Ramp Networks Partners With PairGain to Deliver Small Office DSL Solutions - Company Business and Marketing

Cambridge Telcom Report, May 8, 2000

Ramp Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: RAMP), a leading provider of next-generation Internet services platforms for the small office, "The Intelligent Edge," Tuesday announced a partnership with PairGain Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: PAIR), the power behind DSL access, to jointly develop and market DSL solutions for the small office market. As part of the agreement, Ramp receives preferred supplier status for IDSL (Integrated Digital Subscriber Line) customer premise equipment (CPE) for PairGain's Avidia System for the next two years. The partnership will benefit small office environments by bringing together PairGain's expertise in the design, manufacture and sale of DSL networking systems with Ramp's leadership in providing Internet services platforms.

Ramp and PairGain will jointly develop interoperable IDSL solutions aimed at carriers that serve the small office market. The solution will include an IDSL line card for the Avidia System integrated DSL access switch, along with a WebRamp 450i IDSL product. IDSL is ideal for small offices located up to 36,000 feet from a telco central office because IDSL operates through Digital Loop Carriers (DLCs) and ISDN repeaters that can extend broadband connectivity further than other DSL access technologies.

PairGain will also perform interoperability testing on Ramp's complete line of SDSL, ADSL, G.lite, G.shdsl and voice-enabled integrated access devices. Upon successful completion of interoperability testing, WebRamp products become certified in PairGain's Authorized Partner Program and become part of PairGain's product portfolio.

"We are delighted to be working so closely with PairGain on making DSL more accessible to small office users looking for high-speed Internet access," said Raghu Bathina, vice president of the Broadband Products Unit for Ramp Networks. "Our combined talents will speed development of features key to the small office, including integrated network management and provisioning software capabilities that simplify customer deployments."

"In order to fully take advantage of the small office market opportunity, service providers need fully interoperable and easily managed DSL equipment for the central office and the customer premise," said Ahmet Tuncay, vice president of Product Management for PairGain. "Our partnership with Ramp will enable us to more quickly deliver a turnkey DSL solution, so service providers can profit from the growing small office market."

The Avidia System is a next-generation DSL access switch that enables CLECs and ILECs worldwide to deploy advanced data services, such as voice over DSL (VoDSL), virtual private networks (VPNs), business Internet access and video on demand. Avidia's architecture supports frame and cell switching over G.lite, ADSL, SDSL, HDSL2, IDSL and DS-1 interfaces. Avidia is NEBS level 3 compliant and has also demonstrated interoperability with a variety of G.lite modems and VoDSL integrated access devices.

Ramp's Intelligent Edge platform strategy enables new managed services and applications through software downloads rather than field replacement or upgrading as required by other products, making it easy for small businesses to add new services as their needs expand. Ramp's next-generation WebRamp routers feature a high-performance RISC processor to handle security protocols such as IPSec and Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol, PPPoE, Check Point VPN and firewall capability.

PairGain is the leader in the design, manufacture, marketing and sale of DSL networking systems. Service providers and private network operators worldwide use PairGain's products to deploy DSL-based services such as high-speed Internet, remote LAN access and enterprise LAN extension. On February 23, 2000 PairGain announced that it and ADC Telecommunications (Nasdaq: ADCT) had reached an agreement for the acquisition of PairGain by ADC.

For more than 10 years, PairGain has been recognized as a technology leader and industry innovator of telecommunications equipment. The Company offers the widest range of DSL-based systems available. Product lines include HiGain Solitaire HDSL2 solutions, HiGain T1/E1 access systems, PG-FlexPlus, PG-Flex and PG-Plus subscriber carrier systems, the Avidia System, Megabit Modems and Campus-RS DSL access products. Well over 1.5 million PairGain DSL nodes are installed in over 70 countries. Additional information about the Company is available on the Internet at www.pairgain.com.

Ramp Networks is a leading provider of next-generation Internet services platforms for the small office. The award-winning WebRamp family is an intelligent and highly-integrated access platform that enables Internet based business-to-business and business-to-consumer applications and managed services to the customer "edge" of the network. The WebRamp Intelligent Edge is a strategic component in the transition of the current network infrastructure to Next Generation IP Networks, allowing software and services to be easily delivered to the small office and branch office and managed centrally by carriers and service providers. The WebRamp family is available for ADSL, SDSL, IDSL, G.Lite, analog, ISDN, cable, and managed services including VoDSL, IP fax and security. Products are available through Internet service providers, local exchange carrier partners and through Ramp's extensive VAR channel. Ramp Networks is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA, with sales locations throughout the world. For more information, visit the Web site at www.rampnet.com or contact Ramp at 888-726-7638 or fax 408-988-6363.