DIGITAL MULTISTACK SYSTEM DELIVERS enVISN ARCHITECTURE TO STACKABLE HUB
CUSTOMERS

Prices starting at less than $50 per port...
"Switched-Edge Stack" offers seamless path to virtual networking...

NETWORLD + INTEROP PARIS, France -- September 11, 1995 -- Digital Equipment
Corporation today introduced the industry's most flexible, advanced
stackable hub system, offering complete network solutions to small and
large customers alike -- at prices 15 to 25 percent below the competition.
Delivering more capabilities than a traditional stackable hub, the Digital
MultiStack System provides customers with a full range of wired and
wireless workgroup connectivity, remote access, switching, routing, LAN
monitoring and SNMP management. Because of its support for the enVISN
network architecture, the Digital MultiStack System is the only stackable
hub system that enables customers to migrate to a virtual network at their
own pace.

The Digital MultiStack System offers customers unprecedented network design
flexibility. It supports up to 16 hub modules in a rack, in a stack,
distributed across a building or campus, or in a Digital hub chassis --
all managed in a single SNMP management domain. In addition, it is the
only stackable hub that provides true "hot-swap" capability and resilient
SNMP management for improved network reliability. Digital is also offering
a Lifetime Warranty on its 10BaseT stackable hubs.

"Our architecture gives customers the flexibility to build networks their
way -- from the small site or remote office to the large enterprise," said
Dr. Laurence G. Walker, vice president and general manager of Digital's
Network Product Business. "As outlined in our enVISN blueprint, this
announcement furthers Digital's commitment to providing a fully-integrated
migration path to virtual networking."

"It seems that Digital's Network Product Business has found the next niche
in the LAN marketplace -- customer investment protection," said Frank
Dzubeck, president of Communications Network Architects, Inc. "The
addition of the Digital MultiStack System to enVISN signifies Digital's
commitment to the enhancement of the architecture as a delivery mechanism
for increasing customer value and channel partner profits."

"Switched-Edge Stack" Solution Offers Cost-Effective Growth

An example of how stackable customers can easily migrate to a virtual
network is Digital's "Switched-Edge Stack" implementation. The
Switched-Edge Stack comprises the Digital MultiStack System and Digital's
DECswitch 900 products to build switched multiple LAN segments, and can
also incorporate Digital's new distributed routing software to build
firewalls for workgroup security. This solution allows network managers to
add workgroups cost effectively while increasing network responsiveness.

The Only "Future-Ready" Stackable Hub System

The new Digital MultiStack System enables any Digital 90-series hub module,
including repeaters, access servers, wired and wireless bridges, routers,
RMON (Remote Monitoring) probes and SNMP management agents, to be used in
a stackable network configuration. Up to 16 hubs, or 232 ports, can be
co-located in a stack, placed in a standard 19" wiring rack or can be
distributed up to 185 meters among floors. In addition, the same Digital
stackable hub modules are easily removed from the Digital MultiStack
System for use in the DEChub 90 workgroup chassis when power sharing and
cable simplification is required, or in the DEChub 900 MultiSwitch
enterprise chassis for multi-technology integration and virtual
networking.

Customers can now manage everything from low-cost stackable hubs to
workgroup and enterprise chassis to Digital's award-winning,
high-performance backbone switches via a $495 Windows-based HUBwatch
management application. The application can run as a standalone system or
be launched from enterprise management platforms such as HP OpenView,
Novell NMS, SunNet Manager, POLYCENTER/NetView, or Digital's ManageWORKS.

"I think the Digital MultiStack is a great product, very competitive, and a
perfect solution for the low-end environment," said Michael Svobota,
director of engineering services at Banner Computers, Inc., an authorized
Digital Value Added Reseller in Woburn, Massachusetts. "The price is where
we want it and the flexibility is terrific. I can now offer customers an
affordable solution that's designed, developed, and supported by one
vendor. Because the modules are compatible and hot swappable, I can
optimize my network by intelligent sparing and preserving high-function
slots in the DEChub 900 MultiSwitch for mission-critical modules like the
PORTswitch and DECswitch products, and for off-loading connectivity to a
lower cost platform like the Digital MultiStack."

New Low Cost Connectivity for the Digital MultiStack System

As part of the Digital MultiStack announcement, Digital is introducing the
DECrepeater 90T-16, a 16-port manageable Ethernet 10BaseT stackable hub
priced at $795. Digital is also offering new software enhancements to a
range of management agents, including:

     o  The DECrepeater 90TS -- an eight-port, 10BaseT Ethernet
        stackable hub with a built-in SNMP agent, priced at $995;

     o  The DECrepeater 90FS -- a two-port, 10BaseFL/FOIRL Ethernet
        stackable hub with a built-in SNMP agent, priced at $1,595.

This new capability enables all of Digital 90-series repeaters to be
managed in a single SNMP management domain -- in any network
configuration. These products are available immediately.

All currently available Digital 90-series modules can be used in a
stackable configuration when combined with the Digital MultiStack System
stacking unit. For example:

     o  Digital NetRider 90 for remote access from home or on the
        road

     o  Digital RoamAbout Access Point for wireless connections to
        the wired LAN

     o  Digital RouteAbout Access EW for WAN and Internet
        connectivity

     o  DECpacketprobe 90 for full-function RMON traffic analysis

The Digital MultiStack System stacking unit is priced starting at $250 and
is available immediately.

"Since the nature of our business requires opening temporary offices, the
flexibility of the Digital MultiStack System is ideal," said Mike
Armstrong, computer operations manager at Cooley Godward Law Firm. "It's
as easy as stacking a few hubs together and we're ready to go. And I
really like the resilient management in the stack -- it is redundancy that
we can really use!"

Digital is leading the way in the networking industry today. The company is
a major player in the "converging" hub, switching, and routing
marketplace, and is the only networking vendor holding a leadership
position in all three elements. The company pioneered this convergence
model for networking in which these technologies are deployed on a single
integrated platform -- the DEChub 900 MultiSwitch. Digital's network
architecture and strategy, enVISN, builds on this platform to enable
customers to create switched virtual networks.

According to revenue figures from International Data Corporation (IDC),
Dataquest, and Rising Star Research, Digital holds the number three market
position in routers, hubs, and LAN switching. In addition, Dataquest
figures indicate that Digital holds the number two market position in
Ethernet switching and FDDI. Digital has networked more than 12 million
users worldwide.

Digital Equipment Corporation is the world's leader in open client/server
solutions from personal computing to integrated worldwide information
systems. Digital's scalable Alpha platforms, storage, networking,
software, and services, together with industry- focused solutions from
business partners, help organizations compete and win in today's global
marketplace.
 
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