Microtest Enhances Its Flagship Cable Test Product - OMNIScanner2; Latest Software Heralds New Advances in Data Management, Measurement Technology, and User Interface.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 19, 2000

Microtest(R) Inc. (NASDAQ: MTST), the technology leader in network cable testing today announced significant enhancements to both the OMNIScanner(TM)2 and its complementary suite of cable analysis software, Scanlink(TM) Tools.

Released simultaneously, these software enhancements provide new capabilities that further strengthen the OMNIScanner2's acceptance among premise structured wiring installers and network managers. New accessories that complement these technology releases were also announced. Advancements can be broken down into three principle areas: measurement technology, data management, and user interface enhancements.

Measurement Technology

OMNIScanner2 is now the only field cable test product on the market capable of meeting tough new Category 6 permanent link and channel measurement requirements. Full vector correction is now applied to Category 6 link adapters so their effects on link measurements are eliminated. This gives tester operators the most accurate results available. Permanent link correction works with both OMNIScanner2 and the original OMNIScanner through an easy software update. Microtest's vendor specific Cat6 link adapters and its own Cat5e/6 link adapter, which is bundled with the OMNIScanner2, contain special calibration data in the memory of the link adapter itself which is read by the OMNIScanner and used to apply correction to measurements.

Microtest's patent-pending Adaptive Vector Cancellation (AVC) technology is also fully enabled in this latest software release. AVC allows simple, accurate and most of all practical measurement of installed structured wiring channels in the field. A channel is an integrated network cabling system that includes all the wiring, patching systems and connector elements that may affect an operating network's performance. A channel most closely resembles what cabling network users actually traverse when communicating from PCs to servers and through routers and other active network components. Industry standards and best practices dictate that together this "system" meet some minimum performance level. Microtest is the only company, through OMNIScanner2 and its recent version 4 software release, currently capable of performing accurate channel measurements practically in the field. Installers benefit from accurate and precise channel measurements as well as from the "adaptive" nature of Microtest's solution. A single AVC-enabled Channel Adapter attached to the OMNIScanner2 can test anyone's Category 5e or 6 cabling and connector system because the measurement "adapts" to the connection system environment. AVC channel measurement capability is proprietary to Microtest and is available only in OMNIScanner2 and for the original OMNIScanner (by separate purchase of the Cat 6 Channel Adapter, US MSRP $169).

COAX cable measurement technology through an OMNICoax Adapter was added to the latest OMNIScanner2 release. Structured wiring installers and network managers often encounter jobs requiring assessment of CATV or CCTV cabling in addition to their twisted pair testing requirements. With OMNICoax, a tester operator can determine COAX termination status and measure coaxial cable length, impedance and resistance. The OMNICoax Adapter is available as an accessory for OMNIScanner and OMNIScanner2 for US MSRP $199.

Data Management

The OMNIScanner2 now has a new removable Flash Card data storage system for test results and configuration data. Microtest is employing new MMC Flash Cards, popularized in today's most advanced digital cameras, in the OMNIScanner2. With the most recent software release, great productivity gains can be achieved by storing and managing test results and configuration data on the Flash Cards. In addition to the extended storage capacity afforded in a single Flash Card, their removability effectively makes the OMNIScanner2's Autotest storage capacity unlimited. And, the flexibility to change a Flash Card and keep on testing or even supply actual field test results on Flash Cards to customers or "testing supervisors" makes this new data storage scheme a boon to productivity. 32MB MMC Flash Cards (US MSRP $229) and an MMC Flash Card Reader (US MSRP $149) compatible with OMNIScanner2 and Scanlink are now available from Microtest as well as from other manufacturers worldwide.

The OMNIScanner2 now also has the fastest data download capability currently available in field cable testers with its Universal Serial Bus (USB) port and supporting software. Tester operators can now transfer data and results 10 times faster than with a serial port. Installers will spend less time managing results and will have more time to install cable and test it.

User Interface Enhancements

The OMNIScanner2 is the first tester to track the number of tests run by each individual link adapter. This is important because with the many specialized Category 6 and advanced cabling link adapters now on the market, made with different materials, they have different life expectancies. Tester operators can now track usage and replace or upgrade adapters before wear and tear degrades their performance.

OMNIScanner2 localization has been extended to access the significant Brazilian market with inclusion of Portuguese localization. Portuguese was added to five other resident languages in the OMNIScanner2 user interface. Further, Kanji and Simple Chinese certification report output capability was added to Scanlink version 6.

Many other user interface enhancements were made including Windows 2000 support, new updated link limits compatible with the latest standards, a new updated OEM cable library, selectable worst margin/worst case viewing and reporting, custom test limit line definition capability, and support for full 32 character file names (full 32 bit support in Scanlink).

"These releases have significant new value for everyone, whether you're a cable installer, network manager, or laboratory engineer. This is the most powerful upgrade to the OMNIScanner line since its original introduction," said Mark Johnston, Senior Director of Technology Development. "International cabling standards have changed rapidly, and the OMNIScanner2 is now the sole product on the market that is fully compliant with the tough new permanent link and channel measurement requirements."

The OMNIScanner version 4 and Scanlink version 6 software releases are available free over the Internet to all registered OMNIScanner and OMNIScanner2 users. For additional information about these new enhancements or for information about where to buy the new MMC Flash Memory Cards and MMC Card Reader, the OMNICoax Adapter, USB cables, the Cat 6 Channel Adapter or other OMNIScanner2 accessories or products, please call Microtest at 1-602-952-6400 or visit www.microtest.com/OMNIScanner2.

Microtest's purpose is to bring people and information together with innovative technology that simplifies evolving networks. Microtest is a leader in network test and measurement products such as OMNIScanner(TM)2, PentaScanner(R), CertiFiber(TM), and OMNIFiber(TM) and network appliances and storage such as DiscZerver(TM), FileZerver(TM) and LinuxZerver(TM). Headquartered in Phoenix, Microtest has international offices in Munich, Germany; Crawley, United Kingdom; Beijing, and Singapore. Visit Microtest at www.microtest.com.