Riverstone Networks Unveils Comprehensive Solution for Metropolitan Area Service Providers.

Business Editors/Technology Writers

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 31, 2000

Products and services enable rapid deployment of high-speed service

rich infrastructure throughout the metropolitan area network

Riverstone Networks Inc. today announced a comprehensive set of solutions for Metropolitan Area Networking Service Providers (MSPs), allowing these next generation providers to rapidly deploy high speed service rich networks based on any technology including Gigabit Ethernet, SONET, ATM, WDM and TDM technologies.

Additionally, Riverstone Networks announces 12 major customer wins across all key segments of the metropolitan area network. These include Telseon, CAIS Internet, Digix, MCI WorldCom, NetRail, British Telecom, Genuity (formerly GTE Internetworking), Intellispace, siteline, Vitts, Telefonica, and eOnline.

These wins are clear indications of the success of the RS family of metropolitan optimized broadband switch routers. The complete RS family encompasses the RS 32000, the RS 8600 and RS 8000 as well as the RS 2000 and RS 2100. Unique in its versatile connectivity, the entire family supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Packet over SONET/SDH, ATM, and T1/E1 and T3/E3 interfaces.

All products in the RS family support a feature set optimized for the metropolitan area network--including feature rich routing, traffic engineering, provisioning and billing supported through BGP, IS-IS, OSPF, MPLS, DiffServ, traffic shaping and accounting. Riverstone is the only vendor to offer all services, wire speed performance and comprehensive interface support across all platforms.

The combination of rich functionality and versatile connectivity enables MSPs to roll out service without waiting for fiber pulls--a crucial advantage in the time-to-market battle.

Raj Mehta, senior analyst for RHK Inc. notes "Our data show that very few buildings have fiber to the curb. Capturing market share will require that MSPs be able to rapidly light up buildings with a variety of technologies. Companies such as Riverstone, that provide their MSP partners with media versatility, are well positioned to benefit from crucial time to market advantages."

Paul Johnson, Senior Technology Analyst at Robertson Stevens agrees. "Riverstone's RS family of broadband switch routers is unique in providing MSPs access and aggregation platforms that enable both high speed performance and versatile connectivity. Riverstone provides a wide array of access technology T1, N X T1, T3, ATM, SONET, and Gigabit Ethernet, which provides its MSP partners with a key competitive advantage--namely time to market."

Providing competitive advantage to service providers throughout the metropolitan area network is a core focus at Riverstone Networks. "We are committed to ensuring that our MSP partners enjoy all of the revenue generating opportunities available through both Ethernet and TDM. Our chassis based RS platform offers the industry's premier Gigabit Ethernet solutions while combining the benefits of versatile connectivity from T1 through Packet over SONET OC-48c speeds," said Romulus Pereira, President and CEO of Riverstone Networks.

All members of the RS family of broadband switch routers are optimized for the Metropolitan Area Network and are available today.

RS 32000

Riverstone's RS 32000 offers the industry's highest density Metro Aggregation platform capable of connecting thousands of customer locations over Gigabit Ethernet, ATM, Packet over SONET/SDH and WDM. In addition, the RS 32000 scales to support QoS, traffic shaping, routing and security for up to 1,000,000 connections. The RS 32000 also offers high density Metro POP data center connectivity by supporting up to 240 Gigabit Ethernet ports in a 7 foot rack.

RS 8000/8600

The RS 8000/8600 provides low cost, high performance aggregation that scales to meet the growing demand for interconnectivity from the metropolitan networking backbone. With the ability to terminate any media type from Gigabit Ethernet to ATM, Packet over SONET/SDH and TDM, the RS 8000 and 8600 provide a flexible and scalable aggregation platform. Through a combination of robust routing, MPLS, and subscriber management, the RS 8000 and 8600 allow Metro providers to traffic engineer the network without requirement constraints on the in building access platform.

RS 2000/2100

The RS 2000 and 2100 are designed and optimized for metropolitan access. Versatile connectivity drives time to market as MSPs can bring buildings on line with any media type. In addition, the RS 2000 and 2100 platforms offer comprehensive traffic shaping, and a full suite of integrated APIs enable real time billing at the individual user level.

All members of the RS family support Advanced Metropolitan Area Networking features including:

--  Versatile connectivity. All members of the RS family support
    Gigabit Ethernet, ATM, Packet over SONET/SDH and WDM.

--  Bandwidth Carving and Policing By-the-Bit. Enables service
    providers to sell bandwidth in bit level increments and to police
    usage to ensure that contractual bandwidth levels are maintained.

--  Real-time, Dynamic Billing. Ensures irrefutable billing statistics
    are collected without performance degradation--in addition open
    APIs enable customization to this best of breed accounting and
    billing.

--  Rock Solid Security. Provided by hardware based filters, as well
    as security producing traffic engineering through MPLS for
    VPN--all at wire-speed

--  Battle Tested Internet Routing Software. Full support for BGP,
    IS-IS, OSPF, MBGP, MPLS, and DiffServ.

About Riverstone Networks

Riverstone Networking equipment enables Metropolitan Service Providers, Internet Service Providers, Content and Application Service Providers to rapidly deploy, high-speed, service rich infrastructure. Riverstone's products facilitate rapid subscriber growth, prevent subscriber churn, and increase operator profitability, through an unsurpassed combination of versatile connectivity, flexible IP services, massive scalability and ease of deployment. Sold in more than 40 countries, Riverstone products are based on a unique combination of ASIC technology and battle tested routing software. Riverstone solutions are deployed in some of the world's largest production networks - including British Telecom, Genuity, MCI WorldCom, MAE West Ames, Earthlink, Telefonica, and BellSouth. Riverstone Networks, is backed by Silver Lake Partners, the Partners of Integral Capital and Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers as well as by Cabletron Systems (NYSE: CS). Please visit us at www.riverstonenet.com.