Digital To Help Launch Cablelabs' Cable It Convergence Forum, Promoting Cable-Based Product Development

Business Wire, Jan 23, 1995

WASHINGTON D.C. --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- January 23, 1995 -- Digital Equipment Corporation today announced that the company is expanding its long-standing support of the industry's CableLabs organization, and will participate as a founding member of the group's Cable/Information Technology Convergence Forum. Digital, with its strong history of networking leadership, is uniquely positioned to provide both access and infrastructure products to the cable industry.

CableLabs is the research and development consortium for the North American cable industry. The group's Cable/IT Convergence Forum is a vendor organization that stimulates cable-based product development by member firms and advocates the benefits of cable/IT convergence.

"Digital has supported the CableLabs mission for over five years with its innovative ideas and advanced expertise," according to Donald P. Frazier, Senior Analyst/Technology Transfer at CableLabs with responsibility for conducting the Cable/IT Convergence Forum. "The company has an outstanding heritage in connectivity technologies which it has recently linked with its cutting-edge broad-band applications. Digital will be an important asset to the Forum and our members, and I'm delighted that the company is supporting our important work."

"Our announcement marks the latest in a series of important Digital initiatives in support of both the Cable/IT Convergence Forum and cable networking," noted Art Zins, Group Manager in Digital's Network Product Business, "demonstrating the company's belief in a collaborative approach to the industry's challenges. We look forward to building on our productive relationship with CableLabs to establish cable technology as an essential part of the evolving National Information Infrastructure."

As an information and communications technology company, Digital has supported CableLabs and cable technology by pioneering numerous innovations in the field. Digital's involvement with CableLabs began in 1989, when the company presented results of its first successful cable networking trial, undertaken in conjunction with other firms. Subsequently, in CableLabs' booth at the 1992 Western Cable Show, Digital demonstrated a suite of multimedia, client/server applications running over a cable network on the show floor.

The following year, Digital joined with CableLabs and 25 other firms in the CableNet '93 integration and interoperability exhibit at the Western Cable Show. Based in part on Digital's ChannelWorks Ethernet bridge, the exhibit demonstrated the capability of cable networks to transmit multimedia, video, images, graphics and CD-quality sound across multiple channels. Digital's ChannelWorks Bridge delivers 10 megabits per second Ethernet connectivity up to 160 miles over standard cable systems in a metropolitan area network. Digital continued its support for cable technology during 1994 with its introduction of the ChannelWorks Internet Brouter. The brouter adds the capability of routing Internet traffic to the successful ChannelWorks bridge platform. The offering enhances the power of the Internet in providing such interactive, high-speed multimedia applications as distance learning, telemedicine, electronic commerce and video teleconferencing.

Already, dozens of cable operators have seen the potential of data transmission services as an important new revenue stream. Digital believes that forward-looking cable companies will recognize Digital and ChannelWorks as enablers for this significant business opportunity.

Digital expects to continue its support of CableLabs and the cable industry as well as maintain its leadership role in cable networking and broadband technology. A Digital representative chairs the IEEE's Project P802.14, the Cable-TV Protocol Working Group, which has the goal of developing standards for bi-directional data transmission over cable networks. These and other standards initiatives and advanced technologies promise to help transform CableLabs' HFC network architecture into open platforms.

CableLabs' Frazier will convene the Forum's inaugural meeting at ComNet '95 in Washington D.C. on January 24. This year's ComNet is a particularly appropriate opportunity to launch the Forum, because it will focus on the evolving National Information Infrastructure and the convergence of information and communications technologies.

Building on a strong tradition of technological excellence in innovative networking solutions, Digital has the unique capability of leveraging its network product technology and active participation in standards bodies to the cable industry. Digital's expertise in network integration services has connected more than 12 million users worldwide.

Digital Equipment Corporation is the world's leader in open client/server solutions from personal computing to integrated worldwide information systems. Digital's scalable Alpha platforms, storage, networking, software and services, together with industry- focused solutions from business partners, help organizations compete and win in today's global marketplace.