Tiara Networks and Unisphere Networks Announce Interoperability for Three to 12 Mbit IP Services Access; Tiara Named Partner in Unisphere Networks' IS POP Partner Program.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 22, 2002

Tiara Networks, a leader in multi-link access and aggregation solutions announces interoperability of its T-1400 multi-megabit access router with Unisphere Networks' ERX edge routing family of products.

Tiara's two, four and eight-port T1 access routers provide an alternative to expensive DS3 circuits for more than 1.5 Mbps of data. By using the Multi-Link Point-to-Point Protocol (MLPPP), bundled connections of three to 12 Mbps can be used between customers and their managed IP service providers.

With completion of this interoperability testing, Tiara joins a growing number of leading technology partners in Unisphere Networks' Intelligent Service Point of Presence (IS POP(TM)) Partner Program. IS POP Partners are committed to delivering proven carrier-grade products that -- combined with Unisphere Networks' IS POP suite of products and services -- enable services providers to create, deploy and scale revenue-generating services.

"We're excited to demonstrate interoperability with a market leader like Unisphere Networks," said Paul Smith, president and CEO, Tiara Networks. "Becoming a member of the IS POP Partner Program further validates Tiara's commitment to cost-effective solutions for high-bandwidth IP services."

Tiara's family of multi-megabit access routers features user-friendly configuration, dynamic routing and cost-effective configurations for customer-premise IP service equipment. Tiara's advanced FloSmart QoS software enforces Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and efficient bandwidth utilization by VLAN identifiers, application and/or address. Tiara's products also provide link-speed performance, even when utilizing packet filtering, access control lists and Network Address Translation (NAT). Detailed statistics are available per traffic class or T1 bundle to allow optimal management of service resources.

"The Tiara and Unisphere Networks partnership enables service providers to offer additional multi-megabit bandwidth to accommodate next generation services for their customers, without requiring truck-rolls or price increases," said Tony Scarfo, vice president of marketing and business development, Unisphere Networks Inc. "We are very pleased with the Multi-link PPP performance between the Tiara access router and the ERX edge router. The price and performance benefits that Unisphere and Tiara offer together create a very compelling partnership for managed IP service providers."

The Unisphere Networks' ERX family of edge routers delivers the next-generation IP infrastructure that enables many of the world's leading service providers to deploy high-speed Internet connections and value-added IP services to both businesses and consumers. The ERX product family provides wire-speed performance, sophisticated routing capabilities, carrier-class reliability and high capacity port density, and features leading-edge technologies such as IP QoS, Virtual Private Networks and MPLS. Used in combination with Unisphere Networks' Service Selection Center (SSC), ERX Edge Routers provide a comprehensive dynamic service creation, activation and accounting system that delivers revenue-generating services, such as tiered Internet and media rich services. Unisphere Networks' ERX product family includes four models: the high-capacity ERX-1440, the mid-range ERX-1400 and ERX-710 and the low-end and ERX-705. Each model features a full suite of Internet routing protocols, including BGP-4, IS-IS, OSPF and RIP.

"We see this partnership as a combination that is good for IP service providers and their customers," said Liza Henderson, vice president of consulting at TeleChoice, a strategic catalyst for the telecom industry. "Small and medium businesses are outgrowing their T1 bandwidth, but T3 or fractional T3 pricing is still unrealistic for many of these companies. The Tiara and Unisphere Networks' solution allow service providers to easily meet bandwidth demand at a price that makes sense for both the provider and the customer."

TiOS(TM) release 4.6, including Multilink PPP and Multilink Frame Relay, FloSmart(TM) QoS, VLAN tagging, and dynamic routing is now available.

About Tiara Networks

Tiara Networks, is a leading provider of intelligent access and aggregation routers that enable service providers to deliver broadband access and value-added IP services to enterprise users. Tiara's family of access and aggregation router products is purpose-built for delivery of cost-effective, high performance services leveraging existing network infrastructures.

Headquartered in San Jose, Tiara Networks provides its intelligent access and aggregation routers to over 70 customers and channel partners. For additional information, visit Tiara Networks online at www.tiaranetworks.com or send email to [e-mail].

About the IS POP Partner Program

Unisphere Networks is one of the leading suppliers of Internet Protocol (IP) infrastructure solutions. In order to deliver complete revenue-generating solutions to customers worldwide, Unisphere Networks offers the following features in its IS POP partnership program:

-- Proven interoperability with Unisphere Networks equipment

-- Carrier-grade compatibility

-- Well-trained channels partners with worldwide support

-- Award-winning technology

-- Industry alliances to ensure long-term investment security

About Unisphere Networks

Unisphere Networks Inc. is a leading provider of carrier-grade IP networking solutions to enable data, voice and rich media services. The Unisphere Networks' Intelligent Service Point of Presence (IS POP(TM)) product framework, along with its service and support organization, enables leading service providers to deploy revenue-generating services with quality, reliability and wire-speed performance at the network edge. Founded in 1999, the company is headquartered in Westford, Mass. More than 30 sales offices worldwide and a network of international resellers serve its globally diverse customer base. For more information, visit the Web site at: http://www.unispherenetworks.com.