Tiara Networks Expands Its Next-Generation Service Aggregation Offering; The Solution Supercharges both POP Aggregation and Customer Network Access.

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 8, 2000

With the addition of new products and features that support Frame Relay and Multi-link Frame Relay (MFR), Tiara Networks today announced a new-world broadband aggregation solution that allows service providers to meet the exploding demands of their business customers for higher-speed Internet, Frame Relay, and enterprise network connectivity.

Tiara's high-density, compact, service-aggregation product line lowers the cost of deploying Points of Presence (POPs), preserves scarce rack space, and supercharges expensive routers and switches by utilizing a more cost-effective distributed POP architecture. In addition, Tiara's solution allows service providers to deliver broadband access by combining affordable and available T1 circuits into a new scaleable, virtual, multi-megabit-access offering that fills the huge bandwidth, price, and availability gaps between T1 (1.5Mbps) and T3 (45Mbps).

"Tiara's service aggregation solution is just what we need to maintain our competitiveness with a more affordably priced network access offering," said Mark Fedor, vice president of engineering for PSINet. "Tiara offers a complete, high-performance, high-density, cost-effective solution in a compact chassis with low power consumption that is easy to provision and manage remotely. And the companion systems for the customer premises offers an affordable and dependable solution for PSINet's subscribers, which are starting to demand symmetric Internet services in the bandwidth gap between T1 and T3 data rates."

"Tiara Networks' new service aggregation solution offers an appealing range of access options to service providers, and to enterprises that want to connect sites," according to industry analyst William A. Flanagan, program director at The Burton Group. "Today's high-end routers and switches are not optimized for aggregation. That function is better off-loaded to devices that are designed for it and that are able to scale cost-effectively in a distributed POP infrastructure. Tiara's next-generation offering brings substantial flexibility, scalability, and affordability to the market."

Supercharging Service Aggregation

Today's approach to service aggregation is both expensive and limited. Aggregation of multiple access services is an after-thought for most routers and switches. Adding aggregation to these costly platforms consumes precious resources and interferes with their intended task of routing packets or switching frames. In addition, most routers and switches are unable to accommodate subscribers who require broadband data rates between T1 and T3. The expense and limitations of today's aggregation methods are driving service providers to seek a better alternative.

Tiara Networks allows service providers to supercharge the existing infrastructure in a way that preserves and protects their investment, reduces overall operating costs, improves network reliability, and supports new revenue-generating services. Offloading aggregation from the router or switch frees up the resources on these expensive platforms, giving each the expanded capacity necessary to handle ever-increasing traffic loads and new bandwidth-intensive applications. Offloading aggregation also allows services to be cost-effectively distributed to POPs closer to the customer, enabling more effective utilization of access and backhaul circuits while grooming traffic into expensive switch and router ports located at larger POPs.

The cost-effective, compact design of Tiara's full-service aggregation concentrator is ideal for "lights out" operation in co-location or MTU office building arrangements. By supporting multi-protocol fractional T1, T1, and NxT1 network access in a single unit, service providers can satisfy the full spectrum of customer needs, including broadband. The multi-service, distributed architecture afforded by Tiara's approach adds virtually unlimited scalability for both service providers and their business subscribers.

"Tiara's solution, with its small footprint and robust feature set, is purpose-built for the next-generation stratified POP architecture," said Kash Mitra, Tiara's vice president of marketing. "Our service-provider customers especially appreciate the profitability they can achieve through a combination of new revenue-generating services and lower operating costs."

The Tiara Networks Product Line

The Tiara product line consists of aggregation systems for service-provider POPs and access equipment for the customer premises. The Tiara aggregation products offer Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Competitive and Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs and ILECs), and Frame Relay service providers an economical solution that integrates and scales access for Internet and Frame Relay services between 56 kbps and 45 Mbps. Aggregation concentrators installed at POPs connect to channelized DS3 or individual T1 circuits to aggregate and backhaul fractional T1, T1, and NxT1 access services from multiple customers.

With the 7000 Series, Tiara is introducing a new generation of Frame Relay switching and aggregation solutions that redefine the performance, affordability, and space metrics of multi-service frame aggregation platforms. High-performance support for the Frame Relay Forum's new Multi-link Frame Relay (MFR) protocol as well as for standard Frame Relay are key elements of the 7000 Series' advanced architecture. Tiara is also adding MFR and Frame Relay support to the existing Series 6000 IP aggregation product line. Both series support Internet access and enterprise networking applications and with their compact packaging, high density, and remote manageability are designed specifically for next-generation distributed POPs environments.

Tiara has also added support for Multi-link Frame Relay to its Series 1000 Access Concentrators, which are deployed at the customer premises. These products provide a flexible and affordable solution for multi-megabit access, supercharging ordinary copper local-loop wiring. The Series 1000 achieves high-speed, high-performance, symmetric access from 3 to 12 Mbps by efficiently bundling multiple copper lines together using standard Multi-link PPP and now MFR protocols. The different models support both Internet access and enterprise networking applications and can be managed remotely by the service provider or end user.

Tiara Network's unique technology supercharges Service Providers' networks for new-world aggregation solutions, and multi-megabit Internet and Frame Relay access. Tiara enables Service Providers to meet the scalability, performance, and bandwidth requirements for next-generation broadband networking while maximizing return on their existing infrastructure.

About Tiara Networks

Tiara Networks Incorporated, a Silicon Valley-based networking company, provides broadband access systems that supercharge IP and Frame Relay networks, enabling new-world networking solutions for both service providers and end users. For additional information, please visit Tiara Networks on-line at www.tiaranetworks.com.

Note to Editors: See the separate press release titled "Tiara Networks Announces Industry's First Multi-link Frame Relay Service Aggregation Solution" for details about the new products.