AGILE INTRODUCES INDUSTRY'S FIRST ETHERNET SWITCH WITH FULLY AUTOMATED
VIRTUAL LAN CAPABILITY

--ATMizer 121 Ethernet Switch Field-Upgradeable to ATMizer 125 ATM Switch
--

BOXBOROUGH, Mass., August 28 -- Agile Networks, a leading vendor of local
ATM backbone networks, today introduced the ATMizer 121 Ethernet Switch, a
fully featured Ethernet switch that provides organizations with a
cost-effective means of attaching Ethernet LAN segments to a local ATM
backbone.  The ATMizer 121, like the rest of Agile's switch product
family, integrates LAN switching and ATM connectivity with sophisticated
virtual LAN management software that automatically creates and maintains
protocol-specific virtual LANs.  The company refers to this capability as
Relational LANs.

Relational LANs are a new and powerful networking concept based on
industry-standard protocols that significantly improve the performance and
administration of local backbone networks.  Agile's ATMizers automatically
form relational LANs that interconnect related endstations of the same
protocol type and subnetwork address.  All endstations in a relational LAN
enjoy direct communication with each other, independent of their location
on the network.

"While other vendors 'discuss' the merits of virtual LAN technology, Agile
is installing local ATM backbones throughout the world that provide all
the benefits of this new technology," said Bill Seifert, Agile President. 
"We believe that we have more experience with ATM virtual LANs than any
other network vendor, and that relational LANs are a superior technology
to segment-based virtual LANs.

"The coupling of the new ATMizer 121 Ethernet Switch with our ATMizer 125
ATM/Ethernet Switch, will help us deliver an even more comprehensive local
ATM backbone solution to our customers."

Fully Featured Ethernet Switch

The ATMizer 121 connects 12 switched Ethernet segments, either 10BASE-T or
10BASE-FL, to an ATM backbone switch and performs Ethernet-to-Ethernet and
Ethernet-to-ATM packet forwarding.  The product also includes a 155 Mbps
ATM uplink with an optional second ATM uplink, for connection to one or
two ATM switches.  The second ATM uplink operates as a redundant, 'hot
standby' backbone connection which becomes active upon failure of the
primary link or switch.

Should additional ATM switch ports be needed, an ATMizer 121 can be readily
field-upgraded to an ATMizer 125 ATM switch.

Agile's first product, the ATMizer 125, combines ATM cell switching with
high performance Ethernet frame switching.  The ATMizer 125 includes an
ATM switch with up to six ATM ports (five external) and a 12-port Ethernet
switch.

Both ATMizer models include a relational LAN manager, an intelligent
software component that learns the topology of the network, including
endstation locations and protocol subnetwork structure.  ATMizers
understand all major network protocols such as TCP/IP, IPX, DECnet,
AppleTalk, NetBIOS, and LAT.

The ATMizer 121 offers many features to minimize downtime, including hot
swap of redundant power supplies and ATM port modules.  Software updates
may be downloaded to the ATMizer flash PROM over the network or from a
rear panel PCMCIA flash memory card while the network is operational. 
Configuration information is stored in non-volatile RAM to survive power
losses.

The product supports Agile and IETF-defined MIBs accessible by SNMPv1 or
SNMPv2 management applications.  In addition, the ATMizer 121 can be
accessed by Telnet or through local serial ports.

Scalable ATM Backbone

With the addition of the ATMizer 121 to the product family, Agile now
offers organizations the ability to incrementally build large ATM
backbones by starting small and then scaling to meet performance and user
requirements.

This migration path might occur in the following order:

1) A single Ethernet Switch acting as an ATM-ready, departmental switch
(ATMizer 121);

2) Two Ethernet Switches interconnected by an ATM link toconnect
departments (ATMizer  121s);

3) Multiple Ethernet Switches interconnected by ATM switches to form an ATM
cluster that serves as a departmental backbone  (ATMizer 121s and ATMizer
125);

4) Multiple ATM switches interconnected by ATM links to form a local ATM
backbone network for a building or campus (ATMizer 121s and ATMizer
125s).

Using ATMizers, organizations can implement either a distributed, or
centralized, ATM switching architecture.  Agile has conducted individual
interoperability testing with a number of third party ATM switches.  These
products include:  Fore's ASX-200, General Datacomm's APEX, Bay Networks'
LattisCell and Cisco's Lightstream 100.

Pricing and Availability

Agile's ATMizer 121 is available immediately.  A 12-port ATMizer 121, with
one ATM uplink and the company's relational LAN management software is
priced at $22,000.

Founded in November 1991, Agile Networks is focused on building high
performance, high availability local ATM backbone networks for department,
building and campus environments.  The company's award-winning products
provide the industry's only automated virtual LAN capability, based on
intelligent Layer 3 switch software that automatically learns about
endstations and connects them to correct virtual LANs based upon their
protocol type and subnetwork address.
 
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