NetRail Signs Agreement to Purchase Ascend's New GRF 1600 High-Performance IP Switch; Large Backbone Provider to Deploy GRF 1600 to Deliver High Speed IP Networking to ISPs.ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 19, 1997--Ascend Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :ASND ASND A Streetcar Named Desire (play) ), today announced an agreement with NetRail, one of the nation's largest Internet backbone providers, for the purchase of GRF GRF Graph (File Name Extension) GRF General Revenue Fund (Canada) GRF General Revenue Fund (United States) GRF Growth hormone-Releasing Factor GRF Global Relief Foundation 1600 IP Switches. Using Ascend's robust IP switches, NetRail will offer a high performance, fully integrated solution for Internet connectivity. With the GRF 1600, NetRail will be able to increase its backbone speed to OC3 levels (155 Mbps). NetRail, based in Virginia, provides centralized Internet access through its Atlanta Network Access Point (NAP) and Metropolitan Area Exchange East (MAE (1) (Metropolitan Area Exchange) Originally known as Metropolitan Area Ethernets, MAEs are junction points on the Internet where data is exchanged between carriers. See IXP and NAP. East), Ameritech NAP (Chicago), Pacific Bell NAP (San Francisco), Metropolitan Area Exchange West (MAE West), and Sprint Pennsauken NAP. NetRail's customers include individuals, businesses, organizations, and government agencies, as well as Internet Service Providers Internet service provider (ISP) Company that provides Internet connections and services to individuals and organizations. For a monthly fee, ISPs provide computer users with a connection to their site (see data transmission), as well as a log-in name and password. (ISPs), ranging from large, international companies to regionally-based providers. "Ascend has raised the bar once again," said Nathan Stratton, president of NetRail. "The capabilities afforded to NetRail by the GRF 1600 will allow us to maintain our strong growth, forgoing the impending im·pend intr.v. im·pend·ed, im·pend·ing, im·pends 1. To be about to occur: Her retirement is impending. 2. routing saturation affecting other large ISPs. With the GRF 1600's 16 Gb/s aggregate bandwidth, NetRail can process an increasing number of routes without the risk of route flap or network meltdown, and continue to meet the demands of our customers." The GRF 1600 is the newest member of Ascend's family of high performance IP switches, delivering up to 10 million packets per second (pps) aggregate performance. Combining a 16 gigabit non-blocking switch with distributed IP Forwarding Media Cards, the GRF 1600 achieves line speed packet forwarding, even in dynamic networks such as the Internet. "Ascend is delivering the network infrastructure required to support the growth of today's largest networks, like NetRail," said Mark Garver, Ascend's vice president and general manager of its high-performance networking division. "Our state-of-the-art technology will help NetRail revolutionize its business by minimizing Internet congestion The condition of a network when there is not enough bandwidth to support the current traffic load. congestion - When the offered load of a data communication path exceeds the capacity. problems and providing predictable, higher network performance to customers." About NetRail Founded in 1994 as an Internet service provider to the greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area, NetRail has quickly established itself as one of the twelve largest Internet backbone providers in the United States. From basic full-time dialup to multi-megabit leased lines, NetRail provides a complete range of connectivity services and solutions for individuals, businesses, organizations, and governments agencies. With the recent launch of its Atlanta-based NAP, NetRail now allows Internet providers to exchange data locally throughout the southeast. More information about NetRail can be found at www.netrail.net . About Ascend Communications Ascend Communications, Inc. is a leading, worldwide provider of remote networking solutions for corporate central sites, Carriers and Internet Service Providers' points of presence, remote offices, mobile workers and telecommuters. Ascend develops, manufactures, markets, sells and supports products which utilize bandwidth on demand to extend existing corporate networks for applications such as remote LAN (Local Area Network) A communications network that serves users within a confined geographical area. The "clients" are the user's workstations typically running Windows, although Mac and Linux clients are also used. access, Carrier services and Internet access, telecommuting telecommuting, an arrangement by which people work at home using a computer and telephone, transmitting work material to a business office by means of a modem and telephone lines; it is also known as telework. , SOHO Soho (sōhō`, sə–), district of Westminster, London, England, known for its continental restaurants. Once a fashionable quarter, it became popular among writers and artists in the 19th cent. connectivity, and videoconferencing/multimedia access. Detailed information on Ascend products, news announcements, seminars, service and support is available on Ascend's home page at the World Wide Web site http://www.ascend.com . Ascend is headquartered at One Ascend Plaza, 1701 Harbor Bay Parkway, Alameda, California 94502. Phone: 800/ASCEND4; Fax: 510/814-2300; E-mail: info@ascend.com . -0- Note to Editors: The GRF 1600 will be available in North America in April. CONTACT: Gallagher PR Shannon Malliet, 510/747-2254 smalliet@ascend.com |
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