3Com Becomes the First Networking Company to Ship Over 100 Million Stackable LAN Ports for Worldwide Computer Connectivity - Company Business and Marketing

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, Feb 28, 2000

3Com Corporation Wednesday announces it has shipped over 100 million stackable switch and hub ports throughout the world. This new milestone achievement signifies customers' desire for easy-to-install, cost effective and high-performance e-Networking equipment, meeting the needs of today's communications while scaling to match the demands of tomorrow's e-business initiatives.

According to the Dell'Oro Group's recently published figures, 3Com has shipped in excess of 106 million SuperStack II and OfficeConnect switch and hub ports from the first quarter of calendar year 1991 through the fourth quarter of 1999. To achieve this, 3Com has virtually doubled the number of ports shipped in this category every year.

"We are delighted with the tremendous enthusiasm the marketplace has exhibited towards 3Com's stackable switch and hub connectivity products," said Edgar Masri, senior vice president, Network Systems Business Unit. "Customers recognize the need to establish a strong networking foundation to build from as they launch into the emerging wave of e-commerce. 3Com's hubs and switches are designed to meet and exceed this need, while providing the necessary building blocks for growing organizations to leverage as they embrace business-to-business or business-to-consumer initiatives."

3Com's SuperStack II and OfficeConnect hubs and switches are easy-to-install computer connectivity devices. Targeted at the small to mid-sized market and workgroups for large enterprises, these data facilitators can be easily connected into each other, forming a stackable configuration to meet an organization's present needs or quickly scaling to match the demands of e-commerce applications. Well-known organizations embracing 3Com's stackable products include JCPenney, the Chicago Stock Exchange, GTE Networking Services and Station Casinos.

"JCPenney has standardized on 3Com's SuperStack II switches, installing them in over 1,100 department store locations," said Michael Davis, JCPenney network technology project manager. "We are also taking advantage of 3Com's e-Networks by evolving our systems to leverage Web-based applications to maximize our sales through greater network efficiency."

Evolving this massive installed base to leverage the power of 3Com's e-Networks (converged voice and data networks as well as e-commerce-enhancing business applications), 3Com expects to continue to provide upgrades and new generations of cost effective, plug-and-play connectivity devices. These new devices allow existing and new customers to easily incorporate emerging technologies into their existing networks, as their needs grow or as user demands dictate.

3Com is committed to preserve customers original investment in SuperStack II switches by offering them 1000BASE-T, Gigabit over copper wiring SuperStack II products to evolve their networks into robust e-Networks. In particular, 3Com announced a new SuperStack II 1000BASE-T downlink module and new SuperStack II switch Layer-3 module. The SuperStack II 1000BASE-T downlink module easily connects into 3Com's current SuperStack II switches and immediately boosts the network's performance by a factor of 10 (compared to Fast Ethernet or 100 Mbps), without the costly disruption of re-cabling the workplace or the annoyance and downtime associated with a complete network overhaul. The Layer-3 module simply slides into a SuperStack II switch 1100/3300-expansion slot to provide IP routing services (the common language spoken between e-commerce applications). The Layer-3 module is offered at the same list price as -- or lower than -- competing vendor's Layer-2 offerings, which do not include IP routing services.

The high-speed modules are part of 3Com's new e-Networking offerings and pave the way for bandwidth intensive applications such as digital x-rays and computer aided design software. Future e-Networking enhancements will complement existing SuperStack II and OfficeConnect installations and allow customers to easily send voice over their existing networks via IP telephony (3Com's NBX phone system) or quickly manage Internet traffic by redistributing incoming sales prospects to servers with less usage (3Com's reseller relationship with F5 Corporation for load balancing and Web server technology).

With over 300 million customer connections worldwide, 3Com Corporation connects more people and organizations to information and each other in more innovative, simple and reliable ways than any other networking company. 3Com delivers e-Networking solutions through information access products and network systems to enterprises, small businesses, consumers, carriers and network service providers. For further information, visit 3Com's World Wide Web site at www.3com.com.