Apple Unveils Its Latest Internetworking Router

New technology allows AppleTalk network users to easily connect local and
remote workgroups together

BOSTON, Massachusetts--January 12,1993 -- Apple Computer, Inc. today
announced a family of internetworking router software products enabling
organizations to easily increase the size, performance and manageability
of their AppleTalk networks.

The Apple Internet Router product family provides wide-area networking
(WAN) connectivity implementing a new technology--called the AppleTalk
Update-based Routing Protocol (AURP) which significantly reduces network
traffic. Additionally, the new router software provides enhanced local
area networking (LAN) support, routing data between industry standard'
LocalTalk, Ethernet, Token-Ring and other network types.

"AURP technology is an important step to providing organizations of all
sizes with a completely scalable network system," said Morris Taradalsky,
vice president and general manager for Apple's Enterprise Systems Division
(ESD). "AURP and its implementation in the Apple Internet Router leverage
Apple's traditional strengths in making technology that is powerful, yet
easy to deploy, as well as easy to administer."

Apple's latest Internet router is a cost-effective solution which allows
AppleTalk networks to be "tunneled" through dial-up connections via
standard modems, or over networks using X.25 and TCP/IP as well as other
industry standards.

The Apple Internet Router product family includes a base connectivity kit
and two Apple extension kits for moving AppleTalk data across foreign
(non-AppleTalk) networks. The Basic Connectivity Package provides the core
routing software and technology, including a dial-up extension for
connecting remote workgroups together over standard telephone lines as
well as network management support through the industry-standard Simple
Network Management Protocol (SNMP). It also provides the base product on
which other extensions can be built. Apple's two extension packages--the
AppleTalk/IP Wide Area Extension and the AppleTalk/X.25 Wide Area
Extension--provide wide area AppleTalk routing over TCP/IP and X.25
networks, respectively. The extension kits are sold separately.

The Apple Internet Router product family will replace Apple's current
router--the AppleTalk Internet Router 2.0. The new router is a completely
redesigned product with many capabilities beyond the 2.0 router, yet it
provides all the functionality of its predecessor.

The Apple Internet Router, like all Apple products, is easy to set up and
configure. It includes many advanced features, such as network number
remapping, which allows users to connect independently administered
networks without concern for network numbering conflicts. Additional
features include security options to protect networks from unauthorized
use and built-in data compression for increased throughput. Also, built-in
SNMP support enables the router to be monitored from any SNMP-based
network management console.

The modular design of the Apple Internet Router allows for current and
future Apple and third party extension products to be easily added as an
organization's network grows. Many third party developers, such as
MultiAccess Computing Corp., Farallon Computing Inc. and The AG Group,
among others, are currently providing extension products that add value to
the new line of router software. These companies offer products that
support technologies such as Frame Relay, ISDN, T1 and SMDS data links,
remote administration support, and hierarchical choosing.

"The modular architecture of Apple's new router products creates a
wonderful opportunity for third parties that support AURP to easily build
add-on capabilities, such as the SMDS nubus adapter MulitAccess is
currently shipping," said Tom Barich, vice president of sales and
marketing for Multiaccess Computing. "The routing foundation that Apple
provides, combined with third party extension products, gives both small
and large organizations a very powerful and scalable solution for
interconnecting LANs and WANs."

New AURP Technology

AURP was designed to improve AppleTalk for use on wide-area networks
(WANs), including telecommunication links and campus-like backbone
networks. It is an enhancement to the AppleTalk architecture that improves
the efficiency and scalability of AppleTalk internets, allowing users to
easily interconnect local and remote Macintosh computers and PC
workgroups.

AURP specifies a standard way of tunneling AppleTalk through foreign
network systems, such as TCP/IP, X.25, OSI and DECnet. "AURP provides the
basis for building global AppleTalk networks, as well as for hosting
AppleTalk within established global networks such as the TCP/IP Internet,"
said Apple Product Line Manager Dana Harrison.

It also provides for efficient routing over point-to-point lines or
multipoint connections. As its name implies, AURP updates routing tables
only when a change occurs in the network and does so by transmitting only
the changed information, thereby greatly reducing network traffic. This
contrasts the AppleTalk Routing Table Maintenance Protocol (RTMP) which
sends full routing information every 10 seconds.

Pricing and Availability

The Apple Internet Router software operates on all Macintosh computers with
at least 4 megabytes of memory and System 7.0 or later. The software was
designed for AppleTalk Phase 2 networks only. Pricing and availability is
as follows:

Apple Internet Router Products                Price  Availability

Basic Connectivity Package                 US$ 499   February '93
  Includes Apple Internet Router software and installer, 
  DialUp Wide Area Extension and SNMP Router Agent. 

AppleTalk/IP Wide Area Extension           US$ 499   February '93
  Requires purchase of Basic Connectivity Package, 
  and includes Router IP software and installer. 

AppleTalk/X.25 Wide Area Extension         US$1,299  March '93
  Requires purchase of Basic Connectivity Package, 
  and includes Router X.25 software and installer, 
  and MacX25 server software.

These products will be available worldwide from Apple authorized resellers
and in the United States by calling The Apple Catalog at 1-800-795-1000.

Upgrade Program

For a limited time, upgrades from the AppleTalk Internet Router 2.0 to the
new Apple Internet Router Basic Connectivity Package will be available.
For customers with 2.0 router versions purchased before November 1, 1992,
upgrade packages will be available for $149. For 2.0 routers purchased
after November 1,1992, the cost is $49. Upgrade packages will only be
available through June 12,1993, and proof of purchase will be required.

Apple Computer Inc, 20525 Mariana Ave, Cupertino, CA 95014
408-996-1010

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