Symmetricom Announces TimeSource 1000; Card-Level GPS-Based Clock System for OEM Applications.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 26, 1999-- -0-

     -- Highly accurate new clock subsystem resolves GPS limitations;

     -- Small, low cost OEM card-level design;

     -- Uses optional secondary time source inputs--T1/E1,
     CDMA/GSM--for robustness and deployment flexibility in face of
     lost or compromised GPS.

-0-

Symmetricom (NASDAQ:SYMM), the worldwide leader in synchronization, timing and location for telecommunications, today announced TimeSource 1000, a low-cost GPS clock designed for cellular/PCS base station timing applications.

A small card subsystem based on Symmetricom's proprietary XR7 GPS engine and BesTime(TM) intelligent clock technologies, TimeSource 1000 sets a new size/cost/performance standard for GPS clocks. "With TimeSource 1000, incorporating a GPS clock into a total system solution has become simpler and more cost effective than ever. Delivering a robust feature set and configuration options, TimeSource 1000 offers a system designer the flexibility to deploy GPS-based timing in a broad range of applications, including cellular/PCS base stations and advanced transmission equipment such as ATM nodes," noted Jim Caldwell, Symmetricom's senior vice president of marketing and business development.

"Symmetricom pioneered the deployment of GPS-based synchronization in the global wireline network," commented Thomas Steipp, chief executive officer of Symmetricom. "With TimeSource 1000, we are leveraging our synchronization and timing expertise into a low-cost card-level system designed to fulfill the price/performance requirements of OEM equipment manufacturers addressing the cellular/PCS market. This market opportunity could represent tens-of-thousands of potential installations in wireless telecommunications networks."

TimeSource 1000 meets CDMA timing specifications using a single oven quartz oscillator, compared to other designs that require a more costly double oven arrangement. When receiving GPS signals, accuracy is within 50 nanoseconds of GPS, sufficient synchronization for mobile handset location applications.

Thanks to Symmetricom's proprietary BesTime(TM) clock engine technology, TimeSource 1000 can employ optional secondary timing inputs in addition to GPS and an internal quartz oscillator to provide precision timing at the Stratum 1 level (frequency accuracy of 1 x 10 -11) for up to 72 hours upon loss of GPS. This is three times longer than the best conventional GPS clock subsystems now on the market. In addition to supporting applications requiring the highest reliability, this capability allows TimeSource 1000 to maintain Stratum 1 performance in environments where the GPS signal is intermittent or compromised.

A variety of sources may be used as secondary timing references, including the T1/E1 span lines and CDMA radio transmissions. Future releases of the TimeSource 1000 may allow secondary timing references from paging networks, Glonass, external oscillators, or a rubidium clock module. Through the use of secondary timing references, TimeSource 1000 can be deployed in a master-slave configuration allowing continuous high quality operation even when GPS satellite line-of-sight is not available at slave site locations.

Based on Symmetricom's newest two-chip XR7 GPS kernel, TimeSource 1000 features a conditioned 12-channel GPS receiver that minimizes the effects of selective availability and interference. The 160 x 100 x 50-mm card also includes an embedded sync MIB (management information base) for centralized network management.

For more information, please contact Don Skipwith, Symmetricom, 2300 Orchard Parkway, San Jose, CA 95131. Phone [phone], e-mail [e-mail] or fax [phone]. On the web, www.symmetricom.com.

Symmetricom, Inc. (NASDAQ:SYMM) conducts its business through two separate operating units. Telecom Solutions provides advanced network synchronization products that play a critical role in the operation and quality of service of sophisticated telecommunications networks. Telecom Solutions' customers include network operators and network infrastructure providers. Linfinity Microelectronics Inc. is an analog IC manufacturer delivering power management devices to both commercial and defense customers. Linfinity's new product development efforts are focused on light, sound, and power management products for desktop and mobile computing platforms.

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is subject to the safe harbor created by those Sections. These forward looking statements include statements concerning the Company's expectations regarding future product availability, demand and shipments. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Some factors which could cause future actual results to differ materially from the Company's projected results in the forward-looking information are timing, cancellation or delay of customer orders, delays in new product development, introduction and production startup, increased competition, customer acceptance of new products, economic conditions in the Pacific Rim region and elsewhere, customer delays in qualification of key new products, and the risk factors listed from time to time in the Company's reports, on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to, the report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 1998, and the report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 1998.