Pacific Bell launches FasTrak Managed Frame Relay Service; One-Stop Shopping for Frame Relay Network, Equipment, Network Design, Implementation, Maintenance and Management

Business Wire, April 22, 1997

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 22, 1997--Pacific Bell today announced a comprehensive service for installing and managing frame relay networks at medium- to large-size companies. FasTrak Managed Frame Relay Service is an end-to-end solution, including network design, implementation, equipment and frame relay transport, as well as ongoing maintenance and management -- packaged for efficient one-stop shopping.

FasTrak Managed Frame Relay Service continuously monitors network performance and quickly resolves problems, resulting in reduced downtime. The service provides instant customer access to certified internetworking specialists with relevant multiprotocol and multivendor expertise. It is a scalable service, allowing sufficient bandwidth to accommodate the customer's expanding traffic, increasing number of applications or sudden demand surges.

"Our FasTrak Managed Frame Relay Service provides customers with an integrated, end-to-end solution designed to meet their needs of mission-critical network performance," said Joe Simone, executive director, FasTrak Wide Area Networking Services. "We provide the necessary technical expertise and manage the project while relieving customers of the task of incurring the costs of building their own networking capabilities."

"FasTrak Managed Frame Relay Service relies on our FasTrak Frame Relay Service, a very efficient networking service. Our California presence and the large number of switches we have deployed makes ours the most robust frame relay network in the state," said Irene Fuller, marketing director, Frame Relay Service. "With FasTrak Managed Frame Relay Service, customers do not have to purchase leased lines or separate equipment, or deal with the complexities of installing and managing their own network. The service provides a complete solution."

In 1996, Pacific Bell's frame relay growth rate was 162 percent, topping the industry rate of 133 percent. Firms ranging from medium-size with ten or more locations to large Fortune 500 companies will be the principal beneficiaries of FasTrak Managed Frame Relay Service.

Filling a Growing Need

"Many firms today have few internal resources with the requisite expertise in internetwork design and management. Their IS people are constantly challenged to upgrade LANs, PCs and software, and few can keep up with new internetworking technology. Pacific Bell's network integration unit takes care of the entire end-to-end network - its design, equipment, installation, ongoing maintenance and monitoring," said Wayne Ward, director of product marketing, Pacific Bell Network Integration.

"Our FasTrak Managed Frame Relay Service fills the need driven by the growing trend toward outsourcing. Businesses of all sizes are finding it more cost-effective and efficient to outsource network management functions to data communications service providers like us rather than to hire, train and support in-house internetworking experts."

International Data Corporation, the Framingham, Mass. market research organization, estimates that the outsourcing market for network integration and network management will exceed $28 billion in 1997. This market is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 35 percent through year 2000.

FasTrak Managed Frame Relay Service Benefits

Among the many benefits of Pacific Bell's FasTrak Managed Frame Relay Service are:

-- one-stop shopping for network design, implementation and installation,

-- single point of contact for problem resolution through Pacific Bell's Network Integration experts,

-- continuous network performance monitoring,

-- proactive critical fault notification,

-- scalable access speeds from 56 Kbps to 1.544 Mbps, with up to DS3 (45 Mbps) available in July, and

-- distance-insensitive pricing that eliminates penalties for connecting remote sites.

Pacific Bell Telephone Co. is a subsidiary of SBC Communications Inc., an international leader in the telecommunications industry, with more than 31 million access lines and 4 million wireless customers across the United States, as well as equity stakes in telecommunications businesses in eight foreign countries. The company completed a merger with Pacific Telesis Group in April 1997. Under the Southwestern Bell, Pacific Bell, Nevada Bell and Cellular One brands, the company through its subsidiaries offers a wide range of innovative services, including local and long-distance telephone service, wireless communications, paging, Internet access, cable TV and messaging, as well as telecommunications equipment, and directory advertising and publishing. SBC (www.sbc.com) has nearly 110,000 employees. SBC and Pacific Telesis Group reported combined 1996 revenues of $23.5 billion.

CONTACT: Pacific Bell

Shirley Macbeth, 415/394-3892

scmacbe@legal.pactel.com