services within each facility and to GROUPadvantage franchisee locations. To achieve this, the company evaluated Gigabit Ethernet and supporting systems from Bay Networks, Cisco and 3Com and standardized on a 3Com enterprise solution.

"3Com was the first to market Gigabit Ethernet and provided several advantages," said Barry. "Their technologies outperformed and were more cost-effective than Bay's and Cisco's, which were just being rolled out. They also have a clearer vision as to where their products are going and gave us superior price points," he added.

Deployed this June, the core of the call center and data center network consists of the multiple redundant CoreBuilder 3500 Layer 3 switches and four 3Com SuperStack II 9300 Gigabit Ethernet systems. The CoreBuilder 3500 systems' Layer 3 switching allows the company to achieve wire speed in Oriskany's IP environment and provide virtual LANs (VLANs) for optimal network performance. The SuperStack II 9300 systems have Gigabit Ethernet connections to several servers and Gigabit Ethernet links to multiple SuperStack II 3900 workgroup switches, which provide 100 Mbps desktop connections to call center users. The company ultimately intends to deploy in excess of 40 SuperStack II 3900s.

IHA's frame relay WAN is based on 3Com NETBuilder II(R) routers at Oriskany and OfficeConnect remote office routers at remote sites, which will replace dial up 28.8 kb modems. The 128 kb WAN connects IHA locations, SAM'S Club and other GROUPadvantage franchisees. IHA provides GROUPadvantage franchisees with shared Ethernet LANs based on small office OfficeConnect shared Ethernet hubs and WAN routers, enabling agents to rapidly access the Oriskany data center using GROUPadvantage software. The company also plans to deploy OfficeConnect routers and hubs at its seven nationwide offices.

IHA is additionally employing a 240-user headquarters LAN in Beverly based on 3Com SuperStack II 3300 and SuperStack II 1100 10/100 Mbps switches linked to the frame relay WAN by OfficeConnect routers. The new Beverly LAN is replacing a shared/switched Ethernet network based on Bay Networks switches and hubs and provides standard file and print services. The headquarters relies on 3Com's Transcend(R) Enterprise Manager network management application with remote monitoring (RMON) to manage and monitor all 3Com equipment on the enterprise network and at customer sites. The network also utilizes 3Com's Traffix(tm) Manager applications for RMON2, enabling IHA to visualize the status of network devices and traffic. IHA intends to use 3Com's InfoVista application for service level agreements and policy-based management. The company additionally plans to open a second call center this August in Orlando, FL, and will converge voice and data at both data centers in 1999.

"3Com's system engineers also proved critical in helping us design the network," Barry added. "No one offered us a better selection of systems or better end-to-end support than 3Com."

About 3Com Corporation

With more than 200 million customers worldwide, 3Com Corporation connects more people to information in more ways than any other networking company. 3Com delivers innovative information access products and network system solutions to large, medium and small enterprises; carriers and network service providers; PC OEMs; and consumers. 3Com -- More connected(tm). For further information, visit 3Com's World Wide Web site at www.3com.com or the press site at www.3com.com/pressbox.

About IHA

Insurance Holdings of America LLC (IHA) is a technology development and distribution company that seeks to revolutionize the way information is shared and processed between insurance distributors and insurance providers. IHA is the parent organization for its two wholly owned subsidiaries, Consumer Insurance Services of America and Insurance Technology Services of America. IHA serves its subsidiaries in management, marketing, financial and human resource capacities, acts as the procurement arm of the entire organization and is dedicated to the growth and development of its subsidiaries.

3Com, Transcend, SuperStack, NETBuilder, NETBuilder II and OfficeConnect are registered trademarks and CoreBuilder, More connected and Traffix are trademarks of 3Com Corporation. All other brands and names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.