FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LIVINGSTON ENTERPRISES SHIPS INTEGRATED ISDN PRI ACCESS SERVER
OFFERS TRUE DIGITAL MODEM TECHNOLOGY
PortMaster 3 Consolidates Wide Area Network (WAN) Services Including Support
For New 56 Kbps Modem Technology
PLEASANTON, Calif., December 2, 1996 -- Livingston Enterprises, Inc. today
announced shipment of the new PortMasterTM 3 -- an access server integrating
Livingston's True DigitalTM DSP-based modem technology, ISDN capability,
CSU/DSUs, a communications server, a router, and WAN switching capabilities
into a compact 3.5 inch chassis. The consolidation of these separate remote
access functions simplifies installation and administration for network
managers.
"Livingston has established itself as the remote access market leader with
more than 1700 ISPs, who demand reliable and cost-effective Internet access
products," explains Joe Sasek, Livingston's vice president of sales and
marketing. "More importantly, Livingston's significant early demand for the
PortMaster 3 signifies that we are meeting the ISPs' need for integrated
remote access central site solutions."
Livingston-developed True Digital Modems
Featuring Livingston's own True Digital DSP-based modem technology provides
superior performance, reliability and management. This addresses the weakest
link in remote access - analog modems. True Digital modems have no analog
circuitry and generate 90% less heat than analog chipset modem solutions,
providing superior performance and reliability. True Digital modems also
provide automatic, self-configuration eliminating complex initialization
strings.
Additional management features allow network managers to collect statistics
from the modems, upgrade modem software, busy-out modems, and even monitor
individual modem calls in progress -- all from a central site. An automatic
self-diagnostic and busy-out feature eliminates the risk of unresponsive
modems and disrupted hunt groups.
"True Digital DSP technology eliminates one source of signal degradation,
enabling callers to establish and maintain higher-speed connections than
they could with analog circuits and modems," observes David Acquistapace,
president of AccessPort. "They will now have more chances to see their V.34
modems work the way they expected when they bought them."
In a related announcement, on December 2nd, Livingston Enterprises and
Lucent Technologies' Microelectronics Group announced their intention to
enter a joint technology agreement which enables Livingston to integrate
Lucent's V.flex®2 56 Kbps modem technology into its PortMaster 3 line of
access servers. The technology agreement includes the eventual support of
the ITU standard for 56K modem transmission.
Wide Area Services
With all WAN services in one chassis, and its dynamic call switching
architecture, the PortMaster 3 can automatically switch between ISDN and
analog modem calls. Network administrators can use a single phone number
which lets users access all dial-up WAN services across a single or multiple
incoming PRI channels. The PortMaster 3 also supports Frame Relay and
synchronous leased lines, including channelized T1 or E1 signaling.
Combining all these features in one chassis, the PortMaster 3 consolidates
six previously separate remote access components (see diagram 1).
Wide Area Routing
The PortMaster 3's robust Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) routing protocol,
with easy-to-configure Variable Length Subnet Masking (VLSM) support, lets
network administrators allocate scarce IP addresses more efficiently. The
PortMaster 3 incorporates Livingston's proven ComOSTM, developed
specifically for remote access routing. Concurrent routing of both TCP/IP
and Novell IPX protocols provide on-demand routing for client-to-LAN and
LAN-to-LAN connectivity.
Security and Management
The PortMaster 3 includes at no extra cost, Firewall packet filtering, which
provides built-in Internet security. Additionally Livingston's centralized
remote access management for security, access control, and ease of
configuration are provided by the Livingston-invented RADIUS (Remote Access
Dial In User Service) software, ChoiceNetTM content management filtering
software and by Livingston's PMconsoleTM GUI administration software.
Pricing and Availability
Available today, the PortMaster 3 supports ISDN PRI in either T1 or E1
versions and is priced at $6,950 with one PRI and $9,950 with two PRI ports.
The True Digital modem cards are available in 8 or 10 V.34 per card and are
priced at $3,450, and $4,300 respectively. All prices are U.S. list.
Products are fully certified for use in North America, Canada, Japan, Europe
and countries supporting the European ISDN switch standards.
The PortMaster 3 is available with one or two T1 or E1 PRI lines with
integrated CSU/DSUs, an Ethernet port, a high-speed serial port, and six
expansion slots for True Digital modem cards. Each chassis supports up to 60
modems.
Livingston Enterprises
Livingston Enterprises, Inc., founded in 1986 and headquartered in
Pleasanton, California, specializes in dial-up remote access and LAN-to-LAN
inter-connectivity. Best known for its Internet connectivity products,
Livingston supplies its PortMaster Communications Server and a full suite of
wide-area network and firewall routers to more than 1,700 Internet Service
Providers worldwide.