STRATACOM BRINGS ATM TO SOUTH AFRICA

BPX and IPX Deployed for Public and Private ATM Networks

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA -- JANUARY 8, 1996 -- Fastpacket switch pioneer
StrataCom has won two major contracts which will put South Africa at the
forefront of ATM deployment. The San Jose-based switch vendor today
announced that it is to supply both Telkom, South Africa's
telecommunications service provider, and Nedcor, one of the country's
largest banks, with state-of-the-art ATM switches for new public and
private ATM services.

PTT Telkom has selected StrataCom's carrier-class BPX broadband ATM switch
as the backbone for the country's first public broadband ATM service. ATM
trials using the BPX are already underway. Telkom already deploys
StrataCom's IPX and IGX ATM-based switches for its public frame relay
service.

In addition, StrataCom's IPX narrowband ATM switches and FastPADmp access
products have also been selected by Nedcor for its newly installed private
ATM network. Nedcor, one of the top four banks in South Africa, is one of
the first South African enterprises to build a private cell relay network.
Comments Barry Hore, executive general manager of Nedcor's IT division,
"We believe that switching technology holds the key to future networks.
StrataCom's architecture provides us with the opportunity to use switching
technology to optimize the utilization of expensive resources."

StrataCom products are distributed in South Africa by local systems
integration partner, Dimension Data. Dimension Data's switching product
manager, Mike Zalani, says the following: "Switching is an emerging
technology in South Africa, offering the advantages of high speed, high
capacity networks. The capability to mix voice and data traffic makes
StrataCom's solution very attractive to users. Also, the ATM migration
path is an important option for major corporations where scalability and
capacity are major selling points for the FastPacket technology."

TECHNICAL NOTE TO EDITORS

The Nedcor network comprises IPX-32 and IPX-16 switching nodes that link
the regional nodes and head office to form a strategic and integrated
multimedia backbone network. FastPADmps are used to concentrate frame
relay access for legacy equipment and multiprotocol devices in remote
branches.

Telkom, the country's telecommunications service provider, is one of the
engines driving the development of South Africa's expanding communications
infrastructure structure. Telkom implemented a public frame relay service
in 1993, using StrataCom's IPX switches extensively throughout the
network. Frame relay, while still in the early stages of its life cycle,
is gaining favor amongst South African enterprises as a cost effective
option to deploy wide area links. Telkom is also currently implementing a
pilot site using BPX switches to test their ATM offering (see copy
above).

STRATACOM, INC.

StrataCom, Inc., (NASD:STRM), based in San Jose, California, USA, develops,
delivers and supports FastPacket networking systems for multiband ATM
applications in private wide area networks and public carrier service
offerings, such as frame relay and ATM. StrataCom's family of products,
including FastPAD, EdgeConnect, IPX", IGX, BPX, and AXIS, is used to
integrate and transport a wide variety of corporate information, including
voice, data, video, LANs, image and multimedia traffic in narrowband to
broadband ATM network applications.

Contacts:
Jane Dick,                                          Barbara Burdick
Manager, Public Relations                Director, Public Relations
StrataCom                                                 StrataCom
Tel: +44 (0)1252 815554                        Tel: +1 408-882-2003
Fax: +44 (0)1252 815428                        Fax: +1 408-999-0115
jdick@stratacom.com                          bburdick@stratacom.com
 
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