ACC's Latest Router Software Boosts Bandwidth for Frame Relay, X.25, ISDN,
and PPP

Flash Memory Upgrade Kit and Release 7.2 Bridge/Router Software Now Gives
Customers Even Greater Savings in Supporting Wide Area Connections

CUPERTINO, Calif. -- Advanced Computer Communications, Inc., (ACC) today
introduced extended software and hardware support for its entire line of
bridge/router devices. With the new features in ACC's Release 7.2 router
software, ACC's exclusive Bandwidth Optimization technology now
encompasses X.25, Frame Relay, Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), and ISDN
connections. As a result, ACC's LAN/WAN devices deliver more packets per
dollar than any competing bridge/router solution. In fact, ACC the only
vendor that supports data compression over Frame Relay, X.25 and ISDN in
the market. And ACC's new Flash Memory Upgrade Kit extends reliability
even further, providing customers with an easy means to download and store
the new router software.

Key features that have been added to Release 7.2 include new data
compression support for X.25, frame relay, and PPP links. The X.25
interface also has been extended to include several new facilities on
public and private packet data networks, such as closed user groups,
reverse charging, and network user identification selection. V.25bis
dialing capability has also been added to Release 7.2 to extend ACC's Dial
Backup and Dial on Demand support to communicate with a broader set of
devices which connect to digital switched services, such as inverse
multiplexers. ACC customers can install Release 7.2 to upgrade their
installed Nile, Tahoe, or Amazon bridge/routers, as well as ACC's 4200 and
4500. Customers who choose to add memory support with the Flash Memory
Upgrade Kit will receive Release 7.2 as part of the package.

In making the announcement, Gary Krall, Vice President of Marketing for
ACC, stated, "This new upgrade combination clearly makes our bridge/router
systems the most versatile and comprehensive on the market. In fact, our
Bandwidth Optimization technology gives us a clear leadership in the
industry since we offer more connectivity features for the lowest cost of
any LAN/WAN hardware vendor. Now, with the new data compression features
added into Release 7.2, we have extended the same cost-savings to X.25,
ISDN, and frame relay networks, which can be the most costly to operate.
With these new features, ACC's bridge/routers can pump more data through
the enterprise at the lowest cost per packet possible."

Extending Data Compression to New Wide Area Services

The data compression algorithm ACC includes as part of its Bandwidth
Optimization technology was introduced two years ago for all dedicated
digital services using HDLC-LAPB. Using a software compression algorithm,
ACC's data compression can dramatically improve throughput over wide area
links from ratios of 2:1 to 10:1, depending on the type of data being
compressed. And because the data compression algorithm is implemented as
software, it is easier to upgrade and can evolve with standardization
efforts.

For users, the real benefit of data compression is optimal use of expensive
wide area links. Since many of these services charge according to connect
time or by the packet, optimizing WAN performance using data compression
can mean real savings. What's more, ACC is the now only vendor to offer
data compression for all major WAN platforms, and the only vendor offering
data compression for frame relay. And ACC's Bandwidth Optimization
technology includes full packet compression, which is more efficient and
more cost-efficient than conventional header compression.

New Extensions for X.25

Release 7.2 has also added a new X.25 Switching Feature that allows an ACC
router to be used as a basic X.25 switch. So with Release 7.2, devices
that use only X.25 and use an unroutable protocol (such as automatic
teller machines) can be connected directly to the router to access X.25
public networks.

The real advantage to users is that X.25 switching combines the router
traffic from the locally attached LAN with the unroutable X.25 traffic.
This saves the cost of having to support multiple X.25 links. A management
command has also been added so network administrators can activate or
deactivate X.25 switching.

The X.25 Switching Feature in Release 7.2 also offers translation of X.121
addresses between local and network ports. For users that already have an
X.25 infrastructure in place, this feature can offer immeasurable benefit
since it means that you can support multiple sets of X.25 addresses as the
network grows. The router is capable of maintaining the pre-established
X.25 addresses, and segmenting new address information for other X.25
networks that may be added to the enterprise infrastructure. As a result
users gain an extensible X.25 platform while realizing substantial savings
in network administration.

To augment support for the X.25 interface in ACC's bridge/router products,
Release 7.2 has added support for closed user-group selection, network
user identifier selection, permanent virtual circuit support, reverse
charging, custom packet-level timers, and throughput class negotiation.
Each of these facilities is controlled by a new command set incorporated
into the Release 7.2 user interface.

