IBM Broadens Range of Switching and ATM Options With Desktop-to-wide Area
Campus Products and Enhancements

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, May 28, 1996...IBM today is delivering
additional options for ATM and switched networks by announcing offerings
that double LAN switch capacity, provide more configuration choices, and
expand the capability to run existing applications over ATM.

Delivered in this announcement are new models of IBM's 8271 and 8272
workgroup LAN switches with double the ports and slots of the previous
versions and new 8271 Ethernet and 8272 Token Ring LAN switch modules that
provide workgroup and backbone switching for the 8260 hub. Also announced
today are new 155 Mbps ATM adapters and enhanced support for existing ATM
adapters.

"We are continuing to deliver solutions based on our Switched Virtual
Networking strategy," said Mark Knittel, director of product marketing,
IBM Networking Hardware Division. "With this announcement, we are enabling
network managers to build almost any configuration they need for
interoperable desktop, workgroup, backbone or wide-area switched and ATM
networks."

New workgroup switch models double LAN switching ports and expansion slots

New models of IBM's ATM-capable 8271 Ethernet and 8272 Token Ring LAN
workgroup switches with 16 ports each and two expansion slots each for
Universal Feature Cards (UFCs) offer twice the capacity of previously
available LAN switches. UFCs let users tailor switches to meet specific
needs and to add capacity - in both speed and number of ports - as demand
arises by changing the UFC only, not the entire switch.

Well-suited for servers and power users, the 8271, model 216, and the 8272,
model 216, provide immediate increases in effective capacity for LAN
segments or dedicated connections. Each of the switches' 16 ports can
forward Ethernet or Token Ring frames among up to 16 shared segments or
dedicated workstations or servers at media-speeds.

The new switches offer a number of configuration choices. They can function
as a standalone collapsed backbone for up to 24 shared segments or
dedicated workstations or servers. They also can be connected to a
backbone by linking switches together or by using UFCs to connect the
switches to Fast Ethernet now or to FDDI or ATM in the near future.

Integrated modules for the 8260 provide LAN switching

IBM also is announcing a pair of integrated 8271 Ethernet and 8272 Token
Ring LAN switching modules that enable 8260 multi-protocol hubs to
function as LAN switches. And, by using the new modules with the 8260 hub,
users actually get more switch ports and UFC slots than by using 8271 and
8272s as standalone switches.

Available in two-slot versions with two UFC slots and three-slot versions
with four UFC slots, the modules provide LAN switching and draw on the
8260's fault-tolerant and remote-management features. By connecting the
switch modules together, users can build larger configurations. The
modules also enable users to deploy switched LANs to one or more
workgroups with standalone 8271 or 8272 LAN switches. In addition, the
modules can be used to build backbone switches with multiple LAN switch
modules in a 10-slot or 17-slot 8260 hub. Up to 160 Ethernet switch ports,
or 128 token ring switch ports, or a mix, can be provided in a single
17-slot 8260 hub.

New ATM adapters

Starting in June, IBM will begin providing customers with a wider selection
of 155 Mbps ATM adapters featuring Forum-compliant LAN Emulation (LANE)
and support for a number of popular operating systems. This is a result of
a new marketing agreement between IBM and Interphase Corp. in which IBM
will sell Interphase 155Mbps ATM adapters for PCI, EISA and Silicon
Graphics GIO buses.

IBM today also is announcing additional operating system, protocol and
Forum-compliant LAN Emulation (LANE) support for its Turboways ATM
adapters.

ATM WAN and S/390 connectivity

IBM also is delivering enhanced capabilities for ATM backbone connections
for U.S. and international users. The 8260 hub can now access wide area
networks through either DS3/E3, STM1 or OC3 connections, or via a 155Mbps
ATM uplink to the 2220 Nways Broadband Network Switch. Also, customers can
now connect their S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server to an ATM LAN, over a
155Mbps link using the 8260 hub and the S/390 OSA-2 adapter.

New and enhanced management offerings

Also included in today's announcement is IBM's Nways Campus Manager LAN for
AIX, version 2.1, as well as enhancements to existing Nways Manager
products.

The new Nways Campus Manager for LAN AIX version integrates the previously
separate LAN Network Manager (LNM) for AIX and adds major topology
enhancements including automatic discovery using the Internet Protocol
(IP) map and improved statistics.

Enhancements to existing Nways Campus Manager products include support for
new hardware.

Other announcements

Also among today's announcements is the new DMM/Controller module for the
8260 hub. By combining distributed management and controller functions on
a single card, the module frees an 8260 slot to be used for other
functions. The module features a DMM (Distributed Management Module)
processor more powerful than the processor in the standalone DMM.

IBM in June will broaden its line of remote-access offerings by announcing
three new models of its 8235 Dial In Access to LANs (DIALS) remote access
server products aimed at very small and very large sites. The new products
are designed to help LAN managers accommodate the growing demand for
remote access and easily integrate it into their networks, consistent with
IBM's SVN strategy.

Pricing and availability

The expanded 8271 Nways Ethernet LAN Switch model 216, available in July,
is priced at $7,200. The expanded 8272 Nways Token Ring switch model 216
is now shipping and is priced at $9,995.

Integrated 8271 Ethernet and 8272 Token Ring switch modules for the 8260
multiprotocol switching hub, available in October, are priced starting at
$7,950 and $8,650, respectively.

The DMM/Controller module, available in June, is priced at $6,495. Nways
Campus Manager LAN for AIX, version 2.1, priced at $10,999, is available
now. New 155Mbps ATM adapters, priced from $650, will become available
starting in June and continuing through August.

For more information on these products and enhancements and others being
announced today, consult the IBM home page on the Internet at
http://www.raleigh.ibm.com or call (800)IBM-CALL.

IBM Networking Hardware Division (NHD) develops and manufactures
leading-edge networking technologies and products. Headquartered in
Research Triangle Park, NC NHD also provides consultation, education,
service and support worldwide to help customers achieve business
objectives.

Please Note: Questions about the content or currency of this press release
should be directed to your local IBM representative.
 
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