Technology and government organizations unite to build ATM network; Bay Networks LattisCell ATM switch used in nationwide ARIES demonstration

Business Wire,  Dec 8, 1994  

Tags: ATM

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SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 8, 1994--Bay Networks Inc. (NASDAQ:BNET) and ARIES Thursday demonstrated a nationwide ATM network that serves as a model for the National Information Infrastructure.

ARIES (ATM Research and Industrial Enterprise Study) is a project initiated by Amoco Corp. that joins 21 network, telecommunications and government organizations to design an advanced ATM network. While initially designed for the petroleum industry to improve seismic research quality and reduce the process time, the system can be utilized in any business that can benefit from a high-speed, simultaneous video and data network.

"ATM technology can help American businesses be more competitive by saving time and money and allowing workers across the country to share critical data and images in real time," said Dave Beering, ARIES program manager, Amoco Corp.

Coast to Coast Videoconferencing

The central point of the network is at the demonstration site in Washington, D.C., which receives images via a T-1 satellite link from the offshore oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico. The information is then sent over a DS3 ATM network to locations in Chicago, Houston and Minneapolis.

Researchers at each site can simultaneously access the high-resolution video images for real-time conferencing and decision-making. In the past, video images were transmitted at 1.5 Mbps, which proved to be too slow to be effective. With the cell-based ATM network, videos are sent at 45 Mbps, providing the speed, bandwidth and security for interactive video and high-resolution imagery.

LattisCell -- The Network Foundation

The SynOptics LattisCell ATM switch from Bay Networks is a key component of the ARIES project, providing high-bandwidth switching technology and control points in Washington. Based on SynOptics' Fast Matrix technology, LattisCell offers the low cost, small size and high-performance features required to accelerate the acceptance of switching technology. The LattisCell switch connects Sun Microsystems workstations in a local area network and transmits data to other sites using a wide area connection.

In addition to Bay Networks and Amoco Corp., ARIES participants include the American Petroleum Institute, Ameritech, Cabletron Systems, Cisco Systems, Digital Link, Fore Systems, General DataComm, Hewlett-Packard, Interphase, Minnesota Supercomputer Center, MFS Communications, Network Equipment Technologies, NASA, Newbridge, Sprint, Sun Microsystems, Teleport Communications Group, the U.S. Department of Energy and WilTel.

Amoco Corp. is a worldwide integrated petroleum and chemical company. For online information about this project, access the ARIES worldwide web server at http://www.msc.edu:8000/aries/home.html.

Bay Networks Inc. is a leading worldwide supplier of a full range of highly available, multiprotocol routers, intelligent hubs, high-speed switches, and sophisticated network management products for organizations building enterprise-wide information internetworks.

The company was established in October 1994 with the merger of SynOptics Communications and Wellfleet Communications, and now has combined revenues in excess of $1 billion for its most recent year. With more than 1,000 resellers and 700 direct sales and service personnel worldwide, Bay Networks markets and supports its comprehensive product suite in 110 countries, providing 7x24 global support coverage. -0-

NOTE TO EDITORS: Bay Networks, LattisCell and Fast Matrix are trademarks of Bay Networks Inc. Other products may be trademarks of their respective companies.

CONTACT: Bay Networks Inc.

              Jennifer Wenker, 408/764-7548
              Thomas Associates Inc.
              Susan Ice, 415/325-6236

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