Ascend Facility Gains ISO 9000 Recertification; Ranking as Outstanding Supplier in GTE Evaluation; Distinctions Underscore Commitment to Quality

Business Wire, Jan 8, 1998

ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 8, 1998--Ascend Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASND) announced today that its facility in Boxborough, MA has been recertified to the ISO 9001 international quality standard, with no deficiencies. The facility has also ranked in the top 10 percent in GTE's Supplier Quality Evaluation for the third year in a row.

Ascend's Boxborough facility designs, tests, and manufactures WAN multiservice Frame Relay and ATM switches. The facility includes a testing unit with more than 1,000 ports.

"These two achievements demonstrate the high level of quality we strive for throughout our facility," said Ben Parab, director of quality, Core Systems Division, Ascend Communications, Inc. "Being recertified to ISO 9001 without a single deficiency establishes the viability of our processes in ensuring product quality and consistency. We also are delighted to be recognized by GTE once again for our commitment to supplying customers with top notch products and service."

ISO 9001-Level Quality Continually Maintained and Updated ISO 9001 is an internationally-recognized quality assurance model used by companies that design, produce, inspect, test, install and service items. ISO registration is dependent on satisfying initial evaluation criteria and on periodic follow-up audits. The Ascend Boxborough facility earned its initial ISO 9001 certification in 1994.

To ensure recertification, the facility continued its quality efforts as new products and processes came into play. These efforts included installing a system for automatically collecting factory floor data to identify and correct problems almost immediately.

"The fact that Ascend's Boxborough facility had no non-conformances in this ISO audit is very significant. Only about 10 percent of audited companies achieve this," said Howard Nilsen, lead auditor at TUV, a quality systems registrar. "Compliance is especially significant for a company with this many employees, because the more people in a company the more opportunities there are for error. Ascend's Boxborough facility strives for quality and is very good at committing resources towards improvements."

Ascend Scores High in GTE Evaluation

GTE's Supplier Quality evaluation compares performance to a standard set of criteria with regard to the quality of delivery, pricing, customer service, and products. Unlike the ISO certification process, the GTE ranking is based on customer perception. Ascend's Boxborough facility received a composite score of 92.6 in 1997, scoring above 90 percent for the third year in a row.

According to GTE's evaluation document, suppliers that score above 90 percent are considered to have outstanding performance sustained over the rating period. Such a rating indicates that a supplier surpasses the quality requirement, is extremely proficient, highly motivated, and performs exceptionally.

"GTE greatly values Ascend's participation in our `Partners in Quality' process," said James Wetenkamp, manager, supply quality programs, at GTE. "It is only with the support of our suppliers that we can continue to meet the quality expectations of our customers and build relationships which are beneficial to all."

About Ascend Communications

Ascend Communications, Inc. develops, manufactures, services and sells wide area networking solutions for telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers and corporate customers worldwide. 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, CA 94502-3002. Phone 800/ASCEND4; Fax 510/747-2300.

CONTACT: Ascend Communications, Inc.

Lucia Graziano, 978/952-1291