Microsoft and 3Com Team to Deliver Converged Networking

3Com Corp. and Microsoft Corp. today announced the 3Com-Microsoft alliance, a strategic relationship intended to accelerate deployment of a new generation of converged networks - easy-to-use networks that carry data, voice and video. The cooperative efforts will simplify and enrich the user networking experience on client and server computers and other devices for business and personal use. The efforts will further integrate the Microsoft Windows operating system within 3Com`s product line, especially for value-added network services.

The two industry leaders, already collaborating on a number of initiatives, are stepping up technology sharing, development cooperation and cooperative marketing efforts to better enable organisations and individuals to take advantage of simpler, faster and smarter networks. alliance activities will help each company deliver networking products for consumers, carriers, and small, medium-sized and large enterprises.

To support the alliance, 3Com will open a development centre near the Microsoft campus in Redmond to ensure product quality and reliability, to bring products to market as quickly as possible, and to support cooperative product development. The development centre will test and verify compatibility and interoperability between integrated 3Com and Microsoft products.

"Customers require innovation and cost-savings from their communications networks, and we`re committed to making Windows the best software platform to enable network convergence," says Paul Maritz, group vice president, platforms and applications, Microsoft Corp. "We`re very excited about the 3Com-Microsoft alliance, our expanded relationship with 3Com. 3Com`s product breadth, network infrastructure expertise and market presence complements Microsoft`s, and we believe our mutual customers will benefit from our joint efforts."

"3Com offers converged network solutions today that connect people with one another and with information, and many of these solutions have been based on Windows," says Eric Benhamou, chairman and CEO at 3Com Corp. "Working with Microsoft more closely will accelerate this innovation on an open platform that other companies can build on. We have a shared vision of intelligent networks that are easier to manage, easier to use and more affordable."

Alliance Builds on Success to Deliver New Solutions for All Customer Segments 3Com SA`s regional director, Buddie Ceronie points out that Microsoft and 3Com`s new converged networking co-operation will benefit a broad range of customers and is based on a positive track record of joint development and marketing work.

For public carriers and service providers, 3Com`s Total Control carrier-class architecture systems use the Windows NT operating system as an open, extensible software platform for IP telephony, digital wireless data, cable head-end systems and application-enhanced remote access solutions. As part of the alliance, 3Com will migrate these products to the forthcoming Microsoft Windows NT Embedded operating system. In addition, the companies are exploring the migration of these and other products, such as end-to-end cable solutions, to Windows 2000 Server.

For enterprise organisations, 3Com will embed Windows 2000 Server in its highest-performance, most reliable LAN switch, the 3Com CoreBuilder 9000. The switch will use Transcend Policy Manager and Server and the Active Directory Service in Windows 2000 Server to enforce policy for configuration, quality of service, security, monitoring and operation. This work will further extend Windows into the core of enterprise networks on 3Com products and will support the transition to highly reliable, scalable, policy-based enterprise networks capable of supporting real-time voice, data and streaming audio and video. The o integrate Microsoft`s operating systems with 3Com`s advanced networking hardware to build more distributed intelligence into higher-performance, converged networks.

"This alliance has the potential to dramatically accelerate the flow of customer benefits from network convergence, leveraging the central role of Microsoft`s open PC and server software platforms and 3Com`s intelligent networking products," says Berge Ayvazian, executive vice president of the Yankee Group, a US-based research company. "By combining product development, marketing and innovative applications development efforts across multiple market segments, the 3Com-Microsoft alliance can have an almost immediate impact on key areas such as IP digital telephony, streaming multimedia, broadband Internet services, home area networking, and directory-enabled enterprise networks."

To accelerate the deployment of these new, converged networks, 3Com and Microsoft will launch a worldwide seminar program, available at no cost to customers and resellers, to explain the vision and benefits of converged networks. Seminar attendees will receive planning information and promotional pricing on applicable products to jump-start the initiative. For seminar locations and registration information and to learn more about Windows as a multipurpose operating system for communications, visit http://www.microsoft.com/communications. To learn more about converged networks, see http://www.3com.com /technology/tech_net/white_papers/500671.html

@EditorNote = Editors note

With more than 200 million customers worldwide, 3Com Corporation connects more people in more ways to information than any other networking company. 3Com delivers innovative information access products and network system solutions to large, medium and small enterprises; carriers and network service providers; PC OEMs; and consumers. 3Com `More connected`. For further information, visit 3Com`s World Wide Web site at www.3com.com or the press site at www.3com.com/pressbox.

Microsoft Corp. founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.