Interoperability Confirmed with Cisco, Texas Instruments, CommWorks and Others SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Feb. 21, 2001 - U.S. Robotics, provider of the world’s No. 1 selling modem brand, today announced it has successfully completed 56K V.92 standard interoperability testing with major network equipment providers, including Cisco, Texas Instruments and CommWorks. The new analog modem standard enables shorter connection times, faster upload speeds and seamless call handling, significantly improving users’ Internet experiences. In order for a user to experience the V.92 features, both the user’s computer and server it dials into (an Internet Service Provider or remote access server) must be equipped with V.92 modem technology. Products are expected to begin shipping by the end of the first quarter. “U.S. Robotics is committed to product innovation, quality and reliability and is pleased to confirm V.92 interoperability with network equipment suppliers,” said Van M. Andrews, president and CEO of U.S. Robotics. “The combination of V.92 technology and U.S. Robotics' ingenuity will create dramatic, new functionality for the analog modem user.” “Confirming interoperability is an important step in ensuring analog modem users will have a quality experience with the new V.92 standard,” said George “Hoss” Christensen, vice president/general manager for the Remote Access Business Unit at Cisco Systems. "We expect that cooperative testing with U.S. Robotics will lead to a smooth and rapid transition to the V.92 standard.” The new standard enables the following features: “Analog modem technology connects the world to the Internet,” said Christine Pomeroy, vice president of Marketing for U.S. Robotics. “These new features strengthen our customers’ control of the 56K Internet experience. Customers will no longer have to worry about missing an incoming call while tying up a phone line, will be able to get online more quickly than before and will be able to send large files more easily. The new features enabled by V.92 directly target three improvements that customers can really use.” The V.92 modem standard was ratified by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in November 2000. Companies such as Cisco, CommWorks and Texas Instruments outfit ISPs and remote access providers with server modems and are expected to incorporate V.92 technology this year. “Despite the emergence of competing broadband technologies, analog modems continue to remain the most ubiquitous form of connectivity,” said Amy Helland, industry analyst at Cahners In-Stat Group. “The improved V.92 standard will deliver increased functionality to the broad population employing analog connectivity.” About U.S. Robotics
Users can suspend a data call, answer an inbound telephone call, and then re-establish the data call without losing the connection. This feature permits fuller utilization of a single phone line, removes the need for a second line and eliminates time lost when the user’s modem disconnects from the Internet. Users must be subscribed to call waiting from their local telephone company to take advantage of this feature.
Quick Connect shortens a modem’s connection time by remembering the line conditions to the dial-up server. It then uses that information to connect quickly without going through the training sequence. Users will be able to re-establish a connection significantly faster than with the previous standard, reducing the waiting period to establish a connection. The increase in connection speed depends on local line conditions.
With the new standard, modems can now allow faster upstream communication with upload speeds reaching 48,000 bits per second (V.90 upstream speeds were limited to 31,200 bps). This feature allows faster and smoother uploading and sending of large e-mail messages, documents, spreadsheets, presentations or photos. With U.S. Robotics’ custom software interface, users will be able to easily trade lower download speeds for higher upload speeds each time they log on to the Internet.
U.S. Robotics is the world’s leading modem provider, bringing the Internet into millions of homes and businesses around the world. For three decades, U.S. Robotics has been at the forefront of modem technology, and in the 1990’s was the first to boost analog modem speeds to the V.90 56K standard. U.S. Robotics has reemerged as an independent company and will continue its tradition of making the most reliable, simple and innovative Internet access solutions available. All U.S. Robotics resources – from engineering to customer support – are dedicated to fulfilling that commitment. U.S. Robotics is a privately held company headquartered in the Chicago area. For further information regarding our company and products, please visit our web site at www.usr.com.