V.FAST VENDORS PROMISED TOO MUCH, TOO SOON?
The Moment of Truth: V.FC Modems are Not the Same as V.34

MOUNDS VIEW. MN (June 17, 1994)--With the imminent completion of the new
V.34 standard for 28.8K bps modems, users who purchased so-called V.FAST
modems may discover they have made a costly mistake. "Some vendors jumped
the gun on the V.34 standard, and as a result, we're going to have a
situation where modems may not talk to each other at higher speeds," said
Raghu Sharma, president of Multi-Tech Systems, Inc., which this month
began shipping a 28.8K modem that adheres to the standards in the V.34
draft. "This is one case where patience really is a virtue." Modems that
use chipsets known as "V.fc" or "V.FAST Class" may lack several important
capabilities that were added to the V.34 standard after vendors put these
proprietary modems into production. These include:

* V.8 start-up sequence that ensures the highest possible V.34 speed from
the outset. V.fast modems may have a different start-up sequence that is
not compatible with V.8 and therefore will not connect with V.34 modems at
28.8k bps speeds.

* 4D (four-dimensional) encoding that will provide better signal-to-noise
ratio for more accurate data and higher connect percentages at V.34
speeds. V.fast may use a less sophisticated 2D encoding algorithm.

* Rate renegotiation that will facilitate quick-speed changes taking less
than 1 second. V.fast modems may not incorporate rate renegotiation.

Soon the problem of upgrading to the actual standard will be at hand.
Costly replacement of PROMS and components--even field swapping that can
leave users without a modem for days--may be in the offing.

Multi-Tech's new MultiModem II uses an AT&T chip that is compliant with the
V.34 standard drafted and approved by ITU Study Group 14 on June 9, 1994
and submitted to ITU member countries for a final vote. If the V.34
specifications change before final approval, Multi-Tech's 28.8K bps modem
has a FlashROM-based processor that permits quick and easy upgrades by
dialing into the company's BBS and downloading the new code. In contrast,
most V.fc or V.FAST Class modems require inconvenient and sometimes costly
hardware upgrades, component changes or complete modem swap.

"In our industry, there is always a stampede to be first, and when the dust
clears, a lot of users are left holding the bag," Sharma said. "In this
case, the rush to be the first guy on the block with the new generation of
modems may come back to haunt those vendors, or more importantly, their
customers. Despite the best intentions of users and modem makers alike,
there will be many people who just skip the upgrade path, and that will
create compatibility and performance headaches for years to come."

Multi-Tech Systems Inc
2205 Woodale Dr
Mounds View, MN 55112
612-785-3500,  800-328-9717,  fax 612-785-9874

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