Ascend Communications Continues to Lead the Remote Access Concentrator Market; Leading Industry Research Firms Confirm Ascend's Number One Position in the Remote Access Concentrator Market

Business Wire, August 26, 1998

ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 26, 1998--Ascend Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASND) today announced research results for the first half of 1998 from Cahners In-Stat, Dell'Oro Group, and Dataquest that rank Ascend's MAX(TM) family of WAN Access Switches in the number one market share position in Remote Access Concentrator (RAC) revenue and port shipments. The reports reflect Ascend's long-standing leadership in providing best-in-class multiservice remote access switching technology for the next-generation public network.

According to the Cahners In-Stat report, which will be published at the end of August, Ascend's MAX family of WAN access switches accounted for 30.1 percent end user revenue market share and 30.3 percent manufacturer revenue market share in the first half of 1998, topping second and third place 3Com and Cisco, respectively. In-Stat figures also illustrate Ascend's continued leadership in port shipments for the first six months of 1998, with 30.3 percent market share.

"These figures demonstrate Ascend's leadership in supplying the growing service provider market with next-generation remote access solutions," said Jeremy Duke, director of the Networking Group at Cahners In-Stat Group. "Ascend's market leadership confirms its ability to provide multi-service networking solutions for the increasingly demanding remote access environment."

According to a report issued recently by Dell'Oro Group, Ascend has continued to maintain the leadership position for first half of 1998 in the total remote access concentration and service provider markets, with 29.7 percent and 36.6 percent, manufacturer market share respectively. The Dell'Oro report also confirms Ascend's top position in asynchronous port shipments with 31.4 percent market share.

In Dataquest's most recent market share analysis of access concentrator factory revenue for the first half of 1998, Ascend leads with 28.75 percent, followed by Cisco in second place and 3Com in third.

"Each of these reports confirms that Ascend is delivering the best in multi-service access solutions for its customers worldwide," said Curt Sanford, executive vice president and general manager of Access Switching Division. "Our solutions include advanced voice, fax, data, VPN, DSL, and network management technologies delivered on a single access infrastructure utilizing the MAX family of WAN Access Switches."

About the Remote Access Concentrator Market and Analysis

The methodologies for market share calculation and analysis vary by analyst firm. As the Remote Access Concentrator market continues to evolve, analyst firms are faced with increasing complexity in accurately sizing, reporting, and analyzing this market. Products applicable to the RAC market include high-density access devices used to provide remote access connectivity for service provider network infrastructures and enterprise remote access solutions. Many analyst firms are beginning to distinguish between service provider and enterprise applications. Some analyst firms are also still including mid-range router products, such as the Cisco 3600, in their analysis of the RAC market. These mid-range routers are not representative of the class of products appropriate for this market. Leading analyst firms are beginning to make this important distinction.

Ascend's Access Solutions

Ascend's reliable, high performance MAX and MAX TNT(TM) WAN access switches enable value-added solutions, including VPNs and Port Wholesaling, that enable service providers and enterprise customers to maximize their businesses. MAX products, powered by the True Access(TM) Operating System, represent the industry's most innovative, flexible, and interoperable solutions for remote networking. The MAX product family is managed by NavisAccess, providing superior network management for Ascend's WAN access switches.

About Ascend Communications

Ascend Communications, Inc. develops, manufactures, sells, and services wide area networking solutions for telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers, and corporate customers worldwide.

Press and industry analysts, please contact: Russell Keefe, Alexander Communications, 415-923-1660, rkeefe@alexandercom.com. Investors and financial analysts, please contact: Kristina Graziano, 510-747-2345, kristina.graziano@ascend.com; or all other inquiries please call toll-free: 800/ASCEND4.

For more information about Ascend and its products, please visit the Ascend Web site at www.ascend.com, or send e-mail to info@ascend.com. Ascend is headquartered at One Ascend Plaza, 1701 Harbor Bay Parkway, Alameda, Calif. 94502; phone is 800/ASCEND4 and fax is 510-814-2300.

The foregoing statements may contain forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from these expectations as a result of factors including, but not limited to, the Company's success in developing, introducing or shipping new products, competition, the mix of distribution channels employed, the Company's dependence on single or limited source suppliers for certain components used in its products, risks inherent in international sales, seasonality and general economic conditions. These and other factors are discussed in Ascend's 10-K, 10-Q and other filings made periodically with the Securities and Exchange Commission.