Enhanced Dial-up Support with V.25bis

In addition to current support for DTR (Data Terminal Ready) dial and
circuit-switched X.21, Release 7.2 extends dial-up support to external
devices by adding V.25bis. With V.25bis, ACC routers now can support
digital switching networks, such as ISDN, Switched n x 56, and Switched n
x 64 links, as well as other dial-up connections. In fact, ACC is the only
router vendor to incorporate dial-up support using DTR, X.21, and V.25bis
into the same software package.

Using an RS232, RS422, X.21, or V.35 interface (depending on the ACC
hardware), the V.25bis protocol can be used to set up dial-up or redundant
network connections. ACC's Bandwidth Optimization includes dial-up routing
support for switched digital services, which are often more cost-effective
than leased lines for LAN-to-LAN applications. ACC's Dial On Demand places
a call when data is queued for a specific destination that can be reached
by a dial-up connection. Dial Backup automatically calls a backup link to
re-establish a connection when a primary link fails. Dial On Congestion
adds a second link when the primary WAN link becomes congested, then shuts
down that link when the primary link clears. With Release 7.2, all of
these options can be supported over any digital switching network.

Support for Multilink Groups has also been incorporated into release 7.2 so
two or more serial ports can be grouped together and treated as a single
port. The advantage to users is that slower serial links can be grouped
together to provide higher data throughput.

ACC's multilink capability performs inverse multiplexing by treating
multiple physical connections as a single logical link. This allows the
user to achieve higher data rates from multiple lower speed links in the
event that higher speed data rate connections are not available, or
tariffs make the cost of higher speed links prohibitive.

Improving Reliability and Ease-of-Use Through Flash Option
ACC's offers 4 Mbytes of Flash memory as an option purchases of all new
bridge/router units. Now ACC customers can upgrade their installed Nile,
Amazon, and Tahoe units with a new Flash Memory Upgrade Kit. The upgrade
kit makes it easy to upgrade installed hardware on-site. Once installed,
the 4-Mbytes of Flash memory stores the 7.2 router software.

By adding Flash memory support, router customers improve system reliability
by eliminating the need to use the system floppy drive during normal
operation. For Amazon, Tahoe, and Nile bridge/routers, the Flash Memory
Upgrade also improves the remote manageability of ACC bridge/routers,
making it possible to download and store new configuration information and
router software through the network using TFTP (Trivial File Transfer
Protocol) for in-band access, or through an external out-of-band
connection through a console port using ZMODEM.

The Flash Upgrade Module also makes it possible for a bridge/router located
at a central site to act as a download server, providing software support
other Flash-equipped units at remote locations.

Price and Availability

ACC's Release 7.2 router software is available now and will be included
with all new ACC bridge/router products. Customers who currently have a
maintenance contract with ACC will software free of charge. Customers who
do will be charged a nominal media fee.

Pricing for the 4-Mbyte Flash Memory including the Release 7.2 router
software.

About ACC

ACC offers a variety of internetworking products designed for a wide range
of price/performance requirements. Products include Ring Access, for
organizations that want to migrate their SNA traffic onto their Token Ring
backbone; the ACCes/4500 Enterprise Hub, a fault-tolerant,
high-performance bridge/router hub; the ACS4200, a high-performance
multiprotocol bridge/router; the Amazon, a high-performance bridge/router
with an innovative modular architecture that supports both wide and local
area network connections; the Tahoe combination multiprotocol local bridge
and router; and the Nile, a remote, multiprotocol Ethernet and Token Ring
bridge/router.

Advanced Computer Communications develops and markets products that offer
corporate and institutional network managers the ability to interconnect
and manage local- and wide-area data networks and gain mainframe
connectivity. ACC is committed to supporting popular industry standard
protocols and providing products that are designed to adapt to changing
customer requirements at the lowest incremental cost. ACC's bridge/routers
and SNA protocol converters are sold through 90 leading international VARs
and OEMs serving corporate customers, educational institutions,
governments, and PTTs in 40 countries around the world.

Advanced Computer Communications is headquartered at 10261 Bubb Road,
Cupertino, CA 95014; telephone: 1408) 864-0600; FAX: 1408) 446-5234.

 ============================================================
 From the  'New Product Information'  Electronic News Service
 ============================================================
 This information was processed from data provided by the
 above mentioned company. For additional details, contact 
 the company at the address or telephone number indicated.
 OmniPage Pro is now used for converting all printed input! 
 ============================================================
 All submissions for this service should be addressed to:
 BAKER ENTERPRISES,  20 Ferro Dr,  Sewell, NJ  08080  U.S.A.
 Email: RBakerPC (AOL/Delphi), rbakerpc@delphi.com (Internet)
 ============================================================
