RACAL ANNOUNCES ATM INTERFACE AND SONET OC-3 LINKS FOR PREMNET ENTERPRISE
BACKBONE

--PremNet is first fiber backbone system to integrate support for ATM,
SONET/SDH, LAN and non-LAN data, voice and video into a single network--

April 20, 1995 -- SUNRISE, FL -- Racal-Datacom today became the first
company in the industry to offer integrated, multimedia support for ATM
(Asynchronous Transfer Mode), SONET (Synchronous Optical Network), LAN and
non-LAN data, voice and video in a single high speed fiber optic backbone.
With the introduction of the PremNet ATM Interface Module and the PremNet
SONET/SDH Link Modules, organizations can now use Racal's PremNet fiber
backbone system as a cost-effective means to explore emerging SONET and
ATM carrier services across the country, without committing to a massive
capital investment or full-scale replacement of legacy applications.

Painless ATM/SONET Migration

"Our strategy is simple: we're giving network managers the means to
experiment with integrating ATM and SONET with their legacy applications
at their own pace," said Phil Wilson, vice president of the Racal-Datacom
Strategic Fiber Products Division. "Because the PremNet system is highly
scaleable and flexible, network managers can use our ATM interface modules
and SONET/SDH link modules to create everything from a small
point-to-point application to a full-blown wide-area ATM-over-SONET
network."

Demand for both ATM and SONET products and services is expected to grow
rapidly, as increasingly complex applications become the norm. Distance
learning, video conferencing, LAN interconnect, resource sharing,
telephone communications, production control and monitoring, long-distance
mainframe/minicomputer access and highway traffic monitoring are among the
many applications made possible by PremNet.

The move towards introduction of a Bellcore standard, Synchronous Optical
Network (SONET) in the United States and Synchronous Digital Hierarchy
(SDH) in Europe, and the move towards SONET/SDH and ATM standardization in
the fiber optic world, have influenced many network managers to specify
these standards for their fiber backbone systems.

Applications for PremNet ATM

ATM networks operate by transforming streams of information into uniform
53-byte cells. The PremNet ATM interface module enables users to send and
receive ATM traffic across the PremNet fiber backbone, either within a
building, campus or metropolitan-area network or, if used in conjunction
with an ATM switch, across a carrier's backbone ATM network.

By implementing switching (PVC route switching) within the PremNet network,
the ATM interface module eliminates the need for ATM switches at the user
premises in many campus and metro-area configurations. If wide-area ATM
connections are desired, the ATM interface module can connect to ATM
switches and the external ATM network.

In this scenario, shown in Figure 1, the ATM interface module allows
multiple ATM sites on the PremNet network to access a central ATM switch,
greatly reducing infrastructure costs. In short, the ATM interface module
for the PremNet fiber backbone system is a rapid-deployment way to provide
cost-effective ATM transport.

SONET/SDH Links: Immediate 50% Increase in Bandwidth

The PremNet SONET/SDH link modules convert the PremNet backplane data into
SONET or SDH frames, which are transmitted at a bit rate of 155 Mbps. This
bit rate allows the SONET/SDH link cards to pack 30 PremNet TDM timeslots
(an increase in capacity of 50 percent over the standard 20 timeslots at
100 Mbps) into a SONET/SDH frame.

The SONET/SDH link modules contain all of the hardware required to build
and disassemble the STS-3c (or STM-1) frame. Each module consists of a
microprocessor, a sophisticated framing chipset, the transmit and receive
optics and additional custom hardware and software.

Any enterprise can connect to--or between--the public SONET/SDH
infrastructure by connecting their SONET PremNet network through any
industry-standard add-drop multiplexer (ADM) as shown in Figure 2.

Versions, Pricing and Availability

The PremNet SONET link modules are available in two versions,
differentiated by the distance they can transport data between nodes. The
intermediate reach version (for distances up to 40 km) is priced at $6900.
The long reach version (for distances up to 50 km) is $7900. Pricing for
the ATM interface module is $5500. Both the ATM interface module and the
SONET/SDH links will be available in May, 1995.
For product information, call (800) RACAL-55 (USA) or (305) 846-1601
(international calls only).

Racal-Datacom provides network solutions for the delivery and management of
information between headquarters and remote locations. The company's broad
product line includes local area, wide area and metropolitan area
networking systems. Racal-Datacom products and services support
telecommuting and mobile computing, and connect devices such as automatic
teller machines, reservation systems and point-of-sale terminals. Wherever
there is a need to put people in touch with information from central
databases or distant locations, Racal-Datacom offers a solution.

Racal-Datacomm, 1601 N. Harrison Parkway, Sunrise, FL 33323-2899
Mailing Address: PO Box 40744, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33340-7044
305-846-1601;  Fax: 305-846-3935

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