John Strassner of Cisco and Jeff Wheeler of PFN Co-Present Workshop At NetWorld+Interop 2000 In Atlanta.

Business/Technology Editors

NetWorld Interop Atlanta 2000

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 18, 2000

-- Two-Day Tutorial To Address the Need For Optimizing Network

Performance Through Policy-Based Management, Quality of Service and

Directory-Enabled Networking --

PFN, Inc., a leading provider of intelligent network communications solutions, announced today that Jeff Wheeler, its chief technology officer, and John Strassner, a Cisco Systems Fellow, will present a two-day tutorial on "Policy, QoS and DEN" at NetWorld+Interop 2000 in Atlanta, Ga. This tutorial will be held September 28-29, 2000 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

During this two-day tutorial, Wheeler and Strassner will offer network design engineers, administrators and managers the most in-depth knowledge available for optimizing network performance and functionality through the use of policy-based management (PBM), Quality of Service (QoS), and directory-enabled networking (DEN) technologies. Wheeler, a former Microsoft network architect, is currently driving PFN's research and development efforts to develop a suite of PBM and DEN solutions. He is also co-author of the policy framework draft in development in the IETF. Strassner is the original inventor of DEN and is responsible for Cisco's PBM, DEN and middleware initiates. He is also chair of the DMTF's Networks working group and co-chair of the IETF's Policy Framework and LDUP working groups.

"Initiatives, such as DEN and PBM, are soon going to be the standards by which technology innovators will shape and develop their network architectures. Their affect on the efficiency and capabilities of traditional network infrastructures will revolutionize how information is stored, shared and retrieved. Our tutorial will explain how network development will evolve based on these exciting advances," said Wheeler.

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. For more information about NetWorld+Interop visit www.interop.com.

About PFN, Inc.

Founded in 1995, PFN, Inc. provides advanced communications architecture and technologies that deliver end-to-end, persistent intelligence, and policy-based quality of service over traditional IP networks. The patented network communications architecture uses policies and distributed directory technologies to support next generation applications such as business-to-business, supply chain, wireless networking, voice over IP, and converged data services.

PFN's FirmLink is a suite of policy-based services that provide a secure, reliable platform for linking a company's internal systems with its suppliers' and partners' systems, quickly, easily, and non-intrusively over the Internet - without extensive software development or technology adoption. PFN is headquartered in Cambridge, MA and holds seven patents for its components and communications processes. To learn more about PFN and FirmLink, please contact 617-494-9980 or visit www.pfn.com